Apologies for the delay here. We’ve been trying to get in touch with the moderators to have an AMA, but with no luck, so we want to express ourselves in a thoughtful and timely manner now on this thread.
We started the Combatant Gentlemen brand because there was a big gap in the market for affordable suits and an even bigger need. There were, and still are, guys getting their first jobs, guys getting married, or in wedding parties, and as millennial men, we know how expensive it can be to invest in quality suits.
When we launched back in 2012, we did so with wool blend suits. We created products durable for multiple wears but with the same drape and fall of a 100% wool suit. We like both options to this day—we have guys who ride bikes to work, we have guys who are in physically demanding jobs - and this is why we created the endurance line. These continue to be wool blends that work and breathe well, and are inexpensive.
Shortly after launching, our customer asked if we could create 100% wool suits. We loved the idea but knew it would take time to develop, so we went on a search to find the best way to do so. We wanted to maintain the same durability found in the wool blend suits that we launched with, and this is where treatment and thread count came into place. The higher the thread count, and the more untreated the wool is, the more issues there are with any article of clothing. Therefore, we spent much time with technicians, treating the fabric in various ways to achieve a similar durability you might find in a non-100% wool suit.
We’re constantly searching for new ways we can be better as a company, from advancing special treatments to learning new methods for weaving material that could help our end product breathe and insulate better. I’m still a student of this game every single day, and as a company, we’re generally happy with the mills we currently work with in northern Italy. We’re also happy to supply burn tests for both the Essential Suits and the Peacoat releasing this season. Find the videos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-Db...ature=youtu.be
In reference to last year’s Peacoat, /u/PoorRobert is correct. We sold 100% wool Peacoats on our website, but we did sell additional color ways and materials at our NYC pop-up shop that some of you may or may not have attended. We have limited edition products because we like to see and test new ideas with our offline customers, face-to-face. We’re extremely driven by data. We’re driven by our guys, and we’re driven to help them get where they want to go.
Our name, Combatant Gentlemen, means a lot to us as a team and to many of our customers. If you break it down, it’s an oxymoron. As guys who graduated college during the recession, so much seemed impossible—to pay all this money and come out with a degree without a job was deflating, to say the least. But a lot of my friends moved to New York after school, mostly to work in finance and banking, and they wouldn’t take no for an answer. They had good fashion knowledge and sense of style, and they knew what they needed to wear to be respected in their industries, but they unfortunately didn’t have the dollars to make both those things happen.
The name “Combatant Gentlemen” means our guy will fight to get where he wants to go and reach the goals he’s set for himself, regardless of the exterior forces against him. It holds a special meaning and we believe in the mission behind what the name stands for.
Our goal is to follow through with our mission and get guys in product that will hold up the test of time and get them through the hardest parts of their lives.
As CEO, I’m responsible for every product made and released, and I take ownership of that. I’m here to address any questions, comments and concerns in a productive manner. And if we aren’t helping you, I’d personally like to know.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by ianmichaelray
