WHY WE SPENT 6 MONTHS DESIGNING ONE SWEATSHIRT.
Most streetwear brands drop a new collection every week. We spent 6 months on a single sweatshirt.
We're talking about the Contrast Striped Lapel Collar Sweatshirt ($51.94) — and here's the story of why it took that long.
The problem with most sweatshirts
Go to any streetwear brand. Their sweatshirts are all the same: plain crewneck, thin fabric, basic stitching, some graphic on the front. $80. Next season they change the graphic and call it a new drop.
We wanted to build something that broke the template.
Sample 1–8: Getting the fit wrong
Our first samples felt like every other sweatshirt. Too fitted. Too loose. Too boxy. Too slim. We tried 8 different cuts before we landed on the silhouette that sits right on everyone — drops just past the waist, raglan sleeves for mobility, loose enough to move but clean enough to tuck.
Sample 9–12: The fabric search
We tested 3 different cotton blends. Cheaper fabrics pilled after 2 washes. Premium blends cost too much to keep the price under $60. We ended up with 100% premium cotton at 11.2 oz/yd² — durable, soft, holds its shape. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive. Just right.
Sample 13: The lapel collar
Here's where it got interesting. Plain crewnecks look like every other sweatshirt. Hoods change the vibe entirely. So we added a lapel collar — a detail most streetwear brands skip because it's harder to manufacture.
That one detail took 3 weeks of prototyping to get right. The contrast stripe? Another 2 weeks. But the result is something that actually looks different from everything else in your closet.
Sample 14: The final version
Sample 14 was the one. Contrast striped lapel collar. Raglan sleeves. Loose unisex fit. Premium heavyweight cotton. $51.94.
Not $80. Not $150. Not $200. $51.94.
Because premium quality shouldn't require a premium tax.
The lesson
Taking 6 months to build one piece might sound crazy in a world of weekly drops. But that's the TRILLY way. Every piece earns its place in the collection. Every detail is intentional. Every stitch is obsessed over.
Shop the Lapel Sweatshirt: trillyinthemaking.com
TAKE RISK.