Rogue American Apparel’s patriotism is evident as customers walk into its new storefront.
Wes Whitlock, a former Marine who served with U.S. diplomats in Afghanistan and the United States, started the online apparel brand in 2011. The company’s first storefront opened in June in the Hudson Bend area and offers men’s and women’s athletic gear ($15.99-$59.99) and accessories ($7.99-$259.99).
“After buying the property in March to allow us to expand and have [our headquarters] based here, customers kept coming in and picking out items,” Whitlock said. “So we decided to become fully operational as a storefront in June.”
Having the entrepreneurial spirit since he was young, Whitlock started the company on the side while working for Dell Inc. as a senior executive protection specialist. Whitlock said he knew he could do a lot more with Rogue American, so he quit his full-time job in 2014 to devote his energy to expanding his apparel business.
He said his designs for the apparel are based on his world travels and patriotism for his country. He said he wanted his brand to be high-quality and convey a warrior mindset.
“From serving [my country], I had an understanding—the mindset and culture—and I used that [understanding] to build the brand,” Whitlock said.
His start designing apparel came when he was in the Marines. Whitlock said he would design T-shirts for each Marine team with a theme to boost morale. Those that were popular overseas were the beginning of his brand, he said.
The best-sellers for Rogue American include hats, sportswear and T-shirts, Whitlock said. Rogue American is one of the only companies that still manufactures hats that are 100 percent American-made, he said. The T-shirts are printed with the dye inserted directly into the fabric, preventing fading, and items such as belts and dog collars come with a lifetime warranty, he said.
Local wounded veterans make accessories, including tomahawks and belt buckles, with engravings, Whitlock said.
“We try to pass work on to the wounded veterans as much as we can and continue to raise money for them,” he said.
The employees also harbor a warrior mentality, Whitlock said, with former Navy Seals and Army officers hired as staffers.
He said he hopes to continue to expand Rogue American’s online presence in the U.S. and overseas, with Australia being its biggest foreign supporter.
Whitlock said the company has also been popular with fans of music and racing. In October, Rogue American will have a booth at the veterans’ area during the Circuit of The Americas Formula 1 race in Southeast Austin, he said.
This fall, the business plans to open two more storefronts, one in Killeen and one in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Whitlock said.
4701 Hudson Bend Road, Austin 512-382-9585 www.rogueamericanapparel.com Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
