Skate-Wear Central

Skate Sweater

LRG Clothing

Just the name alone, sets it apart as something special. Lifted Research Group Clothing (LRG Clothing) is an underground street wear clothing line, offering the freshest and most sought after looks in urban and street wear clothing. The line has been able to capture the attention of the youth market and do what few other clothing lines have managed to do. Keep going strong for over a decade, raking up new sales by keeping the core urban audience interested.

The clothing is not just seen on the street however. Celebrities such as Kanye West, Chris Brown, John Legend, Gucci Mane, Raekwon, Lebron James, and many more big names in the hip hop and sports arena have been photographed rocking the line. As have Chico Brenes and other professional skateboarders. So how did LRG reach such a massive audience in such a short time and become one of the fastest growing fashion companies in the industry?

The thanks go to its founders, Jonas Bevacqua and Robert Wright, the two young men met when collaborating on hip hop music. Besides being an MC, Wright was also a designer and had already worked with several other urban clothing lines including Quicksilver. Bevacqua brought in the vision for the line and the logo. In 1999, the duo put their passion for music and fashion together to raise the $200,000 startup capital needed for the company.

Starting up in Lake Forest, California in Orange County, the heart of the skateboarding world, the clothing line became an instant success. In the very first day in business, their complete inventory consisting of several different styles of hoodies, four different styles of t-shirts and several hundred pairs of pants all sold out. LRG had taken a step from designing just for surfers, or just urban wear.

Instantly they knew they were on to something special and though the company had the same initial struggles of any other start up, the rise to the top happened fairly quickly. By 2000, the company had made its first million and it took only another two years before LRG turned a profit. By 2007, LRG had grown from its initial 1 employee and small startup to pull in over $150 million and employ over 150 individuals. The company even made the hot 500 Fastest-Growing Businesses in America by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2007.

Hats, jackets, hoodies, polos, shorts, scarves, sweaters and T-shirts are sold in the menswear line. Shirts and hoodies are made from soft breathable cotton and terry cloth among other fabrics. Basics in blue, browns and reds can be found but with the brands success, LRG brought on skateboarding and hip hop designers to offer fresh flamboyant looks. Hoodies come in dozens of styles and are the brands signature look. Hoodies feature diamond prints, camo leaf prints, abstract printed images and screen print designs are popular. Jeans are fashionably baggy but with a classic fit; simple elements such as contrast stitching and embroidery on the rear pockets can be found.

What doesn’t LRG make? A young woman’s clothing line followed in 2005. Named Luxirie, the brand offers the street edge but with sassy inspiration from military elements and other themes that women have quickly started buying up.

The company has also diversified outside of clothing. LRG released a limited edition skate deck, designed a limited edition cell phone and have put their stamp on a number of electronic, vehicle and sporting good items. LRG clothing is available online, so fans of the line can get the urban street wear they love delivered to them almost anywhere.

About the Author

No matter what your style, you can certainly find something new and fresh in hip hop wear.  If you are looking for the best in LRG Clothing, buy from the most popular urban clothing stores where you can get urban designer clothes for men, women, teens and kids. For the best resource for hip hop clothes just visit Ultimate Hip Hop Gear.

Josee Chouinard – The Sweater

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Element Abstract Sweater – Charcoal $56.5 No one’s going to listen to you wax philosophical unless you look the part; your normal skate duds, sadly, do not meet this requirement. Fortunately, the Abstract sweater from Element not only meets the proper level of sophisticated style required for serious philosophical discourse, but it’s also proven to increase your perceived IQ by 20 points. Then again, the scientists conducting the research backing this up were wearing these sweaters, so their claim is suspect. The only concrete fact is that you’ll look pretty darn scrumptious in the slight chill of autumn days.

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Nixon Watches TPS Speakers $79.95 Compact, modern, powerful, and expandable, the TPS fills a small package with sleek design, big sound, and a slew of features. Headed to the beach or out for a skate? This tough aluminum body is built to resist the elements. Out for the day? The six-hour battery life has you covered. Need even more volume? Link two together and experience stereo sound in a big way.

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