The sun is rising, the air clear, the city unfolds below you as you reach the top of the bridge. Your legs are spinning fast, heart pumping, maybe you are sweating just a touch. It's a magical feeling of exhilaration and liberation that comes from riding a bike in a city. Inside trains, humans are imitating sardines, while drivers stall and stew in their own exhaust. The cyclist however is completely free, in motion, almost flying, a huge smile wiped across their face.

We firmly believe that the bicycle is the best form of urban transit for the 21st century, and our clothing is designed to make that fact even more true. Your clothing should work as well on a bicycle as it does on the subway or in a car, without shouting to the world "I'm a cyclist." We are a clothing company first, not a cycling company. But we're a clothing company that designs simple, good looking and hard wearing garments for a world where bikes are a part of your daily life.

At the core, Outlier clothing is about a certain freedom. A freedom to ride, regardless of the destination. You should always look like you belong inside the city, not just out on the road pedaling. A freedom to ride, at any speed you want to. Sometimes you ride slow sometimes you ride quick, but no matter how you ride, you should always look and feel fresh and clean. A freedom to ride, no matter the weather. A cyclist is exposed to the elements in a way that few other city dwellers are, and your clothing should be ready to handle whatever the sky and streets kick at it. Our garments are designed to make getting to that freedom just a little bit easier.

In many ways Outlier is a child of the Garment District. When we started this company neither of us really knew how to make clothing. We just knew that we couldn't find the garments that we wanted and if no one else was going make them then we would have to do it ourselves. We began hunting down the best technical fabrics in the world and brought them to small factories in New York City where craftsmanship still reigns supreme. Through a constant process of experimentation and refinement we started producing a line of goods we can believe in.

Our goal is always to produce future classics. Garments that work as well half a century down the road as they do today. We believe in making the highest quality garments possible and we sell them at the best possible prices. We refuse to compromise on quality and we refuse to compromise on ethics. We use the best materials for the job and we make sure they meet the highest environmental standards. We keep production values sky high while keeping the work local.

We believe in strong communities and we see both our production people and our customers as an integral part of our personal community. We are here to build a long lasting company dedicated to quality. Quality in our product of course, and also quality in how we relate to the world. We treat people fairly and we treat our environment like it's not just our home, but the home we want our grandchildren to ride their bikes in. We think we are making clothing for a better way of life, and hopefully you'll join with us to get there.

Abe & Company,
New York City
September 2009