Ministry of Supply is a new company based in the northeast, Boston to be exact. The founding partners are former MIT students Gihan Amarasiriwardena, Kit Hickey and Aman Advani. The idea behind the company is to produce clothing for the boardroom that translates well into clothing for the active lifestyle. To achieve this, Ministry of Supply is using 4-way stretch fabrics, soft brushed finishes on garment liners, and odor-absorbing Javafresh, a fabric made with recycled coffee grounds. The combination of these elements translates into clothing that stands up to the most extreme situations. I’ve had the chance to try the Archive dress shirt and the Aviator chinos for the last month or so with fantastic results. The chinos are the perfect cut, slim but not restrictive. The stretch of the fabric is ideal for walking, pedaling, or climbing a mountain if that’s what you do during your lunch hour. If you were to pedal across town, upon arriving back in the office, the pants would be wrinkle free, odor free, and with the look of recently pressed trousers. The material used in the chinos is an 89% moisture-wicking polyamide with 11% elastane and a durable water repellent finish. They are very technical in construction and materials, but are also beautifully designed and cut. The Archive dress shirt is another technical piece, made from 98% moisture-wicking polyester and 2% elastane, with a laser cut ventilation system that works incredibly well. Like the chinos, the shirt is well tailored and perfect for all situations. The clothing is top notch, and the stories behind the products are also telling. Each piece has background information about which factory in China made the garment, as well as the factory’s certification. I think it impressive that Ministry of Supply is up front about their manufacturing and design processes. Lastly, I used their website to place an order, and found the experience intuitive and simple. My package arrived just a few days later in a beautiful box with simple return instructions if needed. I think Ministry of Supply is on to something quite remarkable, and I look forward to seeing their future releases.
