A Kickstarter campaign out of Chicago is hoping to fill a niche gap in the menswear market, Esquire reports: rompers...but for a male clientele.
The RompHim (that's a trademarked term as the campaign page notes) "may just be the start of a fashion revolution," as its Kickstarter tagline reads. Its signature product — a short-sleeved, short-fit button-front one-piece — is "so much more" than simply a romper designed specifically for men: It's an all-in-one outfit engineered to fit all sizes and shapes, for all types of occasions. Its inaugural collection includes three colorways (red chambray, blue chambray, and splatter print), as well as a limited-edition Fourth of July, stars-and-stripes style. On Kickstarter, a RompHim 0.1 will set you back a $90 bid. (If you wait, a retail-priced RompHim will cost you $119.)
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"We were sitting around drinking beers one evening and got to talking about the men's clothing options out there," the founders of ACED Design, a Chicago-based "group of business school friends," wrote of how the seed for RompHim was planted. "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 sacrificing comfort, fit, and versatility?" They found the answer to this conundrum in the romper, a popular item of clothing in womenswear that hadn't successfully broached into the menswear space... until now, ACED Design hopes. What an origin story.
If this invention has you feeling some type of way, you're not alone — and you'll find a community of equally confused (and incredulous) folk on Twitter.
Ban men. pic.twitter.com/pmc9xVD7U2
— Madison M. K. (@4evrmalone) May 15, 2017
All the guys in the romper photo went to fyre festival
— John Hendrickson (@JohnGHendy) May 15, 2017
if you're chatting rompers for men and not paying homage to maybe the most iconic male romper-on-film you're not even serious, bruv pic.twitter.com/6UNqKGK1Vc
— Bim Adewunmi (@bimadew) May 15, 2017
Fun Fact: 92% of RompHim buyers believe Bernie would have won.
— Charles Clymer (@cmclymer) May 15, 2017
me: i am wearing a romper
— Julia Pugachevsky (@jaypugz) May 15, 2017
men: what's that? a rompHER?
me: no, just a r—
men: ok boys you know what we gotta do pic.twitter.com/8rbChk2MLn
Of course, short jumpsuits for men are a thing, as some Twitter users noted as the Kickstarted started gaining attention (or notoriety, depending on who you ask) online. And there are gender-neutral options in the category more broadly — just not marketed explicitly as "rompers." And yet, after not even a single day on the crowdfunding site, the RompHim has already surpassed its initial goal of $10,000.
Oh, and in case you're wondering: ACED Design knows how annoying it is for women to use the restroom while wearing a romper — so they included a zipper fly so men don't have to face the bathroom strip-down anyone who's ever worn a one-piece to, well, anywhere knows quite well.
@070180 How much easier does peeing have to be for y'all hmm? The point of a romper is it's impractical but cute.
— Alesia (@aaaisela) May 15, 2017
Why not get the full experience out of the romper, after all?