Freshman Outdoor Retailer exhibitor, Dish and Duer, comes armed with stretch and style, catering to the urban commuter. Other new ORWM exhibitors featured in SGB this month include Voormi, Avatech and 4FRNT Skis.
By Courtney Holden
Dish and Duer believes jeans serve a dual purpose: They should look good, but they should also perform. “Our mission is to help people live fluidly,” said Founder Gary Lenett. “People don’t need to worry about things that aren’t important, like changing their clothes all the time. When you get off your bicycle, we want you to walk into the boardroom or a nice dinner with your wife and not feel like you have to change your pants.”
“When you get off your bicycle, we want you to walk into the boardroom or a nice dinner and not feel like you have to change your pants.” – Founder Gary Lenett
Three years ago however, Lenett had had it with the denim industry. Although he’d worked alongside such jean-industry giants as Levi’s, Wrangler and Guess for decades, the cyclic nature of fashion had become stale. That was when a longtime friend and supplier stepped in, asking what it would take for him to hop back in the saddle one more time. “I said first of all, I’m not interested in strictly fashion. I also need the performance,” Lenett said. “Essentially this whole thing was about me getting some pants I could wear to work when I ride my bike.” At that, Dish and Duer – a brand that caters to a market of bike commuters, lunch-break climbers and mid-day yoga class attendees – was born.
While other lifestyle brands similarly offer pants that stretch, literally, to meet the wearer’s needs, Dish and Duer promise their jeans will not only move with the body but they’ll retain that classic denim look. The trick isn’t necessarily a specific material; it’s putting materials into the right balance. “Too much poly into our denim and it won’t look like a jean, but too little in it, and it won’t hold its shape,” Lenett said. “There’s no secret to the actual fibers. It’s about getting just the right combination of fibers and just the right blend.”
Their newest blend, deemed Nature2X (short for Nature to Extreme), has a board-room-ready exterior that hides the comfort of a favorite sweat pant. A mix of Tencel, polyester, cotton and spandex fibers, the pant absorbs sweat, kills bacteria, dries quickly and remains soft and comfortable regardless of the activity. Bonus features like reflective branding, larger pockets and a built-in seat gusset cater to the urban bike commuter.
Photos courtesy Dish and Duer
