The Burlington apparel manufacturer plans to introduce several new products in the coming weeks, starting with the unveiling of “Shackett” on Thursday.
Early 20sNumber In the 19th century, Vermont was rife with textile manufacturers and woolen mills.
These companies, large and small, had disappeared by the 1950s, and by the year 2000, most American apparel brands were manufacturing their products overseas.
Now, several businesses are trying to revive Vermont’s clothing-making past, including Darn Tough Socks in Northfield and Vermont Flannel Company in East Barre.
Joining Vermont’s manufacturing revival: 4T2D (pronounced FORTITUDE) is a maker of personal lifestyle apparel capturing the summer and winter trends of the Green Mountain State.
4T2D is the brainchild of Carrie Strobeck, a 50-year-old mother of four, who founded the company in 2021 with the goal of producing American-made clothing with a Vermont twist. All of the company’s apparel is made in a 12,000-square-foot factory on Burlington’s south side.
“Everything is done in Vermont, from ideation to shipping. We have technical designers, surface designers, graphic designers, prototype sewers, sample sewers and production sewers,” Strobeck says. “We also have print technicians and laser cutting machines.”
4T2D’s best-selling items are t-shirts and beanie caps, apparel that epitomizes Vermont style.
Many successful clothing companies got started by making T-shirts, but now, four years after it was founded, 4T2D is unveiling its first fall collection, starting with the release of shackets on Thursday.
“All of the outerwear we’re releasing in the next few weeks is reversible. We have a shirt jacket for women called a shacket, which is made from alpaca and wool,” Strobeck said. “We also have two vests coming out soon, one for men and one for women.”
“We will also be releasing some reversible coats for men and women. The men’s coats are made of 100% cotton moleskin printed in-house on one side and recycled nylon on the other. The women’s coats are made of 100% velvet on one side and recycled nylon made by our suppliers from old carpets and fishing nets.”
Strobeck and his team of 25 employees manufacture poufs, a type of cushion that can be used to sit or rest your feet on the floor, always with an eye on environmental factors.
“We’re fully circular, so we collect all our material waste, and we also have a fabric shredder, and we make little poufs that you can sit on on the floor,” Strobeck says. “We donate poufs to local libraries and local children’s centers, and we also make them available to buy on our website.”
“We are completely responsible with our waste. We don’t throw anything away. We’re trying to be responsible and different to fast fashion.”
Strobeck is dedicated to producing the highest quality, American-made apparel and despises the waste that comes from fast fashion companies like Shein and Temu selling $6 T-shirts that end up in the trash after only being worn and washed a few times.
“Our apparel is a mix of fashion and functionality, and we want to make clothes that are both fashionable and high quality,” Strobeck said. “We never even considered making our products overseas. We really wanted to manufacture in the U.S. and keep our production in-house.”
“I think fast fashion just caters to a different consumer. We provide a niche market for consumers to get quality products. I think that perception is growing with fast fashion. I want to be part of a movement that gives consumers choice. Quality products that last.”
“We often say, ‘Buy something good, or you’ll end up buying it twice.'”
Strobeck holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, a Master of Education degree and is a former elementary school teacher, which is why education has been a major contributing factor in bringing 4T2D to fruition.
The company’s factory doubles as a Forvital factory, producing off-label products, including thousands of custom beanies. The factory also houses a classroom where Strobeck and his team educate students about the forgotten side of apparel manufacturing.
“We’ve done a lot of our own training of seamstresses,” Strobeck says, “and we have a non-profit arm of our company called Continuing Thread, where we hold sewing classes, and we also receive grant funding that we use to train people in manufacturing techniques.”
“We also cross-train all of our employees to make them multi-skilled and well-rounded, so no matter what happens in life — magic or tragedy — we have the ability to rotate people based on multiple skills and the well-being of our colleagues. We have a team that can rely on each other when needed.”
As a former athlete, Strobeck understands the desire to look fashionable while still being comfortable in the outdoors, and each coat and jacket in the upcoming fall collection was tried on by the entire 4T2D staff and friends last winter to determine what worked and felt good.
“We wore all of our pieces last winter playing in the snow and rain in Vermont, so it was a great opportunity to test the fit and materials in all weather conditions,” Strobeck said. “That’s what we did last year, and we’re excited to launch these pieces soon.”
4T2D will be releasing items from its fall collection every week from now through the end of October, just in time for the holidays, and as a bonus, everyday apparel from the collection, including long- and short-sleeve tees and beanies, is available now and can be customized.
Buy 4T2D Products online.
