Roark fell on my radar last fall when I got a couple of their pieces and did a full review last September. While I still wear the shirt and sweater I got on a near-weekly basis, the brand’s activity drifted to the back of my mind as the seasons progressed. What a mistake that was…
Because they popped back up in my feed in late March with the drop of their limited run of Spring lines, I jumped at the opportunity to review whatever pieces I could get my hands on (a long sleeve shirt and a sweatshirt), and by the time I realized I should have just bit the bullet and purchased all the pieces that caught my eye in the first place, the seasonal drop had come and gone.
So, let’s take a quick moment to talk about the brand before diving into what I liked most about the things I could try out in hopes that you don’t make the same mistake of sleeping on this brand next season.
Who/What Is Roark?
Roark is known for its adventure-inspired clothing that blends practicality with urban style. Founded by Ryan Hitzel in 2010, Roark was created to fill a gap in the market for adventurous, storytelling-driven apparel. The brand collaborates with a diverse team of ambassadors, including legendary skateboarders, artists, surfers, and filmmakers, who help design and test the products.
Real trips to off-the-beaten-path locations inspire Roark’s collections. Initially, they were based on fictional adventures, but now they document actual experiences, providing authentic inspiration for their gear.
Sustainability is a key focus for Roark. They aim to have 50% of their products be sustainable and fair trade by 2023, using durable materials and eco-friendly processes.
Roark’s history involves a trip to Cuba in 2012, where the team navigated travel restrictions and connected with locals in a tense situation by sharing beers, showcasing their adventurous spirit, and as they continue to plan new adventures, with upcoming trips to Oaxaca, Mexico, and New Zealand. The brand’s unique blend of style, functionality, and passion for exploration makes it a standout choice for adventure enthusiasts.
What I Liked Most About Their Spring Line
I got my hands on a couple of pieces of Roark’s spring line, and as always, I found a lot to like about their latest seasonal drop. So, let’s dive into some of the coolest aspects of the spring line.
Sweatshirt
The cheeky and lighthearted graphics on the sweatshirt instantly caught my eye and have gotten me the most comments whenever I wear the sweatshirt around town or with friends. I’m usually not one for big graphics and images on shirts, but the darker fabric, coupled with the splash of light color from the graphics, added just a little spice to my wardrobe (one that’s packed with black shirts and black sweatshirts just like every other DJ and music industry person out there).
The phrase on the back, “Don’t Destroy What You Love,” is right on brand with Roark’s ethos and message. Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, it certainly resonates with me, and it is by far what everyone else loves the most about the sweatshirt, too.
I also really loved how the fabric and material of the Roark sweatshirt was slightly heavier and warmer than most other fabrics, which makes it a perfect middle ground for when it’s brisk or slightly rainy here in Oregon but not so cold as to warrant a full-on jacket. This is about 75% of the evenings in Oregon during the spring, so this sweatshirt quickly became my go-to choice for my evening walks.
Longsleeve Shirt
I reviewed Roark’s fall collection back in September. I really dug their long-sleeved shirt, and the spring iteration continues what I liked so much before. But at the end of the day, a shirt is a shirt, and it’s hard to write a novel about any single piece other than the fact that I really liked it.
That being said, I loved that the shirt was slightly longer than a standard Medium and just slightly more relaxed. And it does all this without stretching out after a long day wearing it. All too often, I’ll wear a shirt that starts as comfortable baggy at the start of the day but grows to feel like an oversized apron by the end of the day until I can throw it in the dryer.
That being said, it was also a slightly longer fit than usual, which was great for a lanky dude like me. You can see in the image below how the medium goes down past my pockets, where most mediums come down to the beltline on my longer-than-average torso.
Very cool stuff!
What I Wasn’t Impressed By
The only bummer about this line was that it came and went in the blink of an eye. The line of products originally came onto my radar in a press release two months ago, and the collections are already down on the site. Roark must be taking inspiration from some popular streetwear brands on how they roll out their drops, focusing on short windows to create a sense of urgency and then later exclusivity.
There are still some random pieces and limited runs of their products you can find here but it seems as if their attention is being redirected now to the upcoming summer line that is sure to drop in the coming months.
Whatever they’re doing, it’s working, as it’s made me follow all their socials and check back on the site every few weeks to ensure I’m not missing anything I’ll later regret sleeping on. I suggest you do the same…
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
