Mike Rowley was first introduced to selling clothing while at the pool. The founder of Straight Down was a water polo coach at the time looking for a way to earn some extra cash when he spotted a t-shirt vendor at one of his matches. The knee-jerk side hustle quickly evolved into a lifelong passion, and over 30 years later Straight Down continues to deliver uncompromising apparel for those who are passionate about life, sport and the adventures of everyday life.
Originally, Straight Down was a volleyball apparel company, which explains the name—“straight down” was a reference to a spike shot that goes, well, straight down. But after connecting with a local golf professional in the early 1990s who suggested he market his clothing to golf courses, particularly ones in the Pacific Northwest who could use some of the outerwear Straight Down was producing, Rowley made the switch and hasn’t looked back.
An accomplished golfer, recently winning the Northern California Senior Amateur in 2019, with a family lineage of successful amateur players (Rowley’s great-uncle competed against the great Bobby Jones), Rowley appreciates the traditions of the sport while delivering consumers apparel that speaks to the modern game. You can see this old versus new duality in the clothing the company produces, with conservative lines and clean aesthetics being given a burst of colour and embroidery that denote Straight Down’s breezy, laid back coastal origins.
In other words, Straight Down breaks the mold while not completely doing away with it. “Fast-forward 33 years and we’re known as a not-so-traditional company. We have a lot of California lifestyle influences, which has opened up our market to many of the new players that have picked up the game over the pandemic,” says Robert Odgen, General Manager of Straight Down. “In the United States, the company’s primarily known as a pull-over company, but we make great polos, great bottoms and shorts.”
The versatility of Straight Down’s product line is of itself a great asset that golfers and non-golfers alike can appreciate, allowing men and women to transition their wardrobe from the course to the everyday, with a collection of prints and patterns that add a modern twist to the age-old golf apparel market. The company also continues to be family-owned, a point of pride for Rowley in an ever-increasing competitive market, and also designs and produces their products in the United States, something few apparel companies can claim.
Most recently, Straight Down has delved into the shoe market, working with designers to offer casual kicks that are made using recycled materials, part of Straight Down’s corporate objective to be completely sustainable in 10 years’ time. What does that mean for the company’s day-to-day operation? For starters, the headquarters are entirely run off of solar panels, which is no small task considering they do all their embroidery in-house. An avid outdoorsmen, Mike Rowley sees it has his responsibility to ensure his operations work in harmony with the environment, continually seeking new ways to reduce waste.
This season, if you’re looking to wear a brand that aligns with your values and sense of style, Straight Down is worth considering.