Well, it's certainly not to make our lives easier! In fact it's much, much more logistically challenging for a brand (especially a small independent one like us) to work in this way. But the simple fact is that the overall benefits - for the product quality, for the planet, and ultimately for you, the customer - far outweigh the traditional (read: outdated) way of doing things.

Sounds a bit like marketing bluster? Well, here are just a few reasons why:

1. No guesswork. No waste.

The traditional way of making and selling all apparel - let's call it the fashion industry - involves brands making huge educated guesses well in advance of actually knowing what people really want to buy. Sure, there's an art to this, and dedicated teams of clever people at each stage of the process to try to ensure as many items gets sold for the most money possible. But the harsh reality is that a frankly appalling amount of clothing and accessories gets destroyed each year without finding a buyer. When you see what goes into making just one single item, the thought of all that waste is mindblowing. And what's more, our planet simply cannot physically sustain it any longer.

Every brand factors this (and the margin-damaging discounting that goes with it) into their financial plans. And all that waste has to be accounted for somehow.

2. Better products.

The main way this is accounted for is in the specification (read: quality) of the products being sold. From the technical features and functionality, to the fabrics and trims, to the time spent testing something to ensure it's fit for purpose, all of these elements incur a cost. And, of course, where and who makes your products also has a massive impact.

What this ultimately means is that you are almost never buying the 'best' version that a product could be, because compromises are inevitably being made along the way. Less ethical factories. Cheaper, more polluting fabrics. Copycat products with no investment in innovation. Product flaws and failures. Endless discounting and sale events teaching consumers that this is all completely normal and ok.

Our pre-order model means better products. Clear and simple.

Is it just coincidence that a totally new 100% independent brand can come into a highly technical and competitive sector and immediately create a 10/10-reviewed cycling bib short that Road.cc described as being 'like nothing else I've put on'? For avoidance of doubt, this is a rhetorical question.

Our approach means that we don't have to guess in advance how many products to make, and in which size/sex. We don't have to factor in elements such as storage, sales or unsold stock. And as such, we can take more risks with product innovation, we can take more time testing and refining before launch, we can spend more money on incredible fabrics and trims, and we can use the very best manufacturing partners (who in turn invest more in their staff and their own sustainability). We think the benefits are pretty clear.

3. Cheaper prices.

And best of all, we can do this without charging more for our products.

Price is always a challenging conversation, because what is expensive for one person is cheap for another. Kostüme is about making the best version of a product that it can possibly be, not simply the cheapest product. Could we have made our award-winning cycling shorts 20% less expensive? Of course we could. But such is the efficiency of our model that they would probably be 20% less good. 8/10 instead of 10/10. And if we are going to do that, then as a brand we are utterly pointless. Just another cycling apparel brand - something the world does not really need.

In fact, if you look at our prices versus traditional brands in the same category, we are broadly in line (and in many cases, fairly substantially less expensive) despite offering what we believe is class-leading features, fabrics and sustainability. Ultimately, our customers will decide if that is true. But either way, ask yourself this: Isn't it better to know that the money behind a product is being utilised efficiently to make the product better, rather than a substantial percentage simply ring-fenced as 'waste'?

4. More sustainable.

Note the word 'more'. If you see an apparel brand calling themselves simpy 'sustainable' then call them out and ask them to prove it. They can't. Truly sustainable apparel doesn't really exist yet, let alone entirely circular sustainable brands. However, we can measurably show that our model and products are more sustainable thanks to our holistic approach. You can read more about this here.