Fairwear: Clothing That Combines Recreation and Responsibility
Balance between work and play is paramount for Lou Pollack — especially when he’s designing products for his company Fairwear.
Fairwear produces office-appropriate apparel made with materials typically reserved for workout clothes. The products are meant to be comfortable in versatile settings while having a clean design.
“Each shirt definitely has a given function depending on the collar, the cut or the sleeve length. It’s definitely all driven by purpose and function,” Pollack said.
Lou Pollack , founder of Fairwear, stands inside Brewerytown Bicycles.
While creating Fairwear, which was launched in 2013, Pollack’s main source of inspiration was the time he spent in Fairmount Park on bike rides or runs.
“This is such a special and unique place,” Pollack said, describing his first thoughts after visiting the park. “It’s exactly what I enjoy. It’s city living and it’s outdoor loving. It’s close to the city, but it’s disconnected and isolated just enough for you to pretend you’re not in the city.”
“I think that balance really inspired Fairwear,” he added. “That’s sort of been my ethos moving forward.”
Fairwear is a reflection not only of Fairmount Park, but of Philadelphia in general. Learning more about the landscape and people of Philadelphia after Pollack moved to the city in 2013 was a crucial influence during the development of Fairwear.
A Fairwear hat and button down shirt.
“The city is exciting. There’s a sense of exploration and learning something new every day that I think is just amazing,” he said. “It really only helps fuel my creative drive and gives me new perspective.”
Fairwear has thrived because of the support he’s received from local organizations like the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and the city’s cycling community, including people like Shelly Salamon.
Salamon, owner of Fairmount Bikes and Brewerytown Bikes, has helped Pollack gain awareness and a customer base by selling Fairwear products in those two stores.
“It seemed like a great idea to have nice-looking clothes but to avoid being gross and sweaty,” Salamon said. “Everyone who has bought a shirt in my shop really loves it.”
Lou Pollack stands outside Brewerytown Bicycles, one of the businesses who carry his clothing brand.
Pollack’s awareness of the evolving “office blueprint,” as he called it, was another motivation to create Fairwear. In a society gone wireless, people work everywhere — in coffee shops, at home and on the go. Fairwear products are meant to accommodate such a fast-paced, ever-moving lifestyle.
“Today’s professional needs to be more diverse and adjust to more environments than ever before,” Pollack said. “Fairwear is an extension of that. It’s grounded in everyday reality. You do have these everyday responsibilities… but you have great respect for the outdoors. It’s a little bit of both worlds.”
Pollack’s products also participate in a “craft movement” he’s noticed within the city.
The people Pollack cater to are those interested in the transparency of a business and their ability to learn exactly where their products are being made and by whom. Uniqueness is another quality of his product Pollack thinks attracts people.
Despite Fairwear’s localized and specialized mission, Pollack’s success has breached farther than the city’s borders.
“This is an idea that’s going to resonate despite your geographical location,” Pollack said.
With mentions in high-end publications such as Vogue, products have been sent to places such as Vancouver, the U.K., Australia and Asia. People in cities like New York, Washington D.C. and San Francisco have also expressed interest.
An example of a Fairwear backpack.
With a small business degree from Susquehanna University, the self-serving aspect of being an entrepreneur always attracted Pollack. However, Pollack admits he never expected to get involved in textiles as a kid. Creating Fairwear was a lesson in fashion and as an entrepreneur, or “wearer of many hats” as he puts it.
“One of the biggest attributes that business schools and colleges won’t teach you or talk about is sort of the mental preparation for starting your own business,” Pollack said. “You have to be independent enough to think for yourself but also be aware of your climate and surroundings and see the larger picture.”
With a keen eye for trends in the city, Pollack taps in to his customers’ ideological needs just as much as their recreational ones. To him, a Fairwear shirt is more than breathable material. Fairwear is for people who want to exist outside of a suit and tie and live every moment of their day as comfortably as possible.
