Animal

Animal Clothing

The American writer Richard Bach once said that "An idea is never given to you without you being given the power to make it a reality". This couldn't be truer for the two surfers who founded the idea upon which Animal Clothing is based. Initially trying to solve the problem of continuously losing their watches in the water; they found a solution in the form of a webbing and Velcro strap.

Like so many other business that begin life in the spare room of a parent's house, they set about supplying the straps to their friends in order to fund their surfing trips abroad. Naturally this meant that the idea could spread and so the surfing watch strap was transformed into an essential piece of action sports equipment, just as suitable for any other extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding windsurfing. It wasn't long before watch straps evolved to watches which were water resistant, functional and not bad to look at either, and so the foundations of 'Animal' were laid.

That was over two decades ago and now 'Animal' is a design-led sports brand with a wide range of men's and women's clothing, footwear, watches, eyewear, luggage and accessories in over 60 shops worldwide. Specializing in five core sports; surfing, snowboarding, windsurfing, kite surfing and mountain biking, Animal ensures that its customers are getting tried and tested products that have been put through the development paces of the core sport teams; the sporting CV's of the 'extreme team riders' alone are enough to concede that Animal is a brand that knows success.

Some might call their style 'funky', others might call it 'fresh and fashionable'; whatever the interpretation might be, 'comfortable' definitely needs to be up there too. Animal produces casual clothing for those occasions when looking good is synonymous with being active, and with this in mind, there is a wide range of types of clothing including tee-shirts, hoodies, shorts, jackets and trousers and there is even an infants range for those younger but equally active enthusiasts.

To give some idea about how Animal considers both the ergonomic alongside the aesthetics of a design, then a quick look at the range of shorts available should tell you all you need to know. For the more casual (and perhaps, dry) occasions, then a longer length shorts with elasticized waistband for those quick changes might be more suitable. Available in a range of finishes such as dry suede or heavy enzyme stone wash, and with a range of detailed features including embroidered logos and handy pockets, the choice of colours and use of natural cotton fibres is testament to how considered the products are. However, the range is widened further with the variety of 'board-shorts' also available. With a fixed waist for that added protection against those crashing waves, and available in eye-catching styles and colours and polyester cuts, Animal's board-shorts are ideal for those water-sport occasions.

The women's range of clothing is just as sophisticated in what it has to offer including a wide variety of tops such as tee-shirts (also available in a 'deluxe range') vest and cami-tops, polo shirts, long-sleeve tops and hoodies. The range of colours and use of light-weight materials make them ideal for active sports whilst keeping a natural and feminine look too.

The Animal footwear range is certainly reflective on the environment that the primary target market is likely to find itself in. Where some sports would naturally require specialized footwear, particularly in snow-sports, water sports require something a bit simpler. Sandals and flip-flops make ideal beachwear in that they are light-weight, easy to remove and put on in a hurry and, of course, they are waterproof. For those occasions where it might be deemed safer for the toes to be covered up, then Animal also have a selection of laced sneakers.

Given that the inception of Animal was inspired by a watch strap, it makes sense that watches are still are the fore-front when it comes to products and there is a great selection in both the men's and women's ranges. Water resistant, shock resistant and not forgetting the original Velcro strapping, these watches are specifically designed with active wearers in mind. The use of materials such as carbon-fibre, titanium and marine grade stainless steel, which was introduced to the active sports watch industry by Animal, ensures precision, strength and durability to the wearer.

Some of the watches available use a 'RIP' (Rider Induced Power) system which could certainly be considered one of the most contemporary elements of watch evolution. Rather than being powered by conventional disposable batteries, RIP watches instead consume the energy generated by the wearer's natural movements; and in case you're curious as to how this works.

'The absorption of rotational energy is amplified by a miniature gear-train which then transfers this to a generator that can spin in excess of 100,000 rpm. The energy from the generator can be stored in a capacitor which essentially acts like a rechargeable battery, powering the watch.

see, simple! And for increased longevity, Animal also offers watch repair and servicing so no need to worry about your favourite new watch ever becoming redundant'

The Animal range of accessories is in keeping with the casual but funky look - from hats to belts, luggage to wallets and even helmets for mountain-biking fans. The assortment of sunglasses makes for crucial sporting equipment in those brighter climates and for that extra cool look. Again, these products are made in mind of the conditions they will be worn in and so extra attention is given to making them work well and look good. The men's 'Spar' shades for example, are made with 'light-weight polycarbonate shadow tinted lenses' and have anti-grip earsocks for that added hold; an essential item for a day at the beach or on the slopes.

In short, Animal is certainly a company that knows what it is and exactly where it's going, which is ideal for the like-minded action men and women, or even for those who are happy to sit back and watch. Either way, if it's the sense of being part of a team you're after as well as celebrating you're sense of freedom; look no further, Animal is here.

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