In the early ‘80s, a climber from California named Mike Graham embarked with a group of friends to be the first all-Italian team to climb Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Only there was just one problem: they weren’t Italian. The solution was to switch their names up, turning Graham into Gramicci.

In the years that followed, Graham would use this name for his outdoor clothing brand, which experienced a surge in popularity following the release of their technical climbing shorts in 1982. Designed with young explorers in mind, the shorts had a number of design features that gave them an edge over their competitors, a number of which have since found their way into the fashion world, as well as the collections of several contemporary streetwear brands.

Gramicci has pioneered innovation in the outdoor industry for well over 30 years. Their innovation and passion does not begin and end with their products. They feel that the world is more than just a place to live; it is somewhere to grow up, start a family, adventure to parts unknown and enjoy the freedom of nature.

With Gramicci, you put on over 30 years of innovation, experience and industry leadership. Many of the most popular features found in outdoor clothing were developed by Gramicci – their patented gusset crotch, built-in nylon belt, underarm hinge, high-low hem and many more. While others are busy catching up, Gramicci continues to create original combinations of fabric weights, weaves and color.

Most notably, Gramicci’s shorts and pants featured a unique crotch gusset which allowed for greater movement of the legs, which is pretty important when you’re trying to climb a vertical rock face. They also featured an integrated nylon belt, a simple feature that became somewhat of a design signature for Gramicci over the years.

It’s the distinctive design of Gramicci’s shorts and pants that’s most worth keeping an eye out for the next time you’re browsing your favorite streetwear brand’s latest collections. As recently as last season, Supreme has been dropping simple short designs featuring an integrated nylon belt, almost certainly as a nod to the Gramicci originals. If you think that’s a reach, consider that they also went to the effort of including the crotch gusset design as well.

Overall, the Gramicci story is one about the early days of streetwear, when stylish clothing was made strictly for style, functional clothing strictly for function, the two rarely ever crossing paths. When we think of streetwear and much of fashion today, we instinctively look for those technical features that make the garment more than “just a garment,” from unique fabric blends and weatherproof treatments to the simple addition of a chest pocket to a humble T-shirt.

But it was brands like Gramicci that first brought form and function together in the first place, in however simple a way. The fact that some of the world’s biggest brands today are still giving their shorts a nod just goes to show that, even nearly four decades on, those that know, know.

Gramicci’s goal is to provide their customers with the outdoor lifestyle clothing they need to feel relaxed when they are on an adventure or when they are enjoying their leisure time out in nature. With high performance outdoor lifestyle shirts, shorts, and other apparel, Gramicci is among the top lifestyle brands in the nation. 

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