Not Just Merch: The Design Process Behind The Classic Collection.

Classic For A Reason

I’ve always had a gripe with most everyday hoodies and tees. They’re either flimsy and see-through after a couple of washes, or stiff as a board and uncomfortable from day one. That’s why, for the DEXON™ Classics, we landed on fabrics that strike the right balance: the tee in a 280GSM Pima cotton blend with a touch of elastane, and the hoodie in a heavyweight 350GSM brushed fleece. Both are solid without being heavy, soft without being weak, and built to move with you instead of against you. Perfect for hauling gear, splitting wood, layering up on cold mornings, or just sinking a beer by the fire. We also obsessed over structure. For the tee, that meant a high ribbed collar, nothing worse than a neckline that sags after a few washes. For the hoodie, we went with a double-stitched hood and oversized arm templates with a reasonably tight ribbed cuff and hem. Both were designed to hold their shape, sit clean, and last the test of time.

Why Pima Cotton? The Classic Tee is made from Pima cotton, and that choice was no accident. Pima is known as one of the world’s premium cottons, longer fibres mean a softer hand feel, better breathability, and greater durability. It doesn’t pill as quickly as regular cotton, it holds colour better, and it feels smoother against the skin. Blending it with a touch of elastane gave us the best of both worlds: the natural comfort and strength of Pima, plus that little bit of stretch that makes it move with you and bounce back into shape. In short, it’s the difference between a tee that feels “average” and one that feels like your favourite from the first wear. It’s one of those things you will now notice if you haven’t before and well, we’re not going back..

When it came to branding, we made a deliberate choice to go with embroidery instead of screen printing or digital printing. Why? Because eventually prints fade, crack, and peel over time,  especially after a few too many washes or when they cop a bit of sun and dirt outdoors. Embroidery, on the other hand, holds strong. It’s more durable, has texture and depth, and gives the garment that premium finish without feeling over the top. We wanted the logo to be part of the garment, not just sitting on top of it. It ties the Classic Hoodie and Tee together, makes them feel consistent as a range, and most importantly, ensures the branding lasts just as long as the fabric itself.  The main logo sits clean and confident on the chest of both garments, it’s deliberate, centred, and designed to feel timeless rather than trendy. Placement here is no accident; the chest is where the eye naturally falls, a spot that carries weight without feeling overdone. But what really elevates the design are the subtle monogram hits. On the tee, we stitched a small embroidery at the back neck, and on the hoodie, it’s placed neatly on the sleeve. These placements are about balance, they create interest and identity from every angle without drowning the garment in branding.

Testing in the Wild

Paper and sketches only go so far. The real test was in the wild, camping trips, farm runs, high-country slopes. I wore them through off-roading in the far east of Victoria, hauling wood, and even wiped my greasy hands on them once or twice after a quick bite on the go. Every sample went through washes: cold cycle, inside out, air-dried. No gimmicks, no “special care required.” If it didn’t hold shape, if the embroidery frayed, if it didn’t feel right after a weekend away, we made tweak. The goal was simple: create gear that looked after itself. Wash, wear, repeat. Nothing precious, nothing complicated.

Why We Took It Seriously

Sure, the easy road was there, blanks, a logo, done and that same old copy and paste method. But that’s not us. We poured time, effort, and care into this because we wanted something real. Something that didn’t just look good on Instagram, but actually lived up to the outdoors and your expectations, we want our customer to feel value for money and grab our gear as they head out for a weekend away. This was never about fashion. It was about building gear that fits the life we live, around campfires, on long drives, and in the paddock. It was a long project, with plenty of trial and error, but seeing the final pieces arrive made it worth every bit of effort. I couldn’t be prouder of how the Classic Collection turned out. Every stitch, every cut, every choice was considered. And now that it’s here, I can say with full confidence, this isn’t just merch. It’s everyday outdoor gear, built the right way, not the easy way.So when you pull on a DEXON™ Classic tee or hoodie, know that it wasn’t churned out of a factory catalogue. It was designed with intention, tested in the real world, and made to last. Built for comfort. Built for the outdoors. Built for you.