The Arrivals, a startup best known for its $1,000 leather jacket, just released a line of surprisingly affordable luxury loungewear
- The Arrivals is most often associated with its $1,095 leather shearling moto jacket and its celebrity following.
- But the retail startup just launched the Softwear sweatshirt and T-shirt line that ranges from $45 to $105.
- Like the rest of the company's offerings, the quality and design are reflected in their higher prices. If these pieces aren't in your budget, though, we recommend checking out similar options at Everlane.
The Arrivals, the buzzy outerwear startup christened by the fashionable underbelly of the internet, recently launched its first-ever line of sweatshirts and T-shirts. Better known for the Moya III shearling moto jacket ($1,095) - a favorite among celebrities, fashion editors, and supermodels - this $45 to $105 collection is a more affordable expansion for the company.
Dubbed the Softwear Collection, the sweatshirt and T-shirt line is derivative of the brand's sharp-lined, next-gen and next-tech aesthetic that materializes in pieces like $185 transparent acetate sunglasses. It's available for both men and women in the following hoodie styles: cropped ($85), co-ed zip ($105), co-ed team ($95), and co-ed crew ($75), and in three T-shirt styles: cropped tee ($45), co-ed '90s tee ($45), and co-ed long sleeve tee ($65).
The line's color options range from the avant-garde tones of punched-up neons to neutrals and subtle, cool mauves and cobalt blues. Prices are still high for basics, but the extra dollars get you thick, plush materials and deep, vivid colors that don't dull in the first wash. In other words, no one is going to tell you it's necessary to spend $75 on a sweatshirt, but if you're able to drop some more money for design and quality, then The Arrivals' Softwear is a worthy contender.
The company's contemporary, urban designs are as smooth and exact as urban planning - a parallel that wouldn't be lost on co-founders Jeff Johnson, a former architect at UNStudio in Amsterdam, and Kal Vepuri, an entrepreneur and investor in companies like Warby Parker and Harry's. And while its leather pieces such as the Rainier Moto Jacket ($795) are edgy and gender-fluid like the uniform of a chic, futuristic vigilante, the Softwear pieces are decidedly proletariat in influence. The line's (relatively) inexpensive price range opens the brand up to a greater number of potential customers who want cooler, more high-quality basics but don't necessarily want to drop a thousand dollars on any one piece.
To see how The Arrivals' new basics line stacks up for the price, we tried a couple of the sweatshirts and T-shirts. If you're on the fence, here's what to expect:
The Co-Ed Crew, $75
The Arrivals do color pops and sharp silhouettes exceptionally well, so I doubled-down with the phosphorescent, highlighter-yellow of "Faded Bolt." It's the same dramatic color in person - as vivid and deep as displayed on the site - but the sweatshirt is far comfier than I had expected. Had I known that I would want to throw out my other sweatshirts in favor of this one, I would have invested in a more versatile tone.
The company describes the Crew as having its "custom European-origin Cumulus cotton blend," but industry-jargon aside, it's just a thick, dense, soft mass of comfort. Despite how substantial the material is, it doesn't look bulky thanks to design hacks like a well-placed drop shoulder. A couple not-your-average features that make it feel a bit cooler are the soft-touch 3D silicone logo on the front, and back ventilating mesh grommets that help facilitate some airflow.
Overall, I won't say you should spend $75 on a sweatshirt, but if you can do it comfortably and want just one really cool version to replace your four "meh" options, then this should be in the running. -Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter
The Cropped Tee, $45
Here, what you're paying for is less the (still soft and cool-to-the-touch) cotton/modal blend material and more the intense color saturation and perks of things like draping and longevity. The tee has the added style points of mesh grommet ventilation and a 3D rubberized logo detail on the chest, but it is otherwise just a great iteration of the relaxed crop tee. Whether that's worth $45 is up to you. After a couple of washes, the tee hasn't shrunk nor has the color faded. I wear this tee around the city and when traveling, but if I had to choose, I'd pick the sweatshirt every time. -Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter
The Arrivals
The Cropped Hoodie, $85
It's a good thing my central air likes to run all night long - it gives me the perfect excuse to cozy up and sleep in The Arrivals' cropped hoodie, even during the summer. The fabric is very soft, comfortable, and warm, and I love the cropped fit, which feels a little more put-together than a long sweatshirt would. I'm not sure (or not willing to admit) if my head is just big, but I wish the head opening was a little larger. For that reason, I usually don't cinch up the hood drawstrings too tightly, but I do like that I have the option to retreat completely into a warm cocoon of micro-fleece. -Connie Chen, Insider Picks reporter
The bottom line
We're not going to say you should spend double what you need to pay for comfortable loungewear (there are good options for $40 at Everlane), but it's not unheard-of. There are other hypercomfortable options - minus the design legacy - that are going for about the same amount at startups like Tommy John and Richer Poorer. Ultimately, if you can spare a bit more change for a basic that still has the architectural, high-end effect of The Arrivals, then you'll be happy with the quality.