Luckily, most of you will never know how hard it is to buy wool fleece from New Zealand. First of all, they sell to Patagonia and don’t talk to small designers, or better put, they talk to us, but to everything we ask, they say, “No.” But their wool is the softest in the world, and it is spun with the most technologically advanced equipment made, making it both very light and very warm, and we love it.
At first, we thought it would be easy to find a comparable fabric, and we scoured the world and all of our friends helped us, from Asia to Chille, for six months. I admit I found one that was close, but it was Italian Cashmere and it sold for $375 a yard. Like many attractive things, it was gorgeous, but impractical, our Merino is more durable and can be washed, both necessary attributes for outdoor adventure. And after watching my business partner wear his jacket everyday since early December, I can attest to the fact that it really is durable as well as beautiful.
Starting a clothing company is like a giant game of Twister. And I have so many people to thank that I will have to put that in another post.
I’ve been reluctant to talk too much about Ocean SF until I felt comfortable with delivery of the product. Which I finally do.
It’s been a long road, and not an easy one, I might add, but everything else in my life felt that way too. However, Ocean SF has been the most rewarding thing I have ever done professionally, except for teaching at UC Berkeley.
Our T-shirts are for sale now, and pre-orders are being taken for our jackets for delivery in the Fall, because it takes that long to make the fabric.
Check it out, oceansf.co and especially the 12 Attributes of our jacket, and let me know what you think.
Love and blessings to all.
Sydney 
