by Willy Franzen on March 5, 2010
Today’s post came from a reader recommendation (thanks Derek!), which is awesome because I was on the company’s site a few days ago and never would have imagined that they offer jobs (or even considered them a company as opposed to a website). The reason that I was on the site was that I was reading the story of Epic Beard Man (it is tagged NSFW), which is another one of those ridiculous things that has become popular on the Internet. The term that many use to describe these phenomena is meme. Know Your Meme is a website that organizes all of the world’s memes. Let’s say that you’re looking for the story behind Rickroll because you have no idea why people think it’s so funny. Know Your Meme, which is based in New York City, will not only explain the meme to you, but it will also detail the history of how the meme became popular and how it evolved. To some Know Your Meme may seem frivolous, but in many ways it’s the Historical Society of the Interwebs.
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by Willy Franzen on January 21, 2010
I’m probably more fashion conscious than the average guy, but not remarkably so. I have a few brands that I really like wearing—Bonobos and lululemon athletica for example—and most of the rest of the stuff that I buy I get from Gilt Groupe, which is always introducing me to new brands. I figure that it’s important for me to stay up on fashion to some extent because so many of you are interested in jobs in the fashion industry. I recently noticed that one brand that I’ve seen on Gilt Groupe before, Elie Tahari, has a number of job openings available. Elie Tahari is both the name of a designer and “a privately held global lifestyle brand with a presence in more than forty countries.” The company is headquartered in New York and serves both men and women who are “looking for fashion and value in luxury ready-to-wear.”
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by Willy Franzen on December 23, 2009
I don’t know a lot about how the fashion industry works, but I do know that buyers are the people who make the decisions about which items end up in stores and on websites. Mona Lisa Style is a New York City based startup that wants to help buyers “master the art of merchandising” through technology. While most industries have moved a large portion of their business online, the fashion industry is lagging behind. According to Mona Lisa Style’s Blog the way that many major companies place orders for clothing is by writing an order on a piece of paper and faxing it. All of the organization and tracking of orders is also done over the phone and on paper. Mona Lisa Style realizes how stupid this is, and they want to change it. They want to make buying as easy as online shopping.
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by Willy Franzen on December 21, 2009
I can’t remember whether it was late in my middle school years or early in my high school years, but there were certainly a couple of years in the late 90s when Kate Spade was as hot as could be. Whether it was a wallet, calendar, or other accessories from the New York based fashion designer, the girls in my classes went crazy for them. At that point in my life, I wasn’t the most fashion conscious kid, so I probably thought Five Star binders were still cool. Despite my ignorance of fashion back then, even I knew what Kate Spade was. Since Kate Brosnahan started her line in 1993, her company has grown exceptionally. Hallmarked by “utility, wit and playful sophistication,” Kate Spade’s offering includes handbags, shoes, accesories, clothing, jewelry, baby items, fragrance, glasses, and even paper. The company now runs 46 retail shops and continues to be a huge name in the fashion industry.
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by Willy Franzen on December 11, 2009
Want to get $30 off your first Bonobos purchase? They have an awesome referral program, so if you want a Bonobos invite, just leave a comment below with your real e-mail address in the proper field (it won’t be displayed). We’ll send you a referral coupon code for $30 off.
Pants are important. Especially when you’re trying to land a job. Going to a job interview without pants is the kind of disaster that only happens in nightmares. Showing up with wrinkled pants is a more likely problem for most recent grads—it makes you look sloppy and careless. Wearing ill fitting pants is almost as bad, even if you have demonstrated to your potential employer that you know how to properly use an iron. The problem is that there aren’t a lot of non-jean pants out there that fit men well. At least that’s what Bonobos, a New York City based fashion startup, thinks. They kind of have a Web 2.0 feel to them, even though they’re in a business that is hundreds of years old. They pride themselves on making great fitting men’s pants (they do suggest a pants hack for women who want Bonobos), offering unbeatable customer service, and providing an overall wonderful shopping experience. I just bought my first pair of pants from Bonobos last night, and I’m excited to see if they live up to the hype. If they don’t, I can take advantage of their free two-way shipping and “any pant, any time, any reason” return policy.
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by Willy Franzen on October 1, 2009
I guess it’s a little awkward when you find a company that immediately makes you think of a very similar, more successful company. In this case, when I came across ideeli, I immediately thought of Gilt Groupe (which we covered a while back). Both are New York City based startups that offer online sample sales that give shoppers the opportunity to buy luxury goods—mostly clothing and accessories—at serious discounts. According to Wikipedia a sample sale is “used by retail businesses in order to discard excess merchandise.” That’s exactly what these companies do, but they’ve moved the entire process online (which is way more efficient). Both sites require invites to get in on the deals, so if you want to try ideeli click here and if you want to try Gilt Groupe click here. Although I haven’t made any purchases on either of these sites, my girlfriend Amy loves this way of shopping. There’s the element of surprise, because you never know what you’re going to find, yet you still get to enjoy the ease of shopping online.
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by Willy Franzen on September 9, 2009
It’s funny how well respected brands that have been around forever will get swept up in a fad. Some, like Abercrombie & Fitch, will make it part of a new identity, while others like Burberry will enjoy the popularity but maintain their core image. Burberry is a British company that has been making quality garments since 1856, but they became especially trendy in the early 2000s, if I remember correctly. While most brands are recognized for their logo or a specific product, Burberry is known for their plaid. In fact, unless you’re a tartan freak, “Burberry Check” is probably the only plaid that you recognize by name. Over their 150 years Burberry has moved more towards luxury goods than outdoor garments, which is best evidenced by their new ad campaigns with Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame.
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by Willy Franzen on September 1, 2009
Today we’re kicking off our Back to School, Back to Work contest where we’re giving away an HP dv6 Laptop, an HP Mini 110 Netbook, a customized Timbuk2 bag, and Syncables software to one lucky winner. Last December when we did another HP giveaway we took a look at entry level jobs with HP, so this time we’re going to check out Timbuk2 (since they were kind enough to provide a prize for one of you). They’re a San Francisco born and bred company that builds “bags and accessories for urban adventures with a simple philosophy—create good-looking, tough-as-Hell bags you can truly make your own.” I already had one that I stole from my girlfriend, and I just got another to check out for this promotion (the bag goes with me everywhere now).
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by Willy Franzen on August 31, 2009
In my younger days hats were a big deal. I wasn’t particularly image conscious, but when it came to hats, I was. I remember one summer college hats were in. You know—the simple white hats with horizontal lines and the college’s name. Getting them just dirty enough with the just the right bend was essential (heaven forbid if someone “doritoed” your favorite hat), and, of course, you had to pop off the button on top. The next summer they were out. It was all about fitted caps—just like major leaguers wear. I was suddenly aware of how big my head really was, as I had to buy a properly sized hat. Then it was different color hats or hats with Japanese lettering. At some point I stopped obsessing over my hats, but Buffalo, NY based New Era has continued to be THE hat manufacturer of choice for all of the cool kids.
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by Willy Franzen on July 30, 2009
Next March I’m going to regret not saving this one for my St. Patrick’s Day holiday themed post, but today we’re going to take a look at Lucky Brand. They’re a clothing manufacturer and retailer that is “rooted in rock ‘n ‘roll with a signature sense of humor.” Their About page will tell you that they stand for “independent thinking, individual style and a feeling as authentic as love” and that they’re known for “great-fitting, vintage-inspired jeans;” however, I think it’s much simpler than that. One of their founders came up with the idea to put the phrase “Lucky You” behind the flies of every pair of pants that they made. It was an instant point of differentiation, and I think that it has a lot to do with why Lucky Brand is going strong 19 years after they started. It really is pure, politically incorrect genius. Lucky you…
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by Willy Franzen on July 28, 2009
Yeserday we talked about jobs at Vann’s, which made me think that we should talk about with jobs at Vans today. The two companies don’t have much in common beyond being homophones of each other, so let’s start talking about shoes. Cypress, CA based Vans was founded in 1966 as the Van Doren Rubber Company. They started out by producing shoes for sports like baseball, basketball, and wrestling, but that didn’t end up working out too well for them; in fact, it led to bankruptcy. They eventually came out of bankruptcy, and then Sean Penn’s character wore a pair of Vans checkerboard slip-ons in Fast Times at Ridgemont High
. That changed everything.
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by Willy Franzen on July 17, 2009
At some point during my Junior year in college (by the way I’m back at Cornell for the weekend), I got the bright idea that I could wear slippers as shoes. These weren’t flimsy slippers, these were sturdy leather ones with shearling lining. They were made by Orvis (where I interned and had an awesome 50% employee discount), and they were great. I loved sitting in class knowing that my feet were more comfortable than everybody else’s. Then I came back from Thanksgiving break. I was admiring the Christmas lights that my roommates had adorned our otherwise aesthetically unpleasing house with, and I slipped. See, my slippers had flat rubber soles. My feet came out from under me as I fell down a muddy slope. My right hand came down hard on the sidewalk, and I had a broken wrist. I gave up wearing slippers for a while, but when my Mom bought me a pair of UGG slippers with proper soles, I reverted. Now UGG slippers are my go to shoes during the winter, and I’m a huge fan of Deckers Outdoor Corporation. They’re the company behind UGG, Simple, Teva (is it Tee-va or Tevv-a?), Tsubo, and Deckers, and they’re headquartered in Goleta, CA with a location in Flagstaff, AZ as well.
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by Willy Franzen on July 14, 2009
I don’t know when wearing sweats started counting as “dressing up,” but I’m pretty sure that it coincided with when Arleta, CA based Juicy Couture became popular. I guess if you’re going to pay a bunch of money for a tracksuit, you’ve got to show it off. Ok, so I can’t say that I love what Juicy Couture has done to popular fashion, but I have to respect it. They completely changed what it means to wear sweats, and they created a new market for high priced, super casual clothing. There’s obviously more to the Juicy brand than just tracksuits, but when I hear the name Juicy, that’s what I think of.
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by Willy Franzen on April 6, 2009
It’s Opening Day! Although it may not be a real holiday to you, to those of us who who are die hard baseball fans it’s quite possibly the best day of the year (especially fans of perennial losers whose best record all season is 0-0). I already had my baseball fix this weekend, since I flew out to NYC to see the opening of the new Yankee Stadium in an exhibition game between the Yanks and the Cubs, but I am beyond excited to watch some games that actually count. With that in mind, we’re going to run with the baseball theme today. We’ve already covered jobs with Major League Baseball and its teams, so we’re going to look at St. Louis based Rawlings today. They were the manufacturer of my first ever baseball glove (which had a Jose Canseco facsimile signature on the palm), so I inevitably think of Rawlings when I think of baseball. Their posted job offerings are a bit sparse, but hopefully you’ll use the good vibes from Opening Day to inspire your job search. (Remember: These posts aren’t just about the companies that we feature. They’re also about bringing creativity to your job search.)
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by Willy Franzen on February 17, 2009
When I graduated from college a semester early and started thinking about looking for a job (thinking about doing something and doing something are very different, by the way), I quickly became overwhelmed by my lack of time commitments and lack of a plan. I was suffering from too much freedom, so my first response to join a gym and to commit to keeping my body strong while I figured out what I was going to do with my brain. It was a great idea, and I strongly recommend a gym membership for all job seekers. (I also strongly recommend that all first-time job seekers take our online job search training course). Anyway, I always try to join a relatively expensive gym, but not for the obvious reason. I don’t care about all of the frivolities. I just know that if I’m paying $10 a month for a gym, I’m a lot less likely to go – I need to feel invested. With expensive gyms come lots of people in expensive, designer workout outfits. That’s where I learned about lululemon athletica, a Vancouver, British Columbia based manufacturer and retailer of “yoga-inspired athletic apparel.” Everyone at my gym is wearing lululemon, and the retail stores around here are packed, so it’s no big surprise that they’re hiring.
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by Willy Franzen on January 27, 2009
You have to love it when a small company grows into something big. It’s hard to believe that some of today’s major corporations were started with a couple of people in a garage. What’s even more extraordinary is when a small company that gets big never loses sight of who they are. That’s the story of Patagonia, a company that started out making tools for climbers. They are now a “worldwide business that makes clothes for climbing – as well as for skiing, snowboarding, surfing, fly fishing, paddling and trail running.” You’ve probably heard of Patagonia, and there’s a good chance that you own something made by them, whether it’s a polar fleece, a windbreaker, or long underwear. With a winter like this one, Patagonia gear is especially necessary for avoiding frostbite. Despite advances in technology and amazing business growth, Patagonia continues to take the same approach to their business – their “product design demonstrates a bias for simplicity and utility” and their “values reflect those of a business started by a band of climbers and surfers, and the minimalist style they promoted.” Patagonia makes exceedingly cool products, and they are the definition of a cool place to work.
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by Willy Franzen on January 13, 2009
I hate shoes. Ok, that’s not really true, but after spending a week in Aruba over the holidays, it was a sad realization for me when I had to put my sneakers back on for the trip home to Chicago. I appreciate that I have boots that keep my feet warm and dry, slippers that are extremely comfortable, and basketball shoes that give me enough ankle support to prevent a sprain, but I still prefer the feeling of sand between my toes. I’m lucky. It’s a luxury to be able to enjoy the feeling of being shoeless. There are a lot of children who don’t know what it’s like to have a good pair of shoes to protect their feet. TOMS Shoes is a Santa Monica, CA based company that is trying to change that. They’re a shoe company, but they’re more than that. For every pair of shoes that TOMS Shoes sells, they give a pair of shoes to a child in need. So far, they’ve given over 200,000 pairs of shoes to children in places like Argentina, Ethiopia, and South Africa via “Shoe Drops.” They say that “changing life begins with a single step…” and we have to agree.
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by Willy Franzen on September 1, 2008
Happy Labor Day! We’re certainly enjoying the holiday weekend, and we hope that you are too. It’s ok to take a break from your job search, but if you won’t allow yourself to take some time off, we’ve got some homework for you today. We’ll get to that in a second. Now, you probably know that it’s frowned upon to wear white after Labor Day, but did you know that cowboys and other lovers of Country/Western culture are expected to switch from straw hats to felt hats after Labor Day? Although fashion tenets such as no white after Labor Day seem to be fading away to some extent, we’ll bet that the cowboys still abide. Stetson is the company when it comes to cowboys hats; in fact, just as the Kleenex trademark is used to describe for all tissues, the Stetson brand name is often used to describe all cowboys hats.
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by Willy Franzen on May 29, 2008
Most people like shoes. They protect your feet, offer support, and keep you warm. Some people love shoes – love them to the point that their loved ones (not the shoes) are likely worried about them. Oddly enough, the people who deeply love shoes often seem most interested in shoes that barely protect their feet, offer little support, and provide little or no warmth. We don’t really get that. Zappos.com puts these people to shame. As a company they have a shoe obsession that is far worse than that of the most Sex and the City addicted, Daily Candy reading, New York City fashionista. Why do we say that? Because Zappos.com is obsessed with everything shoes, not just the shoes of some designer whose name you’re supposed to know.
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by Willy Franzen on May 13, 2008
There are some things in life that you can’t understand until you try them. Whether it’s a food that looks particularly unappetizing (but tastes really good) or a pair of shoes that are quite ugly (but extremely comfortable), the major hurdle in marketing and selling the product is getting people to give them a shot. This must be the case with Crocs, because those shoes sure are ugly. We were going to mind our manners and hold back our true feeling, but if CNN can call them ugly and still write a positive article, then so can we. Despite making ugly shoes, Crocs has been so successful that they have gone from a niche company started by 3 college students to an IPO and a near billion dollar valuation in just a few years. Crocs’ stock has been struggling since last Fall, but they are hiring, so let’s take a look.
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by Willy Franzen on May 2, 2008
Today’s post is coming live (ok, not quite so live) from Cornell University, where it’s Slope Day! For those who aren’t familiar with Slope Day, it’s Cornell’s version of Spring Weekend. In other words, it’s the last day of classes, when college students do all those stupid things (and often take photographs of themselves doing them) that they’ll have to hide from employers on Facebook. It’s a really big, campus-wide party. If today is your Spring Weekend, we urge you to behave yourselves well enough that your actions today don’t ruin any chance of future employment. Still, we want you to enjoy the day and have some fun. You’ve worked hard and earned it. Instead of writing about a company that reinforces bad behavior, we’ve chosen to feature a company that supports one of our favorite Slope Day traditions – funny group t-shirts. CustomInk is an online provider of custom t-shirts.
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by Willy Franzen on April 29, 2008
Where do you summer? If you’re not familiar with the use of the word summer as a verb, then you probably aren’t familiar with Vineyard Vines either. They’re a company that is all about living the good life – going on vacation to preppy paradises like Martha’s Vineyard.
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by Willy Franzen on March 26, 2008
Looking for a Gilt Groupe invitation? Here’s our Gilt invite link.
If you just looked at the tags on our posts, you would think that today’s company has a lot in common with Moosejaw, whom we talked about yesterday. That couldn’t be much further from the truth. The fact that both sell clothing online by creating a unique brand identity is about the only similarity. While Moosejaw relies on irreverent humor to sell products, the Gilt Groupe uses viral exclusivity to woo customers. It’s interesting to see more and more integration between typical web startup ideas and traditional business models. Gilt Groupe is a perfect example of a company that has secured funding by adding a dash of Web 2.0 flavor to a tried and true brick and mortar business model.
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by Willy Franzen on March 25, 2008
We love companies that take something ordinary and create a unique value proposition for customers by creating a meaningful brand identity (uh, are we getting too jargon-y?). Moosejaw is a retailer of outdoor gear. You can buy what they sell at a lot of stores, through a lot of catalogs, or from a lot of online retailers, but Moosejaw still has an insanely loyal customer following. Every day they get rave reviews and customer photo submissions. Maybe it’s because Moosejaw has really good looking models, or maybe it’s the fact that Moosejaw offers homework help and dating advice to their customers. We’re not really sure what it is, but they’ve got their niche figured out.
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by Willy Franzen on December 28, 2007
They’ve invaded your Facebook with pics of half naked emo-hipster models (by the way, we’re dorks and had to look up the definitions of emo and hipster on Wikipedia, kind of like when Peter, Samir, and Michael Bolton look up money laundering in the dictionary in Office Space
). A certain Ivy League campus in New York City has also been overrun with people dressed straight off this company’s website. Even when you win a t-shirt, it’s not Hanes or Fruit of the Loom anymore. American Apparel is attacking on all fronts. And before we go any farther, we should warn you that their site is filled with near-nudity, so don’t go browsing it in a public place or whatever.
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by Willy Franzen on November 30, 2007
You know the feeling – it’s hot, wet, sticky and feels like it weighs about 6 lbs. So you change shirts during practice. Twice. That’s three shirts in one practice. You practice 5 days a week. That’s a lot of laundry. How would you like to work for a company founded out of a strong disdain for wet t-shirts (no, not the kind you might find on Spring Break)? Kevin Plank started Under Armour in 1995 with the idea of making better t-shirts to wear under his uniform while he played for the University of Maryland Football Team. With a great product and a little luck, Under Armour has become an essential piece of an athlete’s wardrobe in what was seemingly a saturated market.
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