Flippant Flips Pockets and Social Norms

Have you ever wished your clothes could better express the creative and fun person you are? Have you ever looked at your shirt pocket and thought, “What a complete waste of space!”

Then look no further than the Flippant t-shirt company, founded in part by Middlebury students seeking to do something new and different with clothing. The students involved in this company are Logan Miller ’15, Mike Peters ’15, and Brent Nixon ’15.

Flippant produces shirts with upside down (or “flipped”) pockets. The pockets are usually a different fabric from the rest of the shirt, drawing attention to its impractical design. “The shirt pocket isn’t used anyways, so we thought we might as well have some fun with it,” said Miller.

Although Miller founded Flippant on the idea of doing something different with clothing, he realized after discussing with others that “it was really about  making a different kind of company, not just clothing, that’s totally focused on having fun and being creative.”

And this fun attitude is reflected not only in their shirt designs, but also in the way Miller runs his company and advertises their products. Flippant’s core values include a good sense of humor and a light-hearted attitude towards work, school, and life. The company has an Instagram account (@flippant_life) that focuses on re-enacting both serious or mundane moments with a funny or unexpected twist. For example, there is a photo of a model in Flippant gear crawling towards a flock of sheep, a parody of the haute couture modeling scene.

“It’s like an imitation of the media industry,” Miller laughed.

Flippant’s mantra of not taking things too seriously is also evident in Flippant’s work environment.

“We put on some electric swing when we’re sewing,” said Milo Stanley ’17.5 who hand-sews Flippant pockets onto the shirts. “When you listen to electric swing, you start working like mad.”

Although Flippant prides itself on keeping things casual and fun, it has the potential to be a seriously ludicrous endeavor. Miller started Flippant last summer and has worked on it ever since, stabilizing his company with the guidance of the Midd Entrepreneurs class he took last J-Term.

The Flippant team worked with visiting professors Andrew Stickney and David Bradbury from the Vermont Center of Emerging Technologies, who helped them focus and fine-tune the business aspects of Flippant, especially the handling of customer feedback.

“Flippant developed their concept for their customers successfully on their own,” said Professor Stickney. “[Midd Entrepreneurs] was about engaging with students to help them test their idea in a real way.”

Currently, Flippant’s target market is college students attracted to the idea of a “non-chalant and genuine” lifestyle. Shirts are available for sale through their online website (www.flippant.life). Most shirts are made to order and involve working with local seamstresses and skilled Middlebury students.

The company has recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund their company’s future growth and production on a larger scale. Upon graduation this May, Miller said he plans to move Flippant headquarters from Middlebury to Detroit, “a blank canvas and space.”