Sabre Expands Into Apparel
josh hunter
- February 17 2009
- 595 views
- 23 comments
Sabre Vision Founder Brooke McGregor recently announced the brand will now be branching out from its roots in eye wear and launching an apparel line called Threadz. Here’s a look at some of the product set to launch this month in select Sabre accounts internationally. Stay tuned to transworldbusiness.com for details.
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February 17th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Whoah! Threadzzzzzz with a Z makes it exxxtra exxxtreme.
February 17th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
seriously? threadz? Don’t get me wrong, i dig Sabre and all, but threadz? They must be pulling a fast one on us.
February 17th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
WHY?
February 17th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
I love the dudes (and Girl) at Sabre and they have always had a rad concept with the brand. Two things though:
1. The glasses were always ugly as fuck and the shit never sold(through) that well
2. There will now be a conflict with the reps as most of them also rep for RVCA and do the Eyewear as another brand. Hmmm?
February 17th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
maybe RVCA and Sabre are partners?
February 17th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Ok guys, now let’s stay focused here. You make glasses, you are not an apparel brand. Now t’s and hoodies I understand, but living in the Northwest where the sun does not shine that much I have yet to see one pair of Sabre glasses on the market. So perhaps you should focus on getting the glasses into more shops before you parlay into the apparel market, tighten up your line and your price points and succeed there. As far as I can see Sabre is not quite a recognized brand across the board, you have to compete with VZ, Electric, Dragon, Smith, Oakley and a bunch of other small eyewear brands. SO now you have this great idea of brand extension. Let me name a great example of good brands getting shittier through extension, GRENADE. IS that where you want your company to be, a confused mess. to me, and my opinion does not matter in the grand scheme of things, but you are just taking yourselves in the wrong direction…spend the money you are planning on spending on your retailers, give the more incentives, better displays as the ones you have a crappy and fall apart and make sure the product is in line with the competitors designs and prices.
February 17th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Couldn’t have said it any better.
Maybe apparel is going to replace the sunglasses in shops?
February 17th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Another bloggin’ know it all! You must be really successful with those insights
February 17th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Obviously you have never walked into a Active, Jacks or Closet in Southern California!
February 17th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Lets here something positive guys! this brand is fun and is taking a great direction stop being so sad on everything…..Go Sabre!
February 17th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
oh and threadz Im sure is just a bit of fun! Stop taking it all so serious …..
February 17th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Yeah- I’d love to explain to my Investors: “Hey man, we’re gonna burn down our capital some more and have a bit of fun with a clothing line.”
…” what’s that? you want us to show a business case for it?”
Certainly-the point about them sticking to glasses and making that a real biz should be key one. That said, I agree with Honest Native Dude- The glasses just aren’t sellers. yes, the big shops Had them but no so much anymore.
Perhaps the above shots/photos are just some random samples but if that is what we can expect from the threadz line it just doesn’t look all that imaginative.
There are a bunch of smaller brands that are actually good at putting out quality if not imaginative stuff and are likely still struggling. Cardboard Robot, Crooks, F54, etc.. All cool little karma loop type brands that are putting a mark on street/skate wear. Here these folks have to go and try and confuse this market even more. Maybe one or two of the above brands will make it via working capital but those that do will crush it.
All smart retailers want next level brands that have got some vibe happening already, not a stone cold new brand that has no play in a already saturated market.
Good luck guys but if your clothes are anything like your eyewear..Well then I hope it is just for laughs.
February 18th, 2009 at 3:34 am
Yeah Tnuc Fin good call, great screen name too! but actually the Sabre brand totally change the way the action sports industry looked at shades! It was proven when everyone changed their direction to follow Sabre in early 2007. It went from bro wraps to fashion forward style! So your comments are just lame! well done……I bet you wear Maui Jim
February 18th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Lame- You are correct about Sabre changing the way action sports looked at shades. That said, Tnuc’s points are also relevant if not subjective about the style and adoption of the brand’s eyewear.
Sabre is a cool brand with a cool vibe that the coolest of kids seemed to pick up on. How that translates to clothing when so many of the kids already have those styles chosen will be interesting to see.
Sabre seems to be more of a fit with the skater crowd as the Bro shades still dominate in surf…Like it or not.
For Sabre to compete with brands mentioned above or even more established brands like Altamont or Matix- it will be tough.
February 18th, 2009 at 8:43 am
Sabre speaks to a bunch of the Newport hipsters, but that group doesnt wear $$ glasses, they rock the 99cent throwaway shades, or wear the neon promo eighties glasses from Warped Tour.
Sabre apparel? Good luck making that relevant.
A. Knost cant carry THAT much weight.
Also, the glasses might retail better if the reps dusted them everyonce in awhile, no love from the sales force…
February 18th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Yeah thats what people said about the volcom hipsters from newport too!
February 18th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
I think theres something you guys are not getting, except for maybe the guy who made the volcom comment. Much like the volcom guys back in the day, these guys don’t give a fuck about the corporate movers and shakers - leave that shit to Oakley. This is a niche brand with loyal followers and they make the rules as they go. Calling the apparel threadz is total tongue in cheek obviously as is everything they do - do you even know this brand? The dude? Toilet bowl fountain as a retail centrepiece? That sound like a brand thatc ares about bro posturing to you? Re sell through, talk to your reps sounds like they’re doing a half ass job to me.
February 18th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Love the comment about Alex Knost. Cool dude. Great Longboarder, but his relevance quickly wanes but about Oceanside. The Newport Hipsters mean fuck all to Sunrise Surfshop in Jacksonville or Bethany Surfshop in DE.
February 18th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Well just buy Anarchy then, and stop bitchin’
February 18th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
“Dan the man” @Sunrise was wearing his wifes jeans and panties 20 years ago dude , he loves A.K. !
February 19th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Note to self guys, no one changed their direction to follow Sabre in 2007. If anything, brands like VZ were already doing the “fashion forward” styles long before Sabre was even a thought. They have cool shades and captialized on the whole “way-farer” retro movement, but saying they changed the way action sports looked at eyewear is going a little too far.
February 19th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Yeah really fashion forward? Fashion forward for moto maybe?
February 20th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Right? Reaching really far to claim leader status. Dirtiest glasses in the retail cases? The display at Jacks HB looked forgotten about for six months, even the trendster kids who work there didnt bother with them.