No matter which side of the climate debate you fall on, we can pretty much all agree that summer in Houston is uncomfortable. The overpowering heat (oops, wrong link) can make life difficult for yo-pros and o-pros alike, whose jobs require sporting restricting formal wear for the majority of the day.
Enter Mac Bishop. The 24-year-old founder of Wool & Prince, a company that promises to "redefine what you think of wool," has introduced what he calls "The Better Button-Down." Bishop sought financial backing for his design through a Kickstarter page and soon raised $314,000 — more than 10 times his initial goal.
His page makes a bold claim: "A wool shirt worn for 100 days straight. No washing. No dry cleaning. No wrinkles. No odor." Bishop was inspired by most guys' favorite item of clothing: Their jeans. Jeans are comfortable, durable and low-maintenance. They don't require ironing, and, for most men, they don't get cleaned a whole lot. Bishop wanted to take all these qualities and apply them to a dress shirt.
Wool & Prince wants to oust the stigma of wool as Great Aunt Ethel's itchy weapon of choice around the holidays and show that it is the ideal material year-round. This wool is soft and, because of the nature of its fibers, is supposed to last much longer than cotton, is supposed to be wrinkle-resilient and is supposed to allow moisture to escape in those hot summer months.
And just so you don't feel like the wool's being pulled over your eyes, Wool & Prince has asked several individuals to try the 100-day challenge (much to the chagrin of their loved ones and coworkers, I'm sure) and share their results. The shirt-testers did everything from backpacking in the Andes to dancing in a New York City nightclub, all without ever washing the shirt.
"I crumpled it into a ball and put it in the bottom of my backpack when I am running around the city just to see if I can ruin it," one tester said. "No luck — it comes out ready to wear every time."
If you're wondering how much this magic shirt will set you back, the price is set at $98. The shirts have been in high demand since their release a month ago and are sold out for the time being.
It will be interesting to see how the development of these button-downs affects office dynamics, particularly after the recent finding that the smell of man-sweat makes other males more cooperative. (Does anyone else think these guys are only cooperating so their malodorous coworker doesn't come any closer?)
The new FIGS store will offer a Color Clinic and Customization Station to let shoppers personalize their FIGS uniforms. Photo courtesy of FIGS/Instagram
