Why Chubbies, a short-shorts company that frat bros love, refuses to grow up completely

With a tongue-in-cheek name like Chubbies, it would be hard for a company known for its short shorts to evolve into something too serious.

So it's a good thing that Chubbies isn't looking to do that. As the company expands its product offerings outside of short shorts, introduces additional sizing and options, and begins to sell more of the typical clothing you'd expect from a retailer, it's not losing sight of its mission: To have fun on the weekend.

"As we've grown we've really expanded what the weekend means, and [we're] really helping to define a more comprehensive experience for our guys beyond just throwing on a pair of shorts at 5 p.m. on a Friday," Rainer Castillo, Chubbies' cofounder and head of merchandising, told Business Insider.

Chubbies' mission is to translate that feeling to other times of the day, all days of the week, and every season of the year. The company looks at potential new products by judging their comfort, nostalgia factor, and whether they have the potential to "make the weekend better."

One way the company has found success recently is with their cheeky version of a fleece pullover, which they jokingly refer to as the equivalent of shorts for the winter (in that it's seasonal and offers a way to show off some personality). It's reversible with a Sherpa lining and comes in nostalgic patterns. At $124.50, it was the most expensive item ever offered on the Chubbies website, but it sold out in a matter of hours earlier this year. New models are on the way.

This type of branching out is essential, as shorts are a hard sell past September in most markets around the US.

The fleece pullover is part of Chubbies' aim to offer a broader array of experiences to more costumers. Its best-selling items are no longer the wild, out-there designs the brand trumpeted when it was founded in 2011. The famous short shorts now even come in two lengths: short (with a 5.5-inch inseam), and a less-short 7 inches. The shorts come in a variety of fabrics, including a soft sweatshirt-like material. A range of brushed cotton shirts are also on offer, with patterns you could certainly get away with at a casual office. A line of women's clothing is also coming next year.

"We can offer a really well-crafted mountain shirt [and] at the same time offer an American flag print overall, and still feel like we're positioned in a really unique place in the market," Castillo said.

Chubbies' diverse customer base is the reason it offers this range of product, according to Tom Montgomery, another Chubbies cofounder and the company's head of marketing. Montgomery also admits that, as the company has learned how to work with suppliers and source better materials, the clothing is becoming higher-quality, and "pigeonholing [the company with] a singular wild, out-there item is no longer necessary."

"There's such a diverse way to experience the weekend," Montgomery said. "You want to be able to participate with the brand all the time, not just on the Fourth of July." 

The company says that at checkout, final shopping cart totals have grown by 15% year-over-year. Chubbies declined to provide exact revenue statistics, but executives indicated they are pleased with the growth of the company.

But Chubbies' expansion doesn't mean the company will grow up completely and lose its irreverent attitude. The company may be selling its Winnebago-turned-bar - a tailgating destination full of kegerators and framed pictures of Tom Selleck - but the company's social media marketing remains as joke-filled as ever.

Suffice it to say, the costume-like items the company is known for aren't going away either. Right now, for example, you can purchase both men's and women's versions of Santa Claus-themed holiday shorts on their website.