Criquet Shirts

What Criquet Shirts does

Criquet Shirts is a privately held, Austin-based direct-to-consumer apparel company founded in 2009 by two lifelong friends, William Nachman (Co-Founder & Chief Shirt Architect) and Hobson Brown (Co-Founder, Head of Marketing). The company designs, manufactures, and sells premium men's polo shirts, button-downs, pearl snaps, terrycloth pieces, layering items, bottoms, and accessories under its own brand, with pricing typically ranging from $104 to $178 per garment. The product portfolio is built around three core polo tiers (Performance Polos with moisture-wicking stretch, Top-Shelf Polos in 92% Pima cotton/8% spandex, and Classic 100% Cotton Polos) and is extended through fit, sleeve length, and specialty fabric variations, plus licensed collegiate apparel for 20+ university programs, MLS team merchandise, and a flagship Willie Nelson collaboration.

The business operates exclusively through its owned Shopify e-commerce storefront with global shipping to 90+ countries, supplemented by a retail store locator and a B2B corporate apparel program offering embroidery services. Revenue mechanics are predominantly one-time unit purchases, with ancillary gift card sales and an SMS marketing opt-in service for order updates and promotions. Customer acquisition is driven by organic social (Instagram, Facebook, X), email and SMS marketing, content-led brand storytelling, and an interactive polo style quiz.

The company has raised approximately $2.35M across three disclosed funding rounds (2016 CircleUp Series 2 of $1.4M, 2018 $0.275M, and 2020 $0.678M) and operates with a 1-10 person team, indicating a lean, founder-led operation. Brand and product differentiation is anchored on fabric quality (Pima cotton, terrycloth), licensed partnerships that provide category-specific fan-base access, and a distinctive lifestyle positioning.

Name

Criquet Shirts

Legal name

Criquet Shirts

Website

https://criquetshirts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Criquet Shirts is an Austin-based, direct-to-consumer apparel company founded in 2009 that designs and sells premium men's polo shirts, button-downs, and casual wear priced $104-$178, serving style-conscious men, collegiate sports fans, and golf enthusiasts globally through its Shopify storefront and licensed university and MLS partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Men's Casual Apparel

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110), Apparel Manufacturing (315), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments (2320), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Athletic / Performance & Activewear Brands (CRAAAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Athleisure & Performance Apparel Retail (CRAAABAE), Athleisure & Lifestyle Sport Apparel Retail (CRAMACAF)

Keywords

• Men's polo shirts
• Performance apparel
• Premium cotton shirts
• Golf casual wear
• Licensed collegiate apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: One-time purchase model for shirts, polo tops, and accessories through e-commerce. Primary revenue stream from individual product transactions.
2. Gift Cards: E-gift card sales providing flexible gifting options for customers.
3. SMS/Marketing Services: Optional mobile message service for order updates, promotional offers, and cart reminders with customer consent.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Criquet Shirts is a direct-to-consumer apparel manufacturer specializing in super-soft, great-fitting men's polo shirts, pearl snap button-downs, terrycloth products, and complementary casual wear. The company designs and sells its own branded apparel collections, including Performance Polos, Top-Shelf Polos (Pima cotton blend), Classic Cotton Polos, Slim Fit Polos, layering pieces, bottoms, and licensed collegiate and MLS collaborations.

Product overview

Criquet Shirts is a men's apparel company specializing in high-quality polo shirts and casual wear. The product portfolio centers on three main polo categories: Performance Polos (moisture-wicking stretch blend), Top-Shelf Polos (92% Pima cotton/8% spandex premium), and Classic Cotton Polos (100% cotton timeless style). These core offerings are extended through fit variations (Slim Fit, Spread Collar), sleeve lengths (Short Sleeve, Long Sleeve), and specialty fabrics (Terrycloth, Pearl Snaps & Button Downs, Corduroy). The brand also offers complementary bottoms (Shorts, Pants), layering pieces (Hoodies, Pullovers), accessories (Hats, Belts), and licensed collegiate merchandise. Notable collaborations include the Willie Nelson Collection and MLS team partnerships. The company positions itself around 'super-soft, great-fitting' shirts targeting lifestyle and casual occasions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Willie Nelson Collection: Collaborative collection featuring Willie Nelson merchandise, including shirts and apparel featuring the country music legend's branding.
• Collegiate Licensed
• MLS x Criquet
• Limited Edition

Products and services

• Performance Polos

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• MLS (Major League Soccer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensed partnership for MLS co-branded apparel. Criquet produces officially licensed Major League Soccer merchandise, enabling sales to soccer fan base.
• Collegiate Licensing Partners (Alabama, Texas, Notre Dame, LSU, etc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensing agreements with numerous major university athletic programs including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Michigan, North Texas, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, SMU, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and UNC. Products include Coach's Players Shirts, Long Sleeve Range Polos, Terrycloth Polos, and Hybrid Puffer Jackets.
• Willie NelsonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWillie Nelson collaboration featuring the 'Willie Forever Collection' including Willie Nelson branded shirts and apparel. Dedicated collection page and special edition products.
• Zilker BeltsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-branded belt products. Criquet x Zilker Belts collaboration featuring exclusive belt designs sold through Criquet's e-commerce platform.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform hosting the online store. Shopify provides the website infrastructure, payment processing, and store management system.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Peter Millar: Premium men's apparel brand specializing in golf shirts, polos, and country club casualwear. Closely comparable to Criquet in product category (polos, performance fabrics), customer demographic (style-conscious men 25-55), and price band ($100+). Acquired by Richemont, giving it unmatched scale advantages.
• Vineyard Vines: Premium lifestyle brand offering polo shirts, button-downs, and casual wear with a heritage American aesthetic. Directly comparable to Criquet in target customer (men seeking distinctive casualwear over fast fashion), price positioning, and DTC-plus-wholesale retail model.
• Southern Tide: Premium men's and women's apparel brand focused on classic, coastal-inspired casual and performance polos. Comparable to Criquet in performance fabric innovation, preppy/Southern aesthetic, and premium DTC positioning.
• Johnnie-O: Premium men's lifestyle brand offering polos, button-downs, and sweaters with a West Coast prep aesthetic. Direct comparable to Criquet in vintage-inspired casual wear, premium pricing, and similar customer demographic.
• Rhone: Men's performance apparel DTC brand offering polos, shorts, and activewear with technical fabrics. Comparable to Criquet in performance polo category (moisture-wicking, stretch), DTC-first model, and premium price points.
• Buck Mason: Premium men's basics and casual apparel brand with strong DTC heritage positioning. Comparable to Criquet in pursuit of timeless American style, premium cotton focus, and direct-to-consumer channel strategy.
• Bonobos: Men's apparel DTC brand focused on better-fitting casual shirts, polos, and pants. Comparable to Criquet in DTC-first model, fit-focused innovation, and premium men's casualwear category.

Broad incumbents

• Polo Ralph Lauren: Iconic premium apparel brand that essentially defined the polo shirt category. Overlaps with Criquet in polo product positioning, country club aesthetic, and customer demographic, but operates at massive scale across global wholesale and DTC.
• Lululemon: Athletic apparel giant with men's performance polos and casual wear lines. Comparable to Criquet in performance fabric innovation and lifestyle/athletic crossover, though serves a broader demographic and commands much higher scale and brand awareness.

Emerging players

• Vuori: Fast-growing men's performance and lifestyle apparel brand with premium DTC positioning. Comparable to Criquet in DTC-led growth, premium price points, and performance-meets-casual product positioning, but operates at significantly larger scale following recent retail expansion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/criquetshirts
• Facebookfacebook.com/criquetshirts
• Instagraminstagram.com/criquetshirts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/criquet-shirts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Criquet Shirts