About
Pistol Lake: Ultra-functional activewear for minimalists
$57,543
303
What if we had one outfit that was ready for every adventure?
One outfit that gives you the freedom to go from the gym, to the office, to the mountains and back again without needing to change or wash.
Ultra-functional activewear made for travel, adventure, and the minimalist in all of us.
We're ravaging our planet; we need sustainable fabrics
We spent the last sixteen months engineering an ultra-sustainable performance fabric, Eudae. It's a perfect blend of fibers made from recycled bottles and the pulp of Eucalyptus trees.
It LOOKS NATURAL, PERFORMS, and doesn't destroy the environment like cotton, polyester, or other performance fabrics. Each long sleeve tee is made from around 10 recycled bottles.
Less sweat:
Eudae wicks sweat away, dries insanely quickly, and is super breathable, so you're comfortable in any climate
Comfort on the road, trail, and in the office:
Tiny nanofibrils from the fibers of the Eucalyptus tree pulp make the fabric feel soft and smooth like silk, and yet sturdy enough for any adventure
Wash less:
The Eucalyptus tree fibers inhibit bacterial growth and therefore odor, but it is machine washable with normal settings and won't shrink.
Adventure more, consume less.
Not one of the top twenty apparel companies make their own clothes in their own factories.
Hundreds of thousands of people die every year, and millions of women and children work in unsafe conditions, to make the things we wear.
This is about standing up for what we believe in -- ethical manufacturing.
We're going to build a small, but technically-advanced, factory here in Los Angeles. Together, we can bring opportunities, livelihoods, and fair wages to the people that work with us.
We launched Pistol Lake on Kickstarter three years ago. With your support, we’ve been able to sew tens of thousands of shirts locally, here in Los Angeles.
Pistol Lake was where we'd go camping every summer when we were young. Being outdoors taught us how to appreciate the simple things in life; the importance of being self-sufficient, that having less actually gave us more freedom, and most importantly, we learned the value of connecting with nature, and living a free and adventurous life.
Phone snap pocket - no more cracked screens
Hidden, zippered back pockets
Ultra-secure, zippered pocket-within-a-pocket
Securely store your phone when you’re at the gym or on the go
Flatlocked seams for ultimate comfort
If you prefer a long sleeve, just increase your pledge amount by $20 to replace any short sleeve in the reward package.
Mid-rise with the perfect balance of stretch and compression constructed to move with your body
Stretch mesh cut-outs placed behind the knees for ventilation
Phone pocket placed in the natural curvature of your hip, for comfortable movement, and big enough to store an iPhone 6
Securely store your phone when you’re at the gym or on the go
Featuring our lightweight Eudae fabric blend for a loose and cozy fit
It's about standing up for what we believe in.
Over the last twenty years almost all manufacturing has been outsourced, often to the lowest-price countries and factories. Many of these countries don’t have the laws or law-enforcement to hold the factory owners accountable. We believe that until companies employ their own workforces, and take responsibility for the people making their goods, travesties like Rana Plaza, where a thousand people died in a building collapse, will continue to happen.
We’re doing things differently. For the last three years we've manufactured in a beautiful factory near us in Los Angeles. We're on the sewing floors, watching as our clothes are sewn. Now, we're taking the next step, and we're going to build a small, but technically-advanced, factory here in Los Angeles. Together, we can bring opportunities, livelihoods, and fair wages to the people that work with us.
If you want to learn more:
John Oliver did a great segment on the fashion industry
There is a fantastic documentary on Netflix called True Cost
NYT piece on Rana
Would You Still Buy That Dress After Watching This?
Child Labor: 11 year-old Halima sews clothing for Hanes
or Google - "Zara labor violations", "H&M labor violations", “Gap labor violations”, etc.
More about sustainability
Growing cotton consumes 1 trillion gallons of water per year, at a time when an estimated 2 billion people are facing water shortages. 20% of industrial water pollution comes from textiles, and 25% of pesticides used in the world are used on conventionally-grown cotton -- which is a major source of pollution. Likewise, traditional non-recycled polyester uses huge quantities of water, chemicals, and fossil fuels. It is largely non-biodegradable and derived from petroleum.
Do we really need any more $5 throwaway shirts? There is a real cost to the fast fashion that is dominating the apparel world. And unfortunately, it is our planet that is bearing the bulk of these true costs.
We're striving to make a difference. We design and manufacture high quality gear for the long haul. A Pistol Lake garment is an investment- something you'll wear and pack on your adventures time and time again. A Pistol Lake shirt takes a stance against fast-fashion. We hope you'll join us.
More about Eudae
Eudae is a yarn we created by combining polyester made from recycled bottles with Tencel, a closed-loop process made from the pulp of Eucalyptus trees.
Our recycled polyester is made by diverting bottles that have already been used by consumers and other post-industrial waste from landfills. The bottles are cleaned and shredded into tiny flakes, and then melted into stands of polyester. Thread woven from these strands is incredibly strong and stain resistant. Each long sleeve tee is made from around 10 recycled bottles.
We blend recycled polyester and Tencel to make our custom yarn. Tencel is made from the pulp of Eucalyptus trees grown on PEFC-certified, sustainably run farms. It's manufactured using an extremely efficient, closed-loop system that uses non-toxic organic solvent, making it the most eco-friendly, renewable fiber. Nanofibrils are the key to the performance of Tencel -- and are what make it so soft and comfortable.
Our inspiration
We’ve been incredibly inspired by companies like Patagonia, who have brought many of these issues to the forefront, and blazed the path in building a responsible company.
If you'd like you add any additional garments to your pledge, just increase your pledge amount by the amount above.
Choosing your size and color
After the campaign is done, we'll send you a survey that will allow you to pick the size and color you'd like.
How Do The Clothes Fit?
Men
All of our designs feature an athletic fit. For men, this means your shirts will be broad in the shoulders and slim through the torso and waist. Our shorts are mid-rise, resting just above the hips, and falling at the top of the knee cap with a slightly tapered leg. These shorts are made to move, so they’re not tight. If you’re familiar with J. Crew, our sizing and fit are similar.
Men's Size Guide
Women
Our women’s designs fit true to size. Both four-way-stretch, mid-rise leggings designs are form fitting, offering moderate compression and freedom of movement. They hug and support your body in all the right places. Inseam is 21.5” on all sizes. The tank has a loose and laid-back fit, partially covering your butt and below your waistline. Wear it with a sports bra underneath. The hoodie hugs your curves here and there, but isn’t tight. You’ll have plenty of room to wear a tee underneath.
Women's Size Guide
Our size guides are comprehensive. Follow them closely, and you’ll be sure to find the right fit. If you’re in between sizes: go up a size if you prefer your clothes not to be slim fit. Go down a size if you’re slender and like a slim cut.For reference, here’s how the clothes fit us:
Andrew is 5’7”, 140 lbs, 37” chest, 30” waist and wears a size small shirt and size XS shorts.
William is 5’10”, 185 lbs, 41” chest, 33” waist and wears a size medium in both shirts and shorts.
Brian is 5’7”, 155 lbs, 37” chest, 32” waist and wears a size small in both shirts and shorts.
Returns and Exchanges
If you are outside the US, we ask that you cover the cost of shipping back to us for all returns. Unfortunately, we cannot offer exchanges on international orders.
If after you receive your order and something doesn't fit or you want a different style/color, we'll do our best to fulfill your request. There's a chance that we won't be able to offer you the size, style, or color you want in an exchange since this project is crowdfunded- we won't be holding much extra inventory beyond what is pre-ordered during the campaign.
For all return and exchange inquiries, please email us at will@pistollake.com
Risks and challenges
This is our second Kickstarter, and third pre-order campaign.
We've been manufacturing apparel in Los Angeles for three years, working primarily with the same partners.
We've built a reputation for having the best customer service in the industry, so you can rest assured, you'll be satisfied with your rewards. We stand behind everything we make 100%.
Things can always pop up. Our initial short-runs of these styles and experience in manufacturing has allowed us to prepare for most of the risks in making new products, but things can always happen. We'll be posting many updates per week along the way, and will always be overly communicative of any issues we have to deal with.
Ship Date: We are confident we will ship by the projected dates, but if demand is much higher than expected, it is possible that the yarn vendors don't have sufficient stock of raw supplies. This could add up to a month onto our expected delivery date.
Product Changes: As we receive feedback of early backers and testers, we're going to continue to make pre-production improvements to our designs.
Learn about accountability on KickstarterQuestions about this project? Check out the FAQ
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Funding period
- (31 days)