See our favorite new brands for 2020 here.
BearBottom Clothing
Aside from their awesome style and incredible performance this brand tops our list for a few reasons. First, Bearbottom is making clothing for “everyday adventure.” They’re selling more than just clothing, but a lifestyle and an attitude. Life is made for adventure and should be fun. From their wild prints to crossover gear that can be worn to more than just the gym, the brand offers a variety of performance wear that will fit many aspects of your active lifestyle.
You can easily understand the brand’s spirit from a quick trip to their website. One line that stuck out to us was “We didn’t want to keep choosing between quality, style, affordability, and ethically sound practices – so we started Bearbottom.” Which leads to the second reason why we’re hot on this brand – they’re affordable. Today it’s almost standard for a pair of gym shorts to be priced above the $60 mark. Every performance short Bearbottom offers is just $45! However, the quality matches those of the leading brands out there like Lululemon or Rhone.
Finally, this brand gives back. We love when a brand can provide badass products while staying socially conscious. For every item Bearbottom sells they give a pair of shorts to the local community where the product is made! Plus, they only use manufacturing partners who provide their production team with awesome benefits like full-time on site medical staff, and meals. So they truly embody their mantra: Feel good, look good, and do good. Be sure to check them out below.
Hill City
Launched in 2018 Hill City is the new men’s activewear brand from the GAP. Think of them as the male equivalent to GAP’s ultra-successful female performancewear brand Athleta. So with that much experience behind them you know Hill City is putting out quality, on-trend, gear.
We like their expansive product offerings from shorts and tops to pants, swimwear, and outerwear. Their aesthetic is modern, clean, and mature and their colorways are muted and masculine.
They also do extensive testing on each and every one of their products, so you know they will stand up to your hardest workouts. They actually have a testing program that anyone can be a part of where they will send you free goods to try out for feedback.
Plus, we love the fact that Hill City is a Certified B Corporation. This means that they are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. They are part of a community of leaders, driving a global movement of people using business as a force for good.
NFQ
Founded in 2016, Never Fxcking Quit is for those who want to make a statement. And that message is simple. Suck it up and don’t stop whatever the cost. Sometimes you need that motivation to get you through your next workout or even life, so we respect that. The brand self-describes as “for those in constant pursuit of greatness and the elimination of mediocrity in ones life. For those of A Different Breed.”
Their aesthetic matches their name, aggressive, bold, and unapologetic. Military patterns and colors pervade their product offering, as well as cuts suited for those who want to show off their hard work. Their performance shorts are priced at a reasonable $40 and are the flagship of their product line.
Their sponsorships include bodybuilders, MMA fighters, grapplers, and other combat sport athletes. So you can get an idea of who they’re selling to. We like to visit their Instagram page whenever we need a quick reminder to suck it up and get to work. Check it out here.
EYSOM
EYSOM, or, Exercise Your State of Mind, is a Los Angeles based luxury men’s activewear brand founded by Stan Chueng. He started the label after winning the Esquire/Axe White Collection mentorship with John Legend, which in turn, set him on a path of self-discovery. Through the process he learned that the brand is a medium for him to serve others and spread mindfulness.
The EYSOM collection has a refined and subtle look to it with a few of the tops featuring progressive statements. The colorways include charcoal, navy, olive, and black, and feature SPF 50 for protection against the sun when training outdoors.
With tanks going for $75 and shorts ranging anywhere from $125 to $155, EYSOM certainly falls into the luxury label. We haven’t got our hands on anything from the collection yet, however, with materials like stretch poly and tencel we’re sure the comfort and fit lives up to the price tag.
In fact, they only produce limited batch runs, meaning no mass production here. Apparently, it can even take over 3 hours to construct a single pair of shorts, which, by the way, like everything else in the line, are hand made in Los Angeles.
WOLACO
Way Of Life Athletic Company, or WOLACO, is the result of a former collegiate lacrosse player with a need for better activewear and a well-funded Kickstarter campaign. The brand has expanded since its humble beginnings in New York City and now works to spread the idea of maintaining an active lifestyle.
The WOLACO collection exhibits a sporty yet mature aesthetic with it’s flagship product being its North Moore compression shorts. These were the shorts that put WOLACO on the map, and feature streamlined pockets to secure your phone and other goods while running or working out. They’re now available in 8 colors and have 58 reviews at 4.5 of 5 stars.
The entire collection is made in the US and includes a full line of compression wear, performance shirt, tanks, and tees, and hats.
This brand is certainly off to a strong start and we look forward to following along in their progress.