The same place that introduced the outdoor world to neoprene eyewear retention and softshell has spawned another new interpretation of an age-old necessity: pants. Jackson Hole-inspired Mountain Khakis are designed specifically for the mountain lifestyle, crafted from abrasion-resistant fabrics and tailored for any conceivable outdoor adventure.
The vision for Mountain Khakis came to founding partner Jason Perry during an afternoon among the shops in Jackson Holes infamous town square. Perry had recently moved to Jackson Hole after selling McAlister Clothing, an elite sporting apparel and accessories company he founded in 1996. His plan was to enjoy the endless recreational opportunities in the valley, but Perry couldnt keep his mind off of the unique apparel trends of his fellow mountain town inhabitants.
Perry saw the success of the smaller, niche brands, like Cloudveil and noticed the obvious attempts of valley visitors and short-timers to localize themselves by dressing the part.
“This phenomenon would happen to friends from back east that would come to visit me,” said Perry. “Let loose in a store like Skinny Skis, they would purchase Carhartts and Cloudveil immediately, not only trying to dilute their glaring tourist wardrobe but also in an attempt to take a piece of the mountain lifestyle back with them.”
A business plan for Mountain Khakis in hand, Perry reached out to his contacts from the textile and finance hub of Charlotte, NC teaming up with successful entrepreneurs Terry Greenwood, Mac Lackey and Ross Saldarini. Collectively this group of entrepreneurs had successfully built a number of companies from the ground up and has a great understanding of what it takes to make a startup successful.
“After researching the market we found there was a great opportunity for a company that focused exclusively on pants, bottoms and casual clothing that was comfortable, authentic and durable enough to meet the demands of a mountain lifestyle. We realized there was no standout company that has created the product and the brand to address this need and that the opportunity was there to create something truly unique,” said Founding Partner Mac Lackey.
The first pair of Mountain Khakis rolled off the production line this past November.
