An increasing number of guys are doing yoga – some five million plus according to Warrior Wear Founder Jered Seibert. And while a yoga pant has become a wardrobe staple for nearly every woman, there’s not really a dude equivalent.
Enter Warrior Wear and its line of men’s yoga shorts.
Seibert experienced his first yoga class in 2009 on a trip to Costa Rica.
“The thing that probably got me most interested and the reason I kept going back was I became challenged in a way that I never had before,” he says.
It wasn’t just the physical endurance or the concentration, but the connection of the two that kept him coming back to the practice, especially over the last few years.
Seibert started to burn out on a 12-year career in finance and realized he wanted to do something else. Combining his long-time love of fashion and apparel, and a newfound interest in yoga, that something else grew into Warrior Wear.
His internet searches for yoga shorts and lack of results led to the idea.
“I realized there wasn’t much out there in terms of men’s brands,” Seibert says.
While there are plenty of apparel companies making yoga gear, almost all are branded and designed for the women’s experience. Seibert says Warrior Wear isn’t just about shorts, but “It’s also creating a voice for the male yoga experience.”
Warrior Wear is launching with four custom-designed, U.S.A.-manufactured styles of shorts. The designs bring in elements of board, bike and running shorts for a tailored yet flexible short. Less fabric and snug hips mean shorts don’t get in the way – and an instructor can better keep an eye on proper movements. Seibert says the shorts are strong and durable enough to support a guy where he needs it, while standing up to some force.
The shorts come in two fabrics – bamboo and athletic – with a full-length and mid-length option for each. Seibert says guys are often anxious enough about walking into a yoga studio that, “We want to make the clothes that fit them, that they can feel confident in.”
Warrior Wear is launching with just shorts and is partnering with another manufacturer on branded apparel like t-shirts and hoodies.
“Our goal is to design everything that we feel like needs tailored to a man’s body,” Seibert says of what other products might eventually be included and notes that largely means gear from the waist down.
Warrior Wear is turning to Kickstarter to release the first 100 pairs of its shorts and measure interest.
“We thought Kickstarter would be a fun and creative way to get our product to the market and also one of the fastest ways,” Seibert says.
The plan is to see where the demand is, but Seibert says the product has largely been met with positive reception.
“People are excited that it’s happening here in Columbus,” he says.
He moved to the city about five years ago for work, and doesn’t know if Warrior Wear would have happened had he been elsewhere.
“People want to help,” Seibert says.
He’s enlisted the services of crowdfunding mainstays like Trident Design and made the rounds at various pitch events.
“They’ve really helped me along the path to getting here,” he says.
He also credits Columbus’ growing name as a fashion hub and that Midwestern hospitality for making it happen.
For more information, visit yogawarriorwear.com.
