Performance-focused British cycling apparel specialist Kostüme, known for its pre-order business model, has announced that #EDIT005 sees a brand-first collaboration with Polartec.
The release of Kostüme’s new Cargo Gilet marks a significant moment – representing the first full piece of technical outerwear by the brand, which made its name designing kit made to meet the needs of big mileage, multi-day riders in the Audax scene.
Speaking about #EDIT005, Ed Bartlett, Kostüme’s founder, comments: “It might sound obvious, but every product we design begins with finding the ultimate fabric for the job, and we are excited to now be working with Polartec.”
“Our Cargo Gilet uses the incredible Polartec Power Shield RPM, which ticks a combination of boxes that has historically been hard, if not impossible to find. Not only is it recycled, waterproof and breathable with no harmful PFAs, it also has 4-way stretch and – crucially – it can be printed on.
We’ve managed to discreetly add a significant level of reflective details, as well as 4 secure pockets and an integrated stuff sack. Most importantly for a product like this, we think we’ve really nailed the fit.
The debut batch – limited to 100 pieces worldwide – also marks the first time Kostüme have released its ‘test’ pattern commercially.
The decision to do so comes after receiving dozens of messages from people spotting the brand’s testers in the wild at events like LEL and Silk Road Mountain Race. “We’ve named it the ‘Blueprint’ release because it’s a very limited run of a brand new product. And, well, it’s also literally a blue print. (Just don’t call this rocket science!)”, says Bartlett.
I know I am not alone in wanting colours other than black for poor weather conditions and visibility. With this in mind, a wider launch, in a choice of two colourways, is also scheduled for November – part of #EDIT006, which also features a number of other all-new winter-ready products, including the brand’s long-awaited Tights!
Kostüme’s story
Kostüme launched in 2020 with the gilet – because it’s such an important piece of clothing for all cyclists. Our brand came out of the Audax scene, and many of our core customers ride long distances, so part of our core product ethos is really trying to develop products that cover as many bases as possible, with as few compromises as possible.
Being ultra-focused on one specific area, such as weight or packability, almost always results in compromises elsewhere, and without sounding trite, we hate compromise.
Pre-order business model
Trying to excel in all areas might seem a big ask for a small independent brand, but cutting the usual waste via a pre-order model means Kostüme can spend much more on our product spec, so it’s uniquely possible for Bartlett to be able to create these exceptional do-it-all products, and without the sort of price tags that approach usually results in.
And that competitive advantage is more than words from an enthusiastic founder. In 2023, Kostüme bib shorts gained a 10/10 review from Road.cc. Since then, a number of other media outlets have drawn similar conclusions.
Sustainability in focus
Founded on the principles of ‘Planet First’, Kostüme applies this guiding principle rigorously to every single decision the business makes.
Every piece of Kostüme apparel is made in partnership with two of the leading independent European family-run factories, combining decades of bleeding-edge manufacturing experience with Kostüme founder Ed Bartlett’s fastidious approach to sustainability and obsessive attention to detail.
Bartlett openly states that the business “aim is to be transparent about the impact of our actions, and we are working hard to close the loop on truly circular production. We don’t have all the answers yet, but if we aren’t striving to make a change, why should you?”
