Thank you so so much for reading, supporting, being interested. Honestly knowing people read this goes further than seeing people buying the jacket. This is where the brand is built. So seriously, THANK YOU.

Designing The Pickup Jacket: A timeline

I’m giving away my secrets!

My inspiration for this was various different sources. Mostly that I sometimes wish my chore coats didn’t have sleeves.

But the whole process is below with photos on my new best friend.

ABOVE: This is an interesting one! I reckon I made this in July 2024. Decision had been made to do something, but I had no idea where to start. So with some leftover fabric I’d paid out my skin for, I made the outline of The Pickup Jacket.

I need to salvage something cool with this because the fabric’s 10/10.

This is toile 1. Made using calico, a cheap fabric used by pattern cutters to visualise the garment. Owners will be able to see what’s changed: Shoulders, neck line, pocket slants, pocket size, dropped back hem, passport pocket!

I thought the passport pocket was a really cool idea. Just a small pocket to be perfectly sized for a passport, with a woven label on it reading “PASSPORT”.

It’d encapsulate the brand well, but actually I decided it looked too patchworky.

Would you like a passport pocket?

Leave a comment

This toile actually got used by the factory in London who made my first sample. It’s not MILES off at first glance, but when you know where to look it really is a different jacket.

Passport pocket still there, pen pocket too small, no triple stitching, neckline change, shoulders changed, fit changed, drop in pockets made larger, and Pick Up pockets made deeper.

Picking this up was a nice moment. I massively overpaid for it, and it was far from perfect. But this felt like the start of what I was putting together. Not just in the product itself, but in the hero product that represents ATKIN as a brand.

So, what changed from sample 1? Well the pen pocket here is enough for a stick of spaghetti, shoulders are too narrow, and the arm holes too large. But as I say, it wasn’t far off.

Here she is. The final cut. Triple stitch, larger drop in pockets, better fit, better hemming, better buttons and obviously the ATKIN branded inside pocket. This is the one you’ve all been enjoying.

ATKIN and hospitality

I’m really excited about this.

As you’ll all know from reading my previous newsletters, I’m pretty obsessed with the hospitality industry.

And believe that most waiters/waitresses dress poorly (if you’re one that doesn’t, you’ll know you’re one that doesn’t so don’t pretend to be offended!)

But I’m going to try and change that. A jacket designed with functionality at the forefront, and that looks good on all.

Our first partnership is with a gin brand paving the way in regenerative agriculture and English gin. It was so important to work with a brand with whom we have aligned values.

More information to come, but we’re planning jacket designs, photoshoots and more!

We’re expanding our range!

I never wanted this to be a 1-product brand. So here we are.

I won’t be using this supplier for various reasons but these are a good example of the sort of thing you can expect for Winter 2026.

What colour would you like to see?

Leave a comment

The Pickup Jacket V2 development

I also visited my fabric supplier on Friday to sniff out what deadstock fabrics he had available. The Pickup Jacket V2 is in development!

Brown moleskin. This is fantastic, but there’s not much of it. If I do a run of this, there will be about 15 available.

I’d love to do this colour. A big part of ATKIN is allowing people to make their garments their own. It’d be easy with this colour.

This is the one I’m leaning towards. Great weight, great colour, and enough available for a good run. Stay tuned.

The ATKIN to do 05/06/2026:

• Contact pattern cutter

• Go through content to-do

• Visit knitwear showroom

• Choose knitwear design and colours

• Order leaflets for fair

• Make plan for knitwear campaign and finances

• Register for VAT

• Get claude to help with accounts

• Choose date for first event

Food for thought

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall believes it’s every chefs responsibility to be excited about the quality of their ingredients.

I think the same goes for clothing brands. If a brand isnt waxing lyrical about fabrics, I wouldnt touch them! Fashion’s ingredients are the key to a good garment.

Firstly some fun… I went to a party last night. Theme was fashion icons. Any guesses who I went as? Read on to see…

Another link between Hospitality and Fashion!

I’ve spoken about Jeremy King before in this newsletter, but to those of you who don’t already know, he’s THE GOD of London hospitality.

On a recent podcast he spoke about loving restaurants because they are great enablers of experience. Events, meetings, break ups, first dates, 2nd dates, solo dining (the daddy!), the list goes on.

Restaurants allow these things to happen as smoothly as possible. Their main function is to make your lunch, but they do offer other functions including enabling experience.

Anyway, I see clothes in a similar way. They are great enablers.

They serve the ultimate function before you pick up your pen, trowel, car keys, paintbrush… they cover you up! Whether you like it or not, your clothes come first.

ATKIN is a functionality-first brand, so King’s point about enablement sang to me!

We make clothes that you depend on. In the same way we depend on food, water, our friends… we all have certain clothes we couldn’t live without. That’s what The Pickup Jacket was designed to be. That jacket you throw on every time you leave the house.

Advice from the head of marketing at TOPSHOP

Before I get into this, I’d like to clarify I am not trying to make ATKIN into a fast fashion powerhouse like TOPSHOP.

However last week I attended the Drapers Social Summit. Amongst some fascinating panels was a talk by the head of marketing at TOPSHOP, Moses Rashid.

He made various points, but the main one that resonated with ATKIN was that brands need to evoke emotion.

How the hell do TOPSHOP evoke emotion about the cheap crap they churn out?

Well… this opened my eyes to what emotion in fashion can mean. For TOPSHOP, it’s not about sentimental value, it’s about making you feel something before you’ve considered buying it.

Whether that emotion is joy, laughter or tears, if TOPSHOP can make you feel any of these things you’ll probably feel some sort of association to the “brand”. I put that in speech marks because I have no idea what TOPSHOP’s “brand” really is… but anyway.

Back to emotion and your clothes - You associate certain garments with certain memories, and if you were to throw them away you’d also be throwing away said associated memories.

This is sad! But this potential sadness is a good thing because it means you’re less likely to throw the garment away = less waste!

Which is all very well, but this sort of emotional attachment to a garment takes time. It’s like falling in love! Doesn’t happen when you first try something on!

And I’d rather you fell in love with The Pickup Jacket than had a cheeky fling. But sadly this isn’t a good selling technique. I need to be evoking emotion before you’ve set eyes on it.

So, keep an eye out for some content in the coming weeks/months. I’m taking advice from the fast fashion big dog, TOPSHOP, with a pinch of salt and my own spin.

VOTE FOR WHAT WE SHOULD BRING OUT NEXT!

Those of you who own a Pickup Jacket are on a whatsapp group called The Workbench. As you know, you get early access, interaction with the brand and opportunity to influence some brand decisions.

This week, I asked our customers what product they’d like to see next.

I need something at an entry level price point.

Most brands make a cap, and I love caps, so that’s an option.

Then another option is a tool roll. I love this because I feel like it encapsulates ATKIN as a brand. Somewhere to orgnaise your life’s needs for days on the road, or just for your top drawer.

The strategy behind the cheaper product like this is to get ATKIN out there. £170 is a lot of money. The buying decision takes time and a lot of factors play into it.

I need a product that people will buy because they like the brand, and that’s cheap enough that they don’t need to consider the price.

These products, that generally have a brand logo on them, become free marketing. More people buy them and wear them out and about because they are cheaper. This means ATKIN gets more exposure.

It’s the reason most brands sell caps and t-shirts with big logos on the back.

Another product is very exciting! Trickett do a cap which I’d consider to be the perfect shape. But it’s made in the US. I’ve contacted the supplier anyway to get a quote etc but I’d like to find a cap producer in the UK ideally… not easy. Anyone know of any?

Leave a comment

Below are drawings of potential cap designs. Comment your fave:

The ATKIN to-do list 21/05/2026

• Brainstorm new products

• Buy mannequin

• Visit fabric supplier

• Contact meta add support

• Add UGC to website

• Hospitality industry plan

• Content:

  • Details deep dive

  • Film photos on chair

  • Washing video

  • Styling videos

  • Find a model

  • Find a studio

  • Football world cup content?

Food for thought:

“When you’re in the winners enclosure you realise all the fun was in the race”

I have to keep reminding myself of this when things don’t go as I’d like them to!

I hope you’re all well. It’s been a “peaks and troughs” couple of weeks at ATKIN with some really exciting work happening but a few things getting in the way - it’d be dull if it was all smooth sailing!

Restaurants, shops, houses and visual merchandising

You know when you walk into someone’s home and it just makes sense - interior design taste tends to match a personality.

Some couples divide the house up by rooms e.g. “I’ll do the kitchen, you do the loos”. You walk into one room and it’s full of colour, personality. Then the next room is stiff, traditional, unrelaxing. I think it’s great. Who wants all the rooms to feel the same?

It’s a frequently missed opportunity but clothing brands can do the same with physical retail. Fashion people reading this will know this is visual merchandising or “VM”. But a good brand has a physical shop that encapsulates the brand’s personality.

A few brands that do it well: Finisterre, Aime Leon Dore, Orlebar Brown, Patagonia.

You’ll notice the brands listed above aren’t necessarily brands that focus on selling a product. They focus on selling a lifestyle.

So they make customers feel part of that lifestyle when they walk into a shop.

I don’t know if they still do this but the Finisterre shop in Covent Garden used to have the day’s surf forecast for 4 or 5 beaches in Cornwall. Hand written on a black board. Genius.

Restaurants do it well too. Not necessarily to sell the lifestyle, but to add to the experience of eating the food they’re sending out. It works.

In both restaurants and clothes shops the first thing you look at is the room you’re walking in to. If you can grab the customer and encapsulate your brand in that split second they walk through the door and look up, you’re winning.

A few restaurants that do it well: Maison François, St John, Little Duck The Picklery, Argoe, Brasserie Zedel.

So what would an ATKIN shop look like? The restaurant below will give you a clue!

Sadly there’s no point in me going into this as it’s a few years away.

But, I am planning some strong VM at MY FIRST FAIR!!!

Details on the fair below. It’d be great to see as many of you there as possible. I’ll have something for you if you turn up in The Pickup Jacket.

Location: Barrs Yard, Bath Road, Hungerford, Berkshire, RG17 0HE

Date: 26th-27th June, 2026

I’ll also be amongst some seriously good company: Drayton, AMPM, Patcha and Chappell Barrett to name a few.

“Think of is as a $9 experience”

That’s a quote from the CEO of Starbucks after there’s been some, not unreasonable, outrage about them charging nearly 10 bucks for a coffee.

I’m not sure what problem he thinks he’s solving with that comment. $9 for a coffee is bonkers.

But he is onto something when eluding to purchases being an experience rather than just an acquisition.

It’s the same with clothing. You can go and buy a £10 jacket from Primark (although you shouldn’t), and it’ll do it’s job - prevent public indecency.

Or you can buy a £200 jacket with more of a story. That is a £200 experience that you’ve taken time to consider, will tell your friends about, and wear so much that it becomes a genuine part of your life.

And it’s not just about the purchase experience. It’s about the memories that you begin to associate with that jacket after years of wear. The memories that you think of every time you throw the jacket on.

The purchase experience is important when selling an expensive item. But it’s the experiences that you begin to associate with said item that give it real value.

A $9 coffee is over in 20 minutes. A $200 jacket lives on you, is passed down to your children who will then think of you when they wear it. Or will think of the fish you’ve caught wearing it like this happy customer in his Pickup Jacket:

Audio branding

I’ve been trying to think of fun ways to make the brand more memorable and consistent. Via social media it’s virtually impossible to tickle all of your senses. I can hit sight pretty easily with Pantone 20-0041.

But touch, taste, smell and hearing aren’t as simple.

Actually writing this is making me use my imagination about taste and smell. Before I started the brand I wanted to send each jacket with a jar of home made pickles/ferments. That would have whacked taste and smell! But I did a trial run and I decided it wasn’t worth the risk of it leaking.

Anyway, I wanted to discuss audio branding. Below are a few clever examples:

• Radio jingles

• Mcdonald’s: the whistle and “I’m lovin’ it”

• Jaws theme tune

• 007 theme tune

• The Pink Panther theme tune

• Go Compare

Can you think of any others?

Leave a comment

But these got me thinking about what the ATKIN noise would be….

• A sewing machine?

• A drill?

• An onion being diced?

• That same onion hitting the pan?

• A song?

I’m no musician, so honestly won’t come up with an answer to the audio branding. But if any of you are musically inclined please give me a shout - I’d love to chat about this!

The ATKIN to-do list 12/05/2026

• Assign each payment

• Content ideas:

  • Details deep dive

  • Chair pics on film

  • Dirty jacket, wash it, show fading after wash

  • Draw inside pocket/show iterations form design stage

  • Ferg and Jess photoshoot

• Buy mannequin

• Buy flag from helford signal works

• Order leaflets for fair

• Visit fabric supplier

• Brainstorm video content

Food for thought:

Does your home reflect your personal brand? If not, how will you improve your visual merchandising at home? What do you need to source?

This newsletter was a fun one to write because it was a fun one to research. Consumer psychology is fascinating!

What your crisp packet means - Blue or Green?

Years ago Walkers only sold Salted and Salt and Vinegar.

At some point they brought on Cheese and Onion.

But this was a challenger product at the time and consumers were reluctant to try them.

So walkers did something clever.

They knew that blue packets means salt and vinegar and green meant cheese and onion.

So, they swapped the colours around. Suddenly consumers picked up a blue packet and got out the shop realising they had the bloody cheese and onion…

“Fuck it, might as well try em now”

And they liked them.

Obviosuly this has nothing to do with fashion. But I’m interested in the meaning of the colours.

Colours that represent a flavour can be viewed in the same way as colours that represent a brand.

Any guesses what company uses the below colour?

Leave a comment

The answers at the end but I bet you all got it spot on.

That’s what the yellow is all about with ATKIN. I want you lot to see a yellow car, front door, book, flower and think of ATKIN. Think of what ATKIN means, what we’re building. The brand for doers.

Professional unprofessionals who get on with it.

A moral debate:

One of my favourite designers just brought out a really really cool new collection. I’m so excited about it.

It’s quietly stylish and versatile and he’s used hard wearing fabrics for a lot of the garments.

His name is Aaron Levine.

And the collection was for ZARA…

For fucks sake.

I had a look through it, read about it and was equally excited by each piece. Particularly his use of yellow of course.

I even decided what I’d buy if I was a ZARA customer (god forbid!).

But of course I couldn’t buy anything.

Many of his own garments are made in the USA.

The Aaron Levine X ZARA long sleevers are made in Bangladesh.

Not horrifying but also not that I know him personally, this doesn’t seem very Aaron Levine…

Loyalty to Moleskine

“How did I ever live without..?”

A Moleskine diary.

I recently bought a notebook from the same company and was reminded of something. The genius packaging.

I’m obsessed with this level of personalisation.

“This diaries been to 12 countries, used 6 modes of transport to travel 150,000 miles”.

You’re forced to build emotional attachment to the diary. To look at it and think of your life in a romantic and nostalgic way. To take pride in what that diary has gone through with you.

And this is what I’m aiming for with the inside pocket of The Pickup Jacket. For you to develop that emotional attachment.

What would you like to see on the inside pocket? Countries visited, miles traveled?

Leave a comment

Small plates are fast fashion:

I listened to a podcast this week where some FMCG marketing god was talking about small plates in restaurants and the psychology behind why we like them and why they’re better for business.

It’s about touch points. The most memorable parts of a plate of food are the first and last bites. The rest is no man’s land.

So rather than 1 big plate with 2 touch points, why not have 3 small plates with a total of 6 touch points and less no man’s land?

This makes diner satisfaction infinitely higher.

And sadly it’s the same for clothing.

People buy more cheap clothes because the high volume of cheap crap provides more touch points.

More frequent endorphins when you place the order/when it arrives/the first time you wear it etc

But in the long term the touch points are WAY more frequent when you’re wearing an item that means something to you.

It’s the garments that remind you of people/places/things/times in your life that really hold the touch points!

So after a while, the touch points for these garments become every time you put them on! Not just when you open the box.

“I wore this jacket on my first date with my wife!”

“I wore these shoes to every job interview and wedding in my 20s”

“This cap travelled the world with me”

The ATKIN to-do list 21/04/2026

• Order more jackets

• Content ideas:

  • Details video

  • Spring photoshoot

  • Edi studio photoshoot

• Buy mannequin

• Leaflets for pop-up

• Visit fabric supplier

Food for thought:

What colours mean something to you?

The colour of the brand I mentioned earlier is “Tiffany Blue” and the brand is of course Tiffany But you knew that…

Thank you for all your orders over the last couple of weeks! It’s been fantastic to see you all in your jackets. Keep those photos coming to be featured on the instagram!

Authority

Jeremy King - “You become an authority when people trust, believe and respect you. I consider authority to be the biggest quality that any company can aspire to.”

Sadly Jeremy doesn’t then explain how to win authority as a small clothing brand. But I’ve learned in my full time role that it takes time.

It takes time to win hearts and minds, which is ultimately what I’m trying to do.

Like I said in the last newsletter, I spend all of my marketing “budget” on brand not sales.

That is what’s important to me and that’s how you win authority - with a brand people “trust, believe and respect”.

In theory once that’s done, people will buy your product because they are also buying into the meaning of your brand.

Those of you who have already made the purchase, thank you! We’re nowhere near a state of authority but hopefully the brand is starting to mean something!

Bricolage

I was recently introduced to the concept of bricolage which is “construction or creation from a diverse range of available things”.

Firstly, what a word. Secondly, how fitting for ATKIN as a brand.

• Making something out of whatever you have available

• Making The Pickup Jacket out of deadstock material in the colours/fabric available.

Tom Sachs is one of those blokes I’ve followed for years. I was introduced to his work by Casey Neistat (via youtube!) in about 2015 and have distantly followed with intrigue ever since. He’s probably best known for his collaborations with Nike, but ultimately he’s an artist.

His NikeCraft adverts/leaflets really grabbed my attention in the last few years. They’re brilliant and really encapsulate what I want ATKIN to mean. So, below are some of my favourite Tom Sachs Nike ads… ATKIN version to come!

The ATKIN to-do list 13/04/2026

• What needs to be submitted for tax return

• Collect outstanding orders from factory

• Take photos of each toile/pattern for timeline

• Organise photoshoot at studio

• Add all newsletters to “Workbench” section of website

• Go skiing

• Propose collab with… (IT’S A SURPRISE)

Side hustle

On a much needed holiday last week someone described this brand as a side hustle.

So I just want to lay this out clearly. ATKIN is not my full time job, but it is not a side hustle.

Side hustle implies that it’s about the money.

If I was doing this for money I’d be an idiot.

This is about making people wear less clothes. Making people appreciate the wear and tear their clothes develop over the years.

You can’t make money doing that.

But you can make jackets.

Food for thought:

Do you have authority in what you do? And does your company have authority in the market?

If you have authority, please share this with anyone and everyone you think will enjoy!

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Those of you who have a jacket have been added to the whatsapp chat. Thank you for being so active and sending in photos of you wearing it and of your signed inside pockets! You are what make this brand mean something.

Performative try hards (not you!)

I listened to a podcast this week with the owner/chef of The Plimsol and Tollingtons Fish Bar, Ed Mcilroy. Londoners, I’m sure you’ll have heard of him or his famous burger!

They spoke about offal and how it’s recently taken off. They think this love for offal is “performative” in a lot of cases. Honestly, I think they’re spot on. I’m guilty of it - ox tongue is a yes but ox liver is in the maybe pile after a friend decided it could be slow cooked (it definitely can’t, and you know who you are!).

But I’ll pull a convincingly hungry face when someone starts talking about foie de veau à la Lyonnaise…

Anyway, this performative chat got me thinking about performative clothing. Carhartts a great example of a brand some people wear in a performative way.

We know you’re not a carpenter so stop bringing a hammer to the pub.

But if you get to a stage where your brand represent a lifestyle and wearers are percieved as a certain type of person, you’ve won. It’s what any good brand achieves.

And yes, it opens the doors to the performative muppets who want to be doers but are in fact scrollers. Having that level of meaning behind a brand is always the aim.

Photoshoots

I didn’t think I’d enjoy this quite as much as I do! The indoor ones are in good light, the outdoor in crap light - my GOD it makes a difference.

Photoshoots like this are vital for building out the brand. I’m keen to hear any critique/thoughts so please do comment or message me!

Below are a few of my fave shots that may not make the social media.

I learned my lesson

This is an apology from me.

I told you two weeks ago that you’d receive your Pickup Jacket before the next newsletter. I broke my promise, some of you have not yet received them.

I apologise. I was ambitious with my production completion date and my factory were slower than they’d hoped.

To quote the factory owner - “There are a lot of small details that took longer than we anticipated”.

I guess I’m being punished for the triple stitch! Worth it.

One of you made a very good point that you’d have been disappointed if it had all gone smoothly!

The ATKIN to-do list 01/04/2026

• Make whatsapp with owners of The Pickup Jacket

• Stamp inside pockets

• Film boxing and pencil sharpening

• Confirm 2 photoshoots

• Marketing plan

• Tax?

• Photos of every toile, pattern and sample for a timeline

A failed instagram add

Now I’ve released my first drop I’m trying to expand my audience. And I’m struggling.

There are two main types of marketing: Sales activation and brand building. Essentially sales activation is short term, brand building is long term.

I’ve been focusing 100% of my marketing “budget” on brand building: The yellow, the doers lifestyle, the emotional value in clothing, this newsletter!

But this doesn’t sell jackets, it sells the brand.

Hopefully people slowly invest in ATKIN and whether you buy a jacket or not, you’ll be able to relate to the brand. But this does not bring in money, which sadly I do need to do!

I need to learn sales activation.

I’ve been running an instagram advert this week which went “OK”. But a friend mentioned you need to spend about £40 per day for a month in order to really reap the rewards…

I spent a cool £7 a day for 5 days, and it didn’t bring in any sales. Funny that!

The thing is, you lot are what make this brand mean something. My first readers/watchers/customers.

So, I ask for your help.

If there is anyone out there you think would like what ATKIN is all about, please may you send them my way.

Under no obligation to make any purchases, I’m purely trying to build a community.

Thank you so much! I really mean what I say about you lot making this brand mean something. ATKIN is about people and what we do with our lives, not just another jacket.

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Food for thought:

Do you do anything performatively?

The classic example is blokes reading feminist literature on the underground…

Hope you’re all well! Enjoying river banks reeking of garlic, lambs bouncing around and ash trays not being full of rain water? I am.

This will be the last newsletter before your jackets are delivered. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your orders. I’m chuffed with the uptake and am even more excited to see how you make them yours.

Getting Emotional

Do you have any items of clothing that remind you of something or someone? Granny’s knitted jumper, dad’s old suit, the shoes you wore to your wedding, the shorts that have traveled the world with you…

Now can you ever imagine throwing these away?

Horrifying because you’d also be throwing away the memories associated with them. Maybe good if it’s an ex’s hoodie!

I wanted to design something in which that sentimental value could be developed. Something that it makes sense to wear so often that it picks up rips and stains from your life’s work. The rips and stains that tell YOUR story, and are YOUR memories. “A sort of diary of days” - Trevor Gulliver.

A garment could be anyone’s until it’s been worn. The photo below shows my favorite item of clothing. They have traveled everywhere with me since I bought them in 2020. 10+ countries, 15+ repairs. I refuse to let them go because I’d be letting go of 6 years of memories in them.

And that’s the relationship I want you to develop with The Pickup Jacket. The garment that will earn its stripes by showing YOU, its owner, that it can withstand whatever storm you put it through. Have a look at the care label when it arrives!

Photo-shoots

I’ve been feeling slightly lost with my marketing content. I’ve had a busy month in my full time job so just haven’t given it much time.

HOWEVER…

I’ve planned a couple of photo-shoots in some SERIOUSLY cool locations. One is a studio for hand painted pub signs, one is an old pig farm. I’m buzzing to get some proper, brand-capturing, photographs out there.

See my Pinterest board for hints of what’s to come:

Nanga Parbat v.s. The pub

I’m sure you’ve told potential employers how well you adapt to certain situations and make informed decisions under pressure? To be honest, if you’re interested in the output of this brand I think you probably do!

As individuals we’re expected to be versatile. Same goes for a lot of clothing. But would you ask a chef to do your tax return? Or wear your best brogues to climb Nanga Parbat? Doubt it, although a lot of people do wear Nanga Parbat-ready gear to drink Guinness and smoke roll-ups.

I digress…

When I say The Pickup Jacket was designed with versatility in mind, what do I actually mean?

I mean it is ready to spread muck, sand floorboards and navigate terminal 5 security.

This is the jacket that fits any occasion. The fabric and fit were chosen so it can be dressed “up, down… sidewayssss” (get the Big Wednesday reference?). And the design decisions were all made with functionality at the forefront. For example:

• Triple stitch not only makes the jacket bomb-proof, but also gives the jacket more structure.

• The fit allows the jacket to sit nicely on the chest, meaning it can be worn both under coats and over Shetland wool.

• Arm holes: Large enough that you can wear a drop shoulder jumper and not get bunching in the armpit (a real pet peeve of mine!)

• Pickup Pockets: roomy enough to fit 2 large, British chickens.

ORDER UPDATE

I am doing a final quality check then collecting them on Friday the 27th of March.

Assuming there are no issues, they will be in the post on Saturday the 28th. If you ordered by this Friday, you can expect delivery by Easter Friday.

Thank you so much for all your orders. We have a few left so please forward this newsletter onto anyone you consider a doer.

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The ATKIN to-do list 10/03/26:

• Marketing plan

• Influencer plan and terms

• Contact influencers with proposal

• Ask painting studio to do photoshoot

• Register corporation tax

• What exactly do I need to submit to HMRC?

• Add invoice to every bank payment

Food for thought:

What item of clothing means the most to you?

The jumper in the chicken photo was knitted on a farm near Lands End, near where my grandparents announced their engagement in the 60s. The same grandparents who kindly bought me the jumper.

Every time I throw it on, I think of them. We’re lucky to still have them, but I’m also lucky knowing that I’ll be able to wear this jumper forever, and forever be reminded of them. Proper sentimental value!

The pub in which they spread the news:

Website

I hope you’re all well. Of course I’m selling a jacket literally. But metaphorically I’m selling something else…

Welcome back to My Workbench.

Firstly, a little message from me, Tom.

I honestly cannot thank you enough for being part of the ATKIN journey! It’s been a ride to get these into production, but here we are. Those of you who have helped in your various ways, you know who you are. I’ll be forever in your debt.

I can’t wait to see how you lot make The Pickup Jacket your own and please remember, sign your work!

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ATKIN isn’t about selling clothes.

The eagle-eyed of you will have noticed I’ve made a few website updates in the last 14 days.

One in particular was to describe our typical customer: “Someone with a certain approach to life. Doing it themselves. Being a jack of all trades, maybe a master of a couple but certainly not shouting about it.”

And that’s the lifestyle The Pickup Jacket enables. Doing it yourself. You’ll wear this to grout your bathroom, sheer your sheep, de-bone a rib, sit in the pub and pace round an airport.

So, I need to sell that lifestyle.

Outdoor brands do it very well. You don’t see Patagonia talking about DWR finishes, you see them talking about backcountry and secret left handers.

The win comes when your product represents certain lifestyles:

• Stone Island = Football hooligan (although these muppets don’t look that scary).

• The Pickup Jacket = Someone who gets shit done.

But how do I sell the doers lifestyle that The Pickup Jacket represents? This is the tricky part.

Those of you who buy one will have the opportunity to help me:

With your blessing, once you’ve purchased your jacket, you will be added to a whatsapp chat.

This will be a hub for doers. A place to share what you’re working on and what you’ve worn the jacket for. Whether you’ve put a transit engine in your Landy or pickled an onion - we want to see it. A community of individuals with two things in common:

1. Desire to do it yourself, whether qualified or not.

2. Owners of The Pickup Jacket

I will also be organising events in due course.

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An awkward conversation about money.

Payment terms is always a tricky one. My factory wanted me to pay for the jackets in full before they were made. She used an analogy: “when you go into a shop, you pay for the clothes before you get to wear them”. Which I didn’t think made much sense as I would have been buying the jackets before they’d even been made!

I said I’d pay half now half on delivery. She was a red blooded negotiator. We settled at 70/30.

Anyway, the exciting news is that your Pickup Jacket is currently in production. I’ll be going to see the different sizes this week, and you can expect to receive your jacket at the beginning of April.

How to pre-order:

Easy - follow this link and add the password below: https://atkinclothing.co.uk/

Password: Heatherlands

As of 8AM on Monday the 9th of March, you will be able to use this password to get onto the website and pre-order your Pickup Jacket.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. All of you!

Whether you’re planning on buying one or not, I appreciate your support more than I can say in a newsletter.

Please get in contact with me if you have any questions! I’ll help quickly.

The ATKIN to-do list 01/03/26:

• Go through invoices

• Website tinkering: purpose, checkout

• Add product

• Order size labels + send to factory

• Decide on selling price

• Add wash/care info to website

• Make size guide and add to website

• Set password for shop on Sat

• Order packaging

• Order more postcards

• Make social media plan for ambassadors and owners

• Create whatsapp community for owners

Food for thought:

I’m reading another hospitality book (shock). Jeremy King this time. He says “the best publicity for enduring success is word of mouth and discretion.”

And to be honest I was pretty relieved to read this. I’m not planning on putting stacks of money into marketing, or sales. I’m doing limited runs of a product you can wear on virtually any occasion. I’m hoping the word will spread organically, albeit slowly!

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I’m giving you lot early access! First though, I wanted to talk about hospitality.

Element of surprise!

Have you ever bought something on Depop and the seller has chucked in a bag of Tangfastics? Goes a long way right! The postman does tend to arrive when I’m hungry which helps.

I’ve recently been listening to Rory Sutherland speak - AMAZING brain. He’s made me think that maybe fashion could be a bit more hospitable. We could all be better at going the extra mile.

And Sid Hiscox from Fera recently encouraged us to read Setting the table by Danny Meyer. He’s a bit of a hospitality god if you don’t already know!

I’m only 70 odd pages in, but the messaging points in the same direction as Rory Sutherland’s. It’s not about what service is delivered, it’s about how the punter feels when it’s delivered.

So to make you feel good when The Pickup Jacket is delivered, there will be a little something to go in one of the pockets. That little surprise that shows you I’ve gone the extra mile and really do care. Like adding a quid when you give someone a knife!

Win The Pickup Jacket:

If you guess what little something will be included with each jacket, I’ll send you one free of charge! Competition ends 1st of March 2026, there will only be 1 winner. And to those of you I have already told, I know who you are…

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Sample 2!!!

HERE WE GO!

I cannot even begin to tell you how excited this makes me. I first drew this jacket about 18 months ago and I can’t wait to see how you all make it your own!

This is what will be for sale:

Changes made to sample 1:

• Fit: Sample 1 was too boxy, sample 2 is not.

• Stitch: Sample 1 was single stitch in all areas. Sample 2 is triple stitch in high strain areas making the garment bomb proof.

• Pen Pocket: The pen pocket is now large enough for a marker pen, not just some spaghetti.

And the pockets that give the jacket it’s name: The Pickup Jacket. Like a pickup truck, just lob everything in the back.

I’ve tried really hard to design something that it genuinely makes sense to wear every time you leave the house, so this week I’ll be testing it out!

Pre-order info:

You will be able to pre-order the pickup jacket on Monday the 9th of March as a subscriber to this newsletter. At this point, they will be in production but I anticipate sending them out to you lot in the first week of April. Set your alarms, book out your calendar. Whatever you have to do.

24 hours later they will be available to the general public.

There will be 36 of The Pickup Jacket available so get in quickly!

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The ATKIN to-do list 14/02/26:

• Product Photos

• Register LTD

• Sizing and Scaling in tech pack

• Decide on props for product photos

• Change automated newsletter sign up email

• Get all invoices in 1 place

• Decide on thread colour: black or blue?

• Google workspace account

• Alternatives to XERO?

• Add The Pickup Jacket to the website

• Work out COGS

Food for thought:

I spoke in my last newsletter about making you lot feel something with this brand. The below photo shows that it doesn’t take much. This is in a cook book written by a certain American cook/author/professional Reds smoker. That personal touch…

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Hope you’re all well. This newsletter will allow you to contribute to some design decisions!

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for ATKIN UK and I’m very excited to be getting closer to my first drop. April is the plan.

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Have you been to a clothing factory?

I know a few of you have brands of your own/work in the industry so the answer is probably “obviously”. But for those who haven’t, it’s a niche world I’ve been introduced to in the last 6 months.

I hear tales of the UK once being a clothes manufacturing hub with hundreds of factories up and down the country making proper kit. Bring those days back I say!

Actually, they might be coming back! It’s pretty rare to hear a factory only opened during COVID. Most of them have been trudging along since fast fashion meant having a spring/summer AND and autumn/winter collections (70s ish).

But this one I’ve managed to sniff out only started producing in 2019. Obviously the legendary lady in charge has hired some even more legendary seamstresses who have worked in the trade for years in Ukraine. I’m telling you that so you don’t think my jacket is being made by some unprofessional muppets - because after my visit today I assure you it is not!

Sample 2 will be ready for collection in 2 weeks. And assuming that’s all good, the first run of The Pickup Jacket will go into production.

Black or blue?

Button choices - this was an easy decision but I made the wrong one initially. Thankfully Courtney and Co were very forgiving about me making 300 swaps!

Please cast your vote and I’ll reveal all at the end of the newsletter (fabric is blue).

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How to feel:

Building a brand is about making people feel.

I recently bought a cap from Trickett and the founder hand wrote a note with it. I loved this and have worn the cap with infinitely more pride knowing the founder actually appreciated my hard earned money. I MUST DO SOMETHING SIMILAR!

But custom printing a load of Pantone 20-0041 postcards would have been pretty bad for the environment.

So, I bought a load of vintage postcards from different locations in the UK. I was pretty excited about this nice idea that showcased the UK and was better for the environment.

What I didn’t realise was that most of said postcards had been written on…

So, with your order you can expect a hand written note from me that may be written over a love letter from the 50s. It’s been interesting bedtime reading going through them all!

Our little secret

Care labels provide a nice opportunity for some messaging.

Some brands do labels really well. Filson, Fera, Paynter, BRUT to name a few. See my labels Pintrest board for more.

If you read my previous newsletter, “a proper f*cking boozer”, you’ll know what the inside pocket is going to look like. And if you didn’t read it, shame on you and see below!

As well as this, I’ve left a nice little message on the care label of The Pickup Jacket. Only available to those who own one. Our little secret!

Food for thought:

In 2005 Google Maps launched with only US, Canada and UK available.

It was nowhere near ready but they launched anyway.

Most of the world was missing, but they launched anyway.

A decision made by doers.

It’ll never be perfect so just f*cking get on with it!

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P.S. The buttons will be black

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Hope you’re getting sh*t done in 2026.

An Update on the last couple of weeks for ATKIN clothing. I’ll start with some very positive news.

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Do you sign your work?

A big part of ATKIN is taking pride in what your clothing becomes once it’s been worn. Rips, stains, repairs, discoloration, mismatch buttons. Whatever it might be.

So, I wanted the inside label to reflect an individual’s personality, to allow people to sign their work! Below is what the inside pocket will look like. As they say at Hiut Denim, “an artist always signs their work”, and with The Pickup Jacket, you’ll be able to sign yours.

Sampling:

After sample 1 was made by a factory in London I spent some time with my pattern cutter making some changes to the fit and detailing. My pattern cutter is a legend and totally gets what I’m trying to do with this product – an exceptionally useful part of any clothing brand!

So, now it’s time for sample two!

The London factory were great but being in London their prices are high. So, I’ve found one in the North who can do it. However, I’ve had a fabric delay so sample 2 is delayed - FRUSTRATING!

It’s crazy that even factory costs are more expensive in London. I assumed it was just the £8 Guinness.

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What is deadstock fabric?

Firstly, it makes my environmental impact A LOT lower. Deadstock fabric is basically left over material from a different brand’s production run. It means I’m stopping fabric being put in the bin, and I do not account for the environmental damage done growing and weaving the fabric because the original user already has. The fabric is not used, it’s brand new and is from a heritage brand I’m not allowed to name…

This fabric is perfect – hard wearing, easily repaired and will weather well.

My choice to reduce the environmental impact of The Pickup Jacket does mean supply of the fabric is not always simple. Once it runs out, that’s it.

This will be the first and last run I can do in this exact colorway unless I get exceptionally lucky.

Food for thought:

What makes a proper f*cking boozer?

Is it cash only, smelly carpets, free dukebox, photo albums from the last 30 years, friendly staff, Scampi Fries? Let me know your thoughts.

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Here we go, team.

What are you wearing today? What significant life moments have you worn it for? How many times have you repaired it?

Hopefully you’re thinking of the good times you’ve had wearing certain items of clothing

That’s the ticket.

Clothes that remind us of something, someone, who we are.

Is there a better compliment than someone saying “that’s very you” about something you’re wearing?

When you put on The Pickup Jacket, you think of your journey wearing it: the ideas had, stuff built, beers drunk. What countries it’s been to, what’s been in the pockets, who you’ve met wearing it.

Your wearable diary of days.

That jacket that you throw on every time you leave the house, covered in rips and stains from 20 years of wear, that your friends ask, “do you not own any other clothes?”, and your answer is, “I don’t need any”

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About the founder:

I’m giving myself the job title of “Chief Functionality Officer” because that’s what the brand is all about. Not fashion, but clothing that you can rely on for virtually anything.

My full time job is in fashion - making old clothes into new clothes. But you can look me up on LinkedIn if you want to know more.

What’s to come?

Today’s newsletter has been a high level summary. I’ll be sending them out on a bi-weekly basis for now, but as the brand picks up I’ll send them more frequently.

Thank you for your patience with the release of the first product. MORE INFO TO COME IN THE NEXT NEWSLETTER. A lot of work has gone into this and I’m bloody excited to get the first product out there.

Welcome to My Workbench. An ATKIN newsletter that’ll keep you in the loop and one step ahead of the general public when it comes to pre-orders!

You’re now part of the brand and will be involved in the design, making and selling process and everything I work on along the way.

So again, welcome.

Tom

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Food for thought

What item of clothing do people say is “very you”?

Mine is my yellow chore jacket (which I’ll probably do a copy of in due course)