The romper has been one of the most identifiable fashion trends of the last half decade. Started in the 1900s as clothing for children, and continuing in popularity through the 20s, the romper has come back in style as a major female fashion piece.
But one company thinks the fashion industry has missed a big part of the romper market: dudes.
Chicago-based clothing startup Aced Design has created the RompHim, a summertime romper designed for men. The company on Monday launched a Kickstarter for the RompHim, which as of this afternoon was closing in on the $10,000 goal it set out to raise.
The RompHim sells for $90 on Kickstarter, and comes in a red, blue or a splatter print. The team is also offering a spacial July 4 print, which they say will be delivered before this year's Independence Day. Each RompHim comes with a front shirt pocket, front pant pockets, adjustable waist tabs, and--perhaps most importantly--a zipper fly.
It's a ridiculous piece of clothing. But that's the point, I suppose. The RompHim wants to help guys stand out, and what better way to do that than with a bright, colorful onesie? Here's the origin story from the founders (who all met at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management) via Aced Design's website:
We were sitting around drinking beers one evening and got to talking about the men's clothing options out there. Everything was either too corporate…too fratty…too "runway"…or too basic. Something was missing. Why wasn’t there anything out there that allowed guys to be more stylish and fun without also sacrificing comfort, fit, and versatility?
The more we thought about it, the more we realized that a romper hits all of these attributes – they can be dressed up or down and they’re unique, fashionable, and cool. But the one thing a romper didn’t have? A version for men. So we set out to fix that.
I'm not sure I have the body type or confidence (or desire) to pull off the RompHim. But hey, who am I to judge? It's only summer in Chicago for like 45 minutes out of the year. Go nuts.
