The Founding of Blue Stitch
Blue Stitch was founded by two Navy veterans to answer a simple question: Why do some clothes like our working uniforms have tons of pockets for carrying stuff but aren’t comfortable; yet comfortable clothes that we’d want to wear all day have dumb (or no) pocket placement? This seemed like an obvious question, and sweatpants seemed like the obvious answer.
So, we started looking through all the sweatpants we owned. We went to clothing stores and shopped around. We researched clothing reviews on the internet. Hours of searching turned into days, and it seemed like finding sweatpants had become a full-time job. This was crazy. Why is finding comfortable and functional sweats this hard? Why were “they” making us choose between wearing clothes with enough pockets to carry stuff when we leave the house and being comfortable?
Finally, we said if “they” weren’t going to make the kind of sweats we wanted to wear, then we’d make our own. And here we are.
What makes us different:
– Pockets – lots of pockets. Because you never know what you’ll need to stash in your pants on your way out of the house.
– Quick-release drawstring, because we’re tired of getting stuck in our sweatpants when we need to pee.
– Quality construction. Everything from the fabric selection to the stitching was selected to hold up over time. We even ran a washing machine almost full-time for months to make sure they wouldn’t fade or fall apart.
Behind the Name
Blue Stitch is named after our dogs, Blue and Stitch. Our founders, Robin and Betty, are two Navy veterans that left the service with depression, anxiety, insomnia, and a host of other mental health problems. Dogs are a big part of our healing process. So, when we set out to design clothing that would make us feel better about those days when we just couldn’t get ourselves up and moving, we wanted our dogs to be a part of our company as much as they are a part of our families.
Blue is half German shepherd and half Siberian husky. Robin rescued him from an animal shelter in Washington, and now he spends his days traveling the country with his owner in a converted Ford Transit van. Together they camp in forests, hike trails, and live the good life in the outdoors where Robin also works on his photography business. And sometimes, when they get in the mood, they’ll sing the song of Blue’s people. Arrooo!
Stitch is a pure Australian cattle dog. She’s what you might call a motivated self-starter. She’s always working and always on the move, helping Betty get through the day. She pretty much taught herself how to be an emotional support dog. Stitch and Betty both enjoy being outdoors and are constantly finding new adventures together. Whether it’s hiking, kayaking, or just playing frisbee at home, Stitch loves being on the move. Together they live in North Carolina with Betty’s military husband and handle most of the business’s operations.
And lastly, there’s Lilo, for whom our logo is designed. Lilo is Betty’s other Australian cattle dog. She is neither athletic nor outdoorsy. Lilo loves to be with Betty and play with her sister but her favorite thing to do is cuddle and get attention. She still hikes, enjoys days at the beach, and goes for walks, but she isn’t always happy about it. She’s the only dog in the history of working breeds for whom the phrase “going for a walk with a backpack” doesn’t mean she wears the backpack; her owner goes for a walk carrying her in the backpack. Lilo is a constant reminder to everyone around her to focus on the important things in life: live in the moment and do the things that make you happy.
Thank you for your service
We heard those words many times when we were in the Navy, and we’re proud to be veterans of our country. If you are military (active duty, National Guard, reserves, or veteran) or a first responder (police, fire, or EMT), let us know and we’ll take 10% off your order. From our families to yours, thank you for continuing the mission.
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