Socks were just the beginning for the people at Stance. A remix of the underwear drawer was long overdue and luckily the company that has spent the past couple years helping make our feet feel incredible has answered the call.
Despite dozens of companies crowding the lane, the market has been clamoring for their presence—several upstart brands in the retail space have been self-proclaiming their product as the “Stance of underwear” for quite some time. From the outside, men’s underwear seems like a natural progression for Stance, but the category is a completely different environment to break into, as numerous established brands have already anchored heavy terrain in the market. Finding the proper time to develop, design and execute the category was challenging for the brand as well—their full attention has been dialed in on their numerous initiatives and product opportunities in socks.
When a fabric developed inside the company’s innovative SHRED lab was deemed too soft and supple for socks, the brand had the industry game-changer it was looking for, convinced they had invented the perfect “buttery blend” to cobble premium men’s boxer briefs and boxer shorts. The fabric was developed using extracted milk proteins—it is unlike anything else in the market and will revolutionize the industry, according to Stance co-founder and Chief Product Officer Taylor Schupe.
“The butter blend fabric, the wholester, the coreflex waistband, our feather seam panel construction and beautiful designs are all points of difference in this market,” Schupe says. In addition to the unique fabric offering, Stance will continue its quest for top-notch design and creativity—their DNA. “There is more real estate in underwear so we have an even bigger canvas to try unique, creative concepts.”
Stance plans to infuse the visionary personality of their brand into the category all while paying close attention to packaging, storytelling and marketing. After product testing a few pairs of the Stance line during a week in November, we believe in the ease and quality they provide. Critical point: the underwear stays in place without feeling like spandex, meaning it doesn’t ride and is a complement to modern wear—this is a much better look and feel in today’s tighter fitted denim, pants and shorts. The designs are super fresh and the elastic waistband is on some next level comfort, which is also very important. The price point for the Stance Underwear line will range from $28-$36—I expect them to last longer and look better than anything else I currently have folded up in my drawer right now.
“The target consumer for us is anyone who wants to look good and feel incredible,” Schupe says. “We want Stance to become synonymous with first-layer knit-wear. That includes socks and intimates. Once you try this Butter Blend, you’ll agree that we definitely have a chance to take a large amount of market share.”
Sold.
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