Mel Pennington and Tygh Bailes stumbled on a new clothing market when Pennington had some khaki pants embroidered with University of Virginia insignias for Bailes. “People just went nuts over it,” Pennington remarked. “We immediately thought about the collegiate market.”
Since then, the business partners have created their own line of collegiate inspired pants, in a variety of colors and designs. The duo are now licensed to sell designs from around 60 colleges and universities and they say that business is booming.
The business has factories around the world, with a central office in Shanghai and a new office opening up in Peru. Their combed and washed twill cotton fabric is produced in bulk, 1,000 yards at a time, and is reportedly as “soft as pajamas.”
The pants are not cheap, they sell for around $135, but since there are 96 insignias embroidered onto each pair of pants, the partners feel the price can be justified. “We’ve made a commitment every year to improve our product in some way. Although some might think we charge a premium price, we think it’s a fair price because we sell you a product that is going to last forever.”
Next up, the business is planning to create skirts for ladies as well as collegiate blazers, and they are looking into the children’s market. Read more about Pennington and Bailes at South Carolina Now or visit their website at StadiumPants.com.
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