There is the old adage, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”, which means that everyone sees things differently. This also applies to value in the products we buy every day. Everyone is different in how they perceive value. Value could mean getting a discounted item, or on the flip side, the value could mean paying more for a higher quality product that will outlast a cheaper version.
At work, and in the gym, I have been noticing that more and more people have the Apple Air Pods hanging out of their ears, which got me thinking about what value really means. Apple’s Air Pods sell for $249, but you can buy a plethora of other great brands of Bluetooth in-ear headphones for much less. So, why do so many people pay more for the Apple Air Pods?
Research and Development
There are the obvious answers, like, the Apple fans will buy anything Apple puts out because they inherently trust, and love their products. Or, there is the “cool factor”, some people will spend more on the latest and greatest so they look & feel “cool”.
Then there are the people that find value in the money they spend and want the best product for their money. Apple spends a lot of money on research & development and continually changes its products in response to market feedback. So, if you notice that the latest Air Pods Pro have the rubber ends like most of the other brands, it’s a change to fix the issue where the first-generation Air Pods were slippery, and would easily fall out of your ears when active.
That was the problem I’ve had with Apple headphones since they changed the shape from the older round model to the new narrow shaped model that tends to slip out of your ears unless you’re sitting still. They were basically useless for working out, which is why I had a set that had the rubber ends so that they would remain in place when active.
Our Manhattan men’s undershirt falls into the same value category. Yes, it’s a men’s undershirt, but it’s also so much more.
Value Over Time
Lesser priced models may be more ‘value’ for some, and that’s fine, but they are made overseas, taking away from American manufacturing. They are made from cotton, a fabric that inherently shrinks, and isn’t very comfortable when worn under an outer shirt. They also do not age very well and end up in a garbage dump when they are no longer wanted or usable.
The Manhattan is made from the most eco-friendly material called Tencel. Tencel uses a closed-loop process to break down wood fibers. Don’t take our word for it, you can read about it for yourself here https://www.tencel.com/.
Our Manhattan was also designed by an engineer to fix the problems with traditional men’s undershirts, all of which can be found on our website here http://staging.christopherjapparel.com/product/the-manhattan/.
Made in the USA
We manufacture our apparel in Tempe, AZ, which provides livable wages for those that help create our amazing shirts, and future products. Every phase of the product from design through production happens locally, and even when we expand, it will still be an American product. We feel good about this and are excited as a local business, to help local businesses grow as we grow.
Long Term Investment
Lastly, Christopher J. Apparel will be instituting a recycling program so that when, in fact, you are done with your Manhattan undershirt, you will be able to send it back to us, and we will repurpose the material for other new products, or donate the fabric to a good cause.
Christopher J. Apparel is creating that value that Apple and other high-end products create with an Engineering mindset and purposeful mission. We engineer our apparel for the human body and strive to create the best, most comfortable products so that you will never want to take them off.
Sincerely,
Christopher J.
Chief Apparel Engineer
