Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
What is “normal” apparel? To Jimmy Sansone, it was something practical, comfortable, versatile…and unlike anything he was seeing on the market. So, in 2015, he launched his own clothing company, The Normal Brand, which he now operates alongside his brothers Conrad and Lan. The brand has garnered national attention and is sold in stores around the globe. It’s been about a year since they opened the label’s first and only brick-and-mortar, here in Clayton. At a time when fashion can seem obsolete, The Normal Brand’s staple pieces feel as relevant as ever.
“Our brand has always been about comfort,” Jimmy says. “The problem we were trying to solve was ‘Why can’t the clothes you wear in the office, at a restaurant, or in the country be the most comfortable clothes in your closet?’”
The company’s trademark fabric, Puremeso, lends itself to that coziness. The polyester/spandex/cotton knit is available in basics and outerwear in a range of colors. In planning collections, the Sansone brothers don’t look to trends, allowing them ample lead time—they’re already designing their fall 2021 line. This fall, The Normal Brand launches more women’s offerings and diversifies its men’s outerwear with fleeces, peacoats, and corduroy pieces.
When the pandemic shut down the store for months, the brothers launched a Work From Home collection, including soft Henley tees and button-up shirts to pair with joggers and casual shorts, and offered such programs as in-home wardrobing. They even created a shopping experience outside the store, before recently reopening.
“Our grandpa always encouraged us to think actively in business,” Jimmy says. “He always said, ‘If the front door isn’t open, go through the window. If you can’t get through the window, go to the garage, and if you can’t do any of those, climb through the chimney’—the idea just being to always think creatively.”
