A volleyball apparel brand is born

PLASTIC Clothing Inc. came out of a one car garage in South Mission Beach, San Diego.

The year was 1998, and the idea came from a collaboration with a surfer friend who I worked for cutting pattern pieces for yachting jackets.  The first Plastic Clothing  shorts were made out of a thin satin polyester, and there were ten of them.  I kept one, sold nine, and made more when friends and neighbors asked for them.  The next run I made twenty five shorts, and added some tees.  After those tees and shorts sold, there was still a demand for the ‘shorts that fit right’ especially in a volleyball apparel brand, so I got a trademark and PLASTIC was born! If this is the first time you are hearing about the brand, check through pics of all the great players that already know about PLASTIC here!

Since this modest beginning in 1998, we have learned volumes about pattern making, fabric/product selection, domestic and overseas production, and retail/wholesale trade.  After a phenomenal string of years (18!), I have decided to write the PLASTIC story- and focus it on educating you (my customer) about our company, volleyball apparel, and our industry.  To let you in on What Plastic clothing is all about!

Where volleyball apparel starts

Pattern making is a cross between fashion, merchandising, and marketing.  Some patterns waste less fabric, and if you make a lot of shorts, fabric waste can add up to millions of dollars.  The best product has extra curves, seams, and darts, which generate more waste fabric, but fit your body better (nobody’s body is straight, especially in volleyball apparel).  Mass market clothing companies concentrate on reducing expenses instead of getting a great fit, with dollars saved at the expense of consumers who will never know the difference- all they know is the product doesn’t fit well.  Granted, it’s difficult to charge more for a “good fit”, so the big clothing companies don’t advertise fit (especially in volleyball).  They make a name for the company with their product name, and stand behind it (Polo, Nautica, Diesel).

It is interesting to note there are very few companies in the boardsport/beach lifestyle industry that ever mention fit.  The better athletic companies have always concentrated on their product (Nike, Addidas, Puma), which explains their lasting strength through the years. It also explains why I would want to model Plastic Clothing after those brands.  I noticed the trend in our industry towards lots of marketing dollars to sell shoddy products. I also noticed that it worked for them.  The more I learned about the industry, the more I saw an opening for a great product with a great plan, which brings us to FABRIC/PRODUCT SELECTION.

Mass-market clothing companies make decisions on what products to offer on their line through several factors:

1. Are other volleyball apparel companies offering something similar?
2. What price points can we expect to get?
3. What are our profit ratios?
4. Is the fabric domestic/imported?
5. Are the colors matching our competitors/what is expected?
6. Will it be done in time for the trade shows?
7. Will the board of directors approve it?

I decided to base my decisions differently-

1. Would I buy it?
2. Is it made of the best stuff?
3. Would my friends buy it?
4. Will I stand behind it?

These comparisons are by no means a stretch; it’s obvious that small specialty companies design the unique, groundbreaking styles that  eventually turn into mass market companies. Those companies are built around marketing, distribution, and sales.  I still design Plastic Clothing styles around what I see, and what I want. I use only the best materials and workmanship, because I deal directly with my customers every day, many of who compete professionally in surfing, volleyball, snowboarding, skiing, wakeboarding, etc.

We are privately owned

It’s my own money I make and/or lose on these designs, so I make sure they are the best I can possibly create.  Fabric selection is a large part of this process- large companies make decisions on cost; I make Plastic clothing decisions on the feel, look, and performance for volleyball apparel.  Cost is important but secondary. I’ll sell 1000 ”great” shorts this year mostly to volleyball players, so I don’t much care about production costs of a few dollars more a short.  My point is this: If you want the best and something unique, don’t buy from the big guy.  If you want clothing for your lifestyle, find a company that designs products for that lifestyle, not one sport.  Find a company and make your own choice, instead of having your choice made for you, which brings us to RETAIL/WHOLESALE TRADE.

To a company such as PLASTIC, the internet is a way of making the public aware of our product and offering a direct pipeline, without retail mark-up (usually 100%!).   There have been many fine companies that have been built out of catalog/direct sales.  A few names that I respect most are LL Bean, REI, Victoria’s Secret, and even Sears!  These companies grew through direct sales, before they went wholesale.

Our method of marketing and distribution through the last five years has been to gain customers personally through events (music and volleyball) and sell direct, with residual sales coming from the internet.   My customers are offered special discount codes, internet specials, and other incentives.  Our satisfaction guarantee gives them the opportunity to try and buy without obligation.  We make sure our customers are happy, and that they tell their friends.  This brings us to the real reason why I believe in Plastic Clothing; if you were to buy our shorts from a retail store, you pay them half of the cost to carry it, and me half the cost to make it.  Not to mention they have returns and trades that I have to absorb into my cost.  I can truly offer a better product at a better price if you buy direct.

A commitment to volleyball apparel Quality

Production is the last point, and the most important to making a great product I can personally stand behind.  Cost is a big factor, and as a result we have decided to spend more on our seam by seam process.  Seams cost more in America, and nobody wants to pay more for the same product.  People are coming to realize that jobs that stay here are better for our economy. Its important to also realize that there is a different quality ethic in North america, as opposed to China.  The difference is that anything manufactured in China takes months to ship.  Mexico takes days.  Designs manufactured in the far east by the big surf companies sometimes over two years old!  As a smaller design house built specifically for volleyball apparel, we have the advantage of being able to make and test new designs all the time.  As a result of these smaller production runs, we are able to act and react quickly to what is happening around us… after all- isn’t that what lifestyle design is all about?