Sportswear Line Hard Tail Opens First Store
The Hard Tail sportswear line debuted in 1992, but owner Dick Cantrell said he believes that many people will first see the full extent of the label this year. On June 17, he and Patty Cantrell, his wife and the company’s co-owner, opened a 6,400-square-foot store on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Calif. The shop displays the entire line.
“The brand has grown to the point where no one retailer can do it justice. People can see it in bits and pieces, and it is not the whole picture,” Cantrell said of his Santa Monica–based label, which makes everything from denim to tank tops in a palette of 60 colors.
Cantrell forecasted sales of $1,000 per square foot at the store, which will act as a flagship and a showroom. He said his company will open another store to sell the sportswear, which is also available at retailers such as Nordstrom and M. Frederic.
Price points range from $30 for tank tops to $180 for jeans. The clothes are manufactured in Southern California.
Cantrell introduced his line as gym apparel for men. But when the brand became more popular with women, he expanded the company’s SKUs to include skirts and gaucho pants. He said he hopes to triple Hard Tail’s SKUs for men this year. —Andrew Asch
