IO_Spring_22

InsideOutdoor | SPRING 2022 12 When outdoor industry veteran and Town Hall CEO and co-founder Robin Hall was faced with a move to Denver for her previous job, she took stock of her priorities and passions. They boiled down to community, kids and the planet, she recalled. “Leaving Steamboat and this community in Northern Colorado, which my family has made our home for the past 13 years, was not something I considered,” said Hall. She realized this was an opportunity to create a livelihood and company that reflected her values and could make a positive impact. Robin and her fellow founders, Jay Lambert and Joe Solomon, looked to create an outerwear option for kids that was not shrunk down versions of adult styles or made so cheaply that they wear out before being outgrown. Made of recycled materials and designed to keep kids warm, dry and comfortable for hours of outdoor fun, the cofounders are adamant that the gear they create contributes to raising planet-positive kids and endures through multiple hand-me-ups (more coveted than a hand-me-down). Town Hall’s inaugural collection included four styles: the Mountain Town winter jacket, Around Town cold-weather jacket; the Down Town Puffy and the Mountain Town Winter Pants. SRPs range around $150. Expected for this fall are a fleece layer and an insulated bib. Hall described the collection as “Packed with smart features for active kids. Our look is current, clean and fun, not juvenile. We spend hours listening to and wear-testing with our mountain town kids to ensure we are meeting their wants and needs.” Common features include recycled fabrics and insulations, grow seams which are easily removed to extend length, pockets and details sized for small hands and quality materials and construction built to endure through multiple hand-me-ups. When Delaine & Co. founder Scott MacKenzie’s vintage wool ski sweater sparked a lively exchange on an Alta chairlift back in March of 2020, it was a lightbulb moment for the lifelong entrepreneur. That particular sweater was given to him by his parents back in 1976, and it not only held up but outperformed the inexpensive synthetic mid-layers that dominate the mountain today, said MacKenzie. A short time later, Delaine & Co. launched a full line of classic merino wool ski sweaters for women and men featuring bold colors, domestically sourced materials and ski Americana style. “If you’re out skiing in our sweater without your significant other, you’re going to have to be on your best behavior, because you’re going to attract attention,” said MacKenzie. “But seriously, there’s no better mid-layer than a tightly knit, fine merino wool sweater.” All Delaine sweaters are manufactured in the U.S., from 21-micron merino wool from Climate Beneficial verified wool. Each wool garment made from Climate Beneficial fibers contributes to a rigorous climate-positive land stewardship program in the U.S, said the company. “First and foremost, we wanted to make the perfect downhill skiing mid-layer, for skiers by skiers,” said MacKenzie. “And it’s easy to feel good about doing that when we’re doing it with high quality sourcing and manufacturing right here in the U.S.” For winter 2022, Delaine is offering four styles for women and three styles for men, each in two colorways. Prices range from $270 for crew neck pieces to $315 for the heavier full zips. Woman-led Apparel Start-up Looks to Inspire Kids to Love Outdoors Delaine & Co. Launches American Merino Ski Sweaters Start 'em Up

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