Dallas-based footwear brand Hari Mari has launched its first dedicated apparel line for women, starting with the casual shorts category.
According to co-founder Lila Stewart, the decision to expand into apparel was driven by customer feedback and demand for more clothing options, particularly swimwear. While Hari Mari previously offered unisex hats, T-shirts, and sweatshirts, the launch of women’s shorts represents a more intentional approach to women’s apparel.
Currently, Hari Mari offers two styles of men’s shorts, the Siesta and BantamKnit, priced at US $ 68. The newly introduced BantamKnit women’s shorts feature a feminine cut and also retail for US $ 68. Although apparel represents a small portion of the brand’s sales, Stewart noted that it is a growing category with further opportunities. This year, the brand began offering its men’s shorts to wholesale partners and plans to do the same for women’s apparel next year.
“Those two collaborations pushed our men’s business ahead of our women’s in terms of volume,” Stewart said. “So, we have more data on our men and more feedback from our men than our women.”
However, the women’s side is catching up. Stewart noted that 2022 was the first year since the Nokona collaboration launched that its business was 50-50 men’s versus women’s. She credits that to changes in its footwear design strategy, which now focuses on offering more feminine silhouettes, on-trend colours and fashion-forward pieces.
Aside from expanding its product categories, Hari Mari has also been focused on shifting its production out of Asia. The brand now manufactures its apparel in the United States, leather footwear in Mexico, and sources water-friendly styles and some leather items from Brazil. This decision was influenced by the anti-Chinese sentiment regarding production in Asia and the introduction of tariffs by the Trump administration.
