Back in November of 2008, THP got a chance to look at an apparel brand that stood out like few had before it. The name of that brand was SubSeventy. We found that they offered a blend of funky style that was rarely seen on the market today and had a true Euro-cut fit that was something many of our readers were looking for. During that review we praised the brand for their well made and stylish apparel that we were thrilled to death with.
Fast forward a month or two after the review and what we found was that their appeared to be a durability issue with the SubSeventy line that we wanted to make sure our readers knew about. It appeared as though that there were some stitching issues that left the apparel almost useless after just a few months. In January at the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, FL, we got a chance to meet and speak with the people behind the SubSevnty line and discuss their brand, our concerns, and the future if SubSeventy. They assured us that the quality control issues were something in the past and that we would see a new line from them coming soon that had all the features we had previously raved about in our review.
Fast Forward about 12 months and we received our new line of SubSeventy clothing to review and by the time this piece is finished you will know where we stand on durability issues, because we put this apparel through a whole lot of testing to see how it would hold up. Before we get started in the pieces we address, I want to praise the SubSeventy team for coming to us and trying to alleviate our concerns with their apparel in general. They took the feedback as a challenge and we have been told that the entire line has been improved in every way.
First Impressions
Back in November of 2008 our first impressions were something that was special and this time around it was simply no different. When the box arrives and we open it up, a bright light shines through and says “STYLE”. The new SubSeventy line is similar in looks to what we had previously seen in terms of cut and color, and the design style is obviously still there. What seemed to separate this line from the previous batch we received is that not only is it funky and crazy, but this fall line seems to have an elegant look to it as well. Colors were still bright and vibrant, style was still top notch, but the apparel seems to be more wearable by the masses and that is something that we really liked. The materials used were slightly different as well, blends were in the shirts rather than full tech materials and it added a nice feeling to the touch that begged to be worn.
Pants
THP received 2 pairs of pants from SubSeventy to try out and both were extremely different in look, feel, style, and everything else in between. One thing that stood out that has to be mentioned is that their trousers come “unfinished” and what that means is that upon receipt you get the length adjusted for your own body. It is a touch that we very much like and makes it easier to purchase and have custom fit without paying the prices of full on custom trousers. The 1st pair is from their Funky Piping line and they are black trousers with white piping and stitching throughout. These pants are made of moisture wicking polyester with built in lycra for additional help and give with movement. The attention to detail is simply spectacular. Piping down the side can be done in numerous colors and each pair has a tab in the back that has both velcro and a magnetic disc that can be used to hold onto your golf glove and ball marker if you choose to. When down and not being used, you would never even know it was there. A great little feature that is perfect for golfers everywhere and one that does not keep the pants from being worn outside the course.
The 2nd pair of pants that SubSeventy sent over is from their Trendy Tartan line and they are the Black Tartans. The plaid style pants are also made of their moisture wicking polyester with built in lycra. They are black, gray, and white with a hint of red/orange throughout to really make them pop. The Tartans feature the same incredible attention to detail as the Funky Piping line with the tab that will hold the ball marker and glove and flat front pockets for extra style. As mentioned above all their pants come unfinished and we are pointing it out again as we wish more brands did this very thing. The overall look and feel of the Trendy Tartan line is special and these in particular can be paired with so many great options to create wonderful outfits.
Polos
The polo shirts seem to have been completely reworked and the line looks and feels better than it ever has. The 1st shirt we received was from the Boris line which is their traditional golf polo shirt. It is made out of their all new blend of materials that is 65% cotton for the perfect feel, 30% micro polyester for performance and 5% lycra for that ideal movement factor. When you combine them all together you get a shirt that is as soft as any we have worn, but at the same time does have some tech materials built in to help with moisture management. The Boris shirt comes in Black, Gray, Pink, Red/Orange, and white and will be on my personal short list when it comes to favorite shirts. The polo itself is the perfect blend of Euro-Cut without being slim fit and still has the classic SubSeventy “S” logo on the chest.
The 2nd polo shirt we received from the new apparel line is from the Felix line and is made out of the same materials and has the same feel mentioned in the Boris. The difference between the two is style and that the Felix adds a little more. Gone from the Boris is the classic SubSeventy “S” logo on the chest and in its place is a pocket with a contrasting color along the top. That same contrasting color is found on the front of the collar. The logo may have been taken off the chest, but it is not forgotten as they moved it to the sleeve and are using the same color scheme as the pocket and collar to pull the entire shirt together. The Felix comes in Black, Blue, Gray, White w/Black, and White w/Pink. Both polos offer a simple, elegant look, that brings new life to classic designs with modern colors and style twists.
Sweaters & Belts
Two sweater vests were sent to go along with the outfits and both offer a stylish take on a classic design. They are made of 100% Merino Wool and are as soft as the shirts described above. SubSeventy offers them in about 8 different colors and they contrast the solid wool sweater vest with their classic “S” logo on the chest in black & purple for that added pop. Extreme comfort for some added warmth, but still light enough to be worn almost anytime is how to perfectly describe this item.
The belts we received from SubSeventy is something that we were thrilled to see. The last time we covered SubSeventy we really liked the bold oversize belt buckle in chrome with the different color straps, and could not wait to see this new line of buckles from them. The strap itself is extremely soft and well made. We always wish that more companies would add the interchangeable buckle feature rather than having the buckles stitched in because here at THP we like to change things up. SubSeventy does in fact stitch their buckles in, but hopefully that will change at some point. However that is merely a personal preference and nothing more. The buckle itself is done really well with their classic “S” logo centered and done in both black and white (and reverse). If we had one small gripe, it is that we wish the logo itself were slightly bigger as it does look quite small when wearing it.
Durability
After our last issues with the SubSeventy line we wanted to make sure that this apparel line held up. I am happy to report that after we have worn the items many times, and had them cleaned many times, we have had not a single issue. Stitching is holding in place, buttons are not coming loose, and everything you expect from a high end, stylish, apparel line is working. To go a step further, the collars still look as good as new and the pockets are still perfect. This was our one major gripe about the brand last year and they listened and did so with a bang. Kudos to SubSeventy for getting it right and creating apparel that will stand the test of time and still look great.
Overall
We loved the look and fit last year and this year we can add durability to that list of things we love. Normally we list prices next to the apparel we are reviewing but because it is a European company and the exchange rate changes, we will leave that part out. But you can always check out the prices and their entire line at the SubSeventy website. Style, Cut, Color, Quality, and Selection. 5 things we always look at in terms of reviewing apparel. SubSeventy seems to have them all with this new line.
Till Next Time
Josh B.
