Getting to Know the New EDO Line, With Jim Trombly

When it comes to designing high performance workwear, Jim Trombly knows a thing or two. A dyed-in-the-wool product designer, Trombly has been in the outdoor technical equipment and apparel industry for more than 20 years. Today, Trombly serves as TRUEWERK’s Director of Product. And when it comes to putting your money where your toolbelt is, Trombly’s the man. He lives and breathes TRUEWERK’s designs so much that he’s the person rocking out a pair of T1 Overalls so fresh off the line, the rivets are still hot. 

TRUEWERK sat down with Trombly to learn a little bit more about the man behind its designs and to find out what’s coming next. 

How did you end up at TRUEWERK?

After starting in hard goods—think camping stoves, snowshoes, and water filters—I moved to soft goods in 2006 with a role at Patagonia as the product line director. I’ve been at TRUEWERK now for two years. 

You have some patents in your name, right? 

Yes, I hold five patents, including one for a two-piece flight suit for naval aviation and one for a combat shirt, worn by every single Army warfighter today. 

You helped bring TRUEWERK’s new EDO line to fruition. What is it? 

I call it workstyle. It's something that I would feel comfortable going from the office to the job site in and not feel out of place. 

At TRUEWERK, we have pants as a foundation—work pants—and we have base layers, mid layers, and shell layers that are all intended for the job site. The EveryDay Operations, or EDO, Line is outside of that. 

The EDO line can be characterized by its core products; like a flannel shirt with stretch, a polo shirt that manages sweat, and a jean-style pant with phone pockets that dries fast.. You're not going to go and dig a ditch in a polo and our EDO WerkPant; that's reserved for our work clothes. But if you are a manager of a construction company, small or large, and you need something to wear to the office that you also feel comfortable in visiting a job site, that’s the EDO line.

Let’s be honest, if I showed up on a job site and I had on, let's say, a traditional banking executive’s office attire, I would feel way out of place. But if I show up there in heavy-duty, five-pocket jeans-style pants with stretch? That works.

What’s your favorite piece in the EDO line? 

That would be the Flac Shacket. It’s this lightly synthetic-insulated shirt-jacket, sort of like a puffy, but cut based on the pattern of a men’s sport coat. Man, it looks really good on a guy. You look super sharp. 

Throw that Flac Shacket over a polo or a flannel, and pair it with an EDO jeans-style pant, and you just look great—but not like you're going to be mistaken for an outdoors person in a puffy if you walk into the local diner and run into a bunch of contractors. You look sharp and masculine, like you might be someone who manages construction, not like a climber who got lost and showed up on the job site or at the local lunch spot.

What are some of your hobbies, and how will you wear the EDO line? 

My hobbies are mountaineering, backcountry skiing, running, and trail running long distances in the mountains. I won't use the EDO line for those, but I will use it for a night on the town. You know, the Flac Shacket comes in these colors like black and olive—you know the sort of darker masculine colors—and you pair that with an EDO Pant and a flannel and you just look great. I'd love to take someone out on a date and wear these things. 

 

The ABCs of EDO

TRUEWERK’s more casual, everyday approach to workwear, the EveryDay Operations line—EDO—is made to go from a new client meeting to the job site and back again, all while still being packed with our top-of-the-line performance features. 

 

 

EDO WerkPant 

The EDO WerkPant delivers a streamlined look for a day in the office or full functionality for a casual day on the job site. Whether you’re digging in at a job site or managing it, the EDO WerkPant looks like it belongs, no matter what role you find yourself in at any given moment.

These water-repellant, technical pants feature a woven-stretch cord pattern with four-way stretch for unmatched comfort while also being abrasion- and tear-resistant. And with the addition of a wicking finish, the EDO WerkPant fabric transports sweat four times faster than untreated fabric.

Want to really ante up? Pair the EDO WerkPant with the all-new B2 Henley and watch the contracts roll in. 

 

 

EDO Polo

A far cry from the stuffy polos of the past, TRUEWERK’s EDO Polo (available in men's and women's fits) has been engineered to include intelligent features like four times the moisture-wicking ability, generous stretch, and pill-proof fabric that keeps you looking fresh. Wear it as a base layer (our warmest), or wear it on its own when you need to look sharp in front of customers. 

 

 

The Fancy Shirt

Only the name of this ruggedly sophisticated EDO button-down is fancy. Sure, TRUEWERK’s Fancy Shirt lets you put your best foot forward in important meetings, but it’s a far cry from any off-the-rack dress shirt from a mall, especially since it has performance characteristics including stretch, a wicking treatment, and sun protection built-in. We even added side gussets to keep it secure, even if you raise your arms.