When Lake first launched, practically 10 years in the past, cofounders Anne Learn Lattimore and Cassandra Cannon wished to offer pajamas that have been basic and straightforward to put on. Now, as shoppers proceed to search for consolation in trend, Lake is increasing its choices into clothes for on a regular basis with luxe, cotton, cozy sweaters.
With sweaters, the model goals to provide its prospects the identical ease of the basic loungewear phenomenon into a flexible layer for all-day consolation — particularly for chilly months. Following the design course of that Lake fastidiously took with its sleepwear and lounge attire, Lake’s cofounders say the sweaters are made from superfine, plush cotton yarns to make sure a silky-soft sensation with each put on.
The model has already discovered success with attire expansions together with day attire and caftans that have been launched within the spring and summer time seasons and plans to make sweaters an annual providing.
Right here, Lake Pajamas chief government officer Learn Lattimore talks to WWD concerning the evolution of the comfy class, Lake’s continued progress and the posh of consolation.
Lake Jane Sweater.
WWD: As you put together to launch into a brand new class with sweaters, are you able to inform us about the way you’ve seen the comfy class evolve because you initially entered the market?
Anne Learn Lattimore: We based Lake practically 10 years in the past as a result of we couldn’t discover pajamas that have been basic, put collectively and straightforward to put on. As new mothers, we have been spending plenty of time at residence (ha, or not less than we thought we have been earlier than 2020). We have been having fun with life’s easy, highest moments with our household, and right here we have been sitting round in previous, worn-out sweats.
Actually, we simply wished one thing higher, so we made it ourselves. In hindsight, it feels prescient, as a result of we’ve seen leisure garments take off out there. It’s developed in scale, clearly, however for us, lots stays the identical. We’re nonetheless dedicated to sourcing absolutely the softest materials we are able to discover and designing timeless silhouettes that you simply’re all the time going to really feel good in.
WWD: From a shopper habits perspective, how has the way in which individuals store for cozy attire modified in the previous few years? How do you see that persevering with?
A.R.L.: There’s plenty of nuance inside sleepwear, and shoppers have gotten more and more savvy about it. At Lake, we’re large on recognizing sleep preferences — scorching sleepers and chilly sleepers are going to achieve for various silhouettes and materials, and preferences can change from season to season. In colours and prints that talk to a person’s private model, we provide merchandise that allow shoppers construct a real sleep wardrobe. It’s arduous to overstate the significance of high quality sleep for our our bodies, so there’s a wellness ingredient, too, that’s continued to realize traction over the previous few years. Why not convey the identical consideration and care to what you put on throughout the day to what you’re sporting as you reset and rejuvenate?
With sweaters, we’ve acknowledged that folks respect creating snug appears to be like meant for outdoor the house. As soon as individuals “obtained” how snug lounge and sleepwear was, they began to have comparable expectations for his or her garments. Consolation and magnificence can undoubtedly coexist.
WWD: In your individual phrases, who’s the Lake shopper?
A.R.L.: In the beginning, our shopper is wise. We now have plenty of information to again this up, after all, however what it in the end tells us is that she’s intentional. She’s not going to purchase items that don’t serve her or household — whether or not that’s in regard to comfortability, private model, high quality, utility, and so forth.
WWD: Why are sweaters a pure extension of the model?
A.R.L.: I routinely return to basic silhouettes and types 12 months after 12 months, so each time I’m including one thing new to my closet, I’m all the time considerate with the strategy. The identical goes with including to our product assortment — we by no means need issues we’re not excited to put on, or something too treasured that we are able to’t dwell our lives in.
We wished so as to add a very timeless, superbly made, works-for-real-life attire piece, and to me, sweaters are that excellent, cozy but polished garment to achieve for time and again. Our robes are an exquisite option to bookend the day, and generally, frankly, I want I may dwell in them. However I acknowledge the necessity for one thing extra pulled collectively.
I wished to place the convenience and softness of our sleep and loungewear into a flexible layer for all-day, wear-everywhere consolation. I’m additionally fairly happy with how nice our sweaters appear and feel paired with our Pima units and different sleep types. It’s given me a brand new option to layer each inside and out of doors the house.
Lake Lydia Sweater.
WWD: How did you strategy this new class from a design perspective?
A.R.L.: So many sweaters available on the market nowadays are both a high-stakes recreation of dry-clean-only cashmere or some form of mix that isn’t going to final. We have been ultra-choosy in choosing the yarns for our sweaters; they’re 100% cotton, similar to a lot of our sleepwear, they usually have an extremely comfortable, plush hand really feel. They’re actually simply a lot softer than different knitwear we’ve tried, and with cotton, you get pure breathability in a medium weight that provides you extra longevity all year long.
From there, we caught to our design bonafides of basic colours and silhouettes — quietly fashionable, and the care is actually easy. Hand wash and lay flat to dry. You may take it to the dry cleaners, however solely if you wish to.
