Instagram is a wonderful thing. We’ve made so many amazing connections, and discovered some truly unique brands through this platform, and Apparel by PW is no exception. These guys are working hard to craft whimsical, high-quality goods that are Made in the USA without pretension. Lucky for us, we had the chance to talk to them about how this whole thing got started, and what’s driving their line forward.
Tell us about where this began….
It all began with a chance finding of an old Singer Sewing machine in the basement. Fast forward several months, and we were creating goods for ourselves that we couldn’t find anywhere else. Seeing as Steve had previously started a chapter of a national fraternity while at UConn, we perfected our trade and learned a great deal while making custom fraternity gear – selling belts, sunglass straps, and pocketed T’s. This time really helped us discover that we were onto something and the initial capital raised helped us turn the hobby into a company.
After much experimentation our formal product launches began with our Summer Collection in 2014. This is when we released The Original Sailor’s Knot Straps (turks head braided sunglass straps), leather bow tie straps, and our signature Leather & Ribbon straps.
We dig the logo – but, what is it exactly?
Being a New England Brand, it was important for us to show the heritage of our products. We offer a lot of patriotic styles so we wanted a patriotic logo. That’s when we came upon (by a friend) the Flag of New England. The story goes that New England ships would fly the original Flag of New England to show that they were locals and not the British.
The Pine Tree logo is a really original looking tree. We knew it would be a conversation point and that once people learned what it is they would appreciate it.
What drives your designs? Where are you pulling inspiration from?
Our designs are driven by the ‘good times’ in life. We have a lot of summer lifestyle themed straps because everyone enjoys the beach, BBQs, sailing, boating, and the coastal life in general. The more collegiate styles are also inspired by focusing on the less serious things. We want to offer items that will stick out and someone will say…
“Holy shit where did you get that?”
Why “Made in USA”? Tell us why it is so important to you…
People don’t realize how badly the textile industry has been crushed by outsourcing. We want to support the Made in the USA movement but not exploit it. Whether or not the consumer directly cares if the product is outsourced or
not, we care. We want to support hard working Americans and the jobs that manufacturing offers.
If we can make it in the USA we will do it
What’s next for you?
We’re currently finalizing the work of revamping our product lineup. We’ve listened to the feedback from the last year and made tons of improvements.
Our new styles (2.0s) will be slimmer, lighter, slightlysmaller, and overall more comfortable. We also have a ton of new designs.
I’m really happy with how the new styles have turned out and I think people will be very impressed with the new quality.
As always, we’re looking to expand to relevant markets so always keep an eye out; we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves in the next few months so stay tuned!
Stay tuned for more from these guys as we head into warmer months, and be sure to check them out for yourself here.
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