News

After calls by our own Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti and now the federal government for everyone to wear cloth masks in public, we've been advised that making masks available to the general public is of equal importance in containing the Coronavirus as selling only wholesale to healthcare facilities.

We'll begin selling masks on the site in three-packs early this week. They’re made from a tightly woven oxford and washable/reusable - there are pics of our production guru Andrew wearing them on the site if you want to check them out.

We've been learning a totally different ballgame with rules that change by the day since we started making masks. We definitely found that it was tough to get the right masks into the right hands -- and it was proving to be really chaotic.

So, after conversations with the Mayor's Office and the Red Cross, we decided we could do the most good by producing masks for regular citizens, plus donating a portion of the proceeds to a charity that was making reusable, durable, sanitizable, built-to-last PPE.

We've partnered with Maskson.org, an amazing team that is 3d printing adapters to turn snorkel masks into medical-grade filters.

This keeps our sewers working/paid and gets legit medical equipment that can be used time and time again into the hands of front line workers.

Details are still a little in flux, but, as always, we want to be as transparent as possible. Please bear with us as we try and do our best to get these things released while respecting our own sewers’ safety and following all the legal & CDC guidelines.

Lastly, we've really appreciated your support in all of this. We're learning as we go, so it's never perfect, but we're open to ideas/feedback/questions.

Love,
Ryan

Maybe you're getting your daily walks in, or maybe you're just trying to stay sane within those four walls. Whatever it may be, hopefully, we've got some much-needed ear medicine. 

Last week, Ryan Light, our CEO and fearless leader, talked over the phone with Zach Servideo of the Boston Speaks Up podcast. If you've ever wanted to know a bit more about the man on the controls, here's your chance.

Ryan chats about TechStars, CoachUp, his move to Los Angeles to run Pistol Lake, and our switch to mask-making in this uncertain climate. 

Check it out here!

Klaviyo, the site that houses and delivers our marketing campaigns, wrote an article examining the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the world of e-commerce. And, wouldn't you know, Ryan Light, our fearless leader, chimed in.

As big companies like Amazon have struggled to provide a human element as of late – and who can blame them right now? – consumers have flocked to places where they know that communication is key.

Enter: Pistol Lake.

Here's how we see it, via Klaviyo:

***

Creating a deep connection between their customers and their brand has played a critical role in helping Ryan Light and the team at Pistol Lake, a California-based e-commerce performance apparel company, navigate the challenges of the last few weeks. 

Their community of customers has always been core to Pistol Lake, but the strength of the connection has been even more clear in recent weeks as the company communicated openly in an email about the dire financial risks it was facing.

Ryan said that in response to his email, “Customers reached out to ask how are [you]? How is the team?”

They also purchased—a lot. Pistol Lake generated the equivalent of a month-and-a-half of sales in a single weekend.

Pistol Lake’s customers have always been fiercely loyal but, now, they’re also fiercely caring.

“Our customers don’t want us to go away,” said Ryan.

***

Klaviyo put together an incredible and insightful piece, so go read the rest of it! As always, thanks for your love and support.

Digg, one of our favorite websites – and the very same that CEO Ryan Light used as his homepage for years and years – did a nice little write-up about our Minimalist Joggers.

Since we first launched them in 2019, it's been hard to keep them in stock. Here's a tiny excerpt: 

"Whether the use right now is for casual, physical, or on adventures, the Joggers stand up remarkably well to just about everything. Even if we're all mostly staying at home these days, the Minimalist Joggers ace that test too. 

'We believe that we're making the world's most comfortable and versatile menswear,' Will Sulinski, Pistol Lake's founder and Head of Product said. 'And the Minimalist Joggers prove that we have a legitimate stake in this side of the industry.'

But another added bonus to Pistol Lake's comfy joggers is that all their clothes are made ethically in the United States, more specifically right at home in Los Angeles. Given their promise to never outsource jobs, they're able to work with local factories that pay livable wages."

Pistol Lake is so proud to create these products that you guys love! Go read the whole thing!

These days, tons of dudes are having the same issues. A. We like to keep it simple. B. We’re really, really missing sports and exercise. Thankfully, we can help with at least one of those. 

Our Minimalist Baseball Tees are back and simplicity never has looked so good or felt so comfortable. In March, we brought a few fresh short-run colors to your attention because we know that these are a summertime staple in your closets. Well, we have even better news now...

For the first time ever, we’re proud to introduce the Heather Hunter and Terracotta Minimalist Baseball Tee short-run colorways!

This shirt practically screams performance and versatility. So if you’re planning your next adventure – or just want something to wear during that social-distancing group video chat that won’t make it look like you binge-watched the latest series on Netflix – you can always throw these on with ease.

(We aren’t judging, we promise.)