Knickey
Subset (formerly Knickey) is a US direct-to-consumer brand selling organic cotton, PFAS-free, Fair Trade certified underwear, bras, loungewear, and socks to sustainability-minded women and men through its owned e-commerce site.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Knickey does
Subset (formerly Knickey) is a direct-to-consumer textile brand selling organic cotton intimate apparel and loungewear through its owned e-commerce storefront at wearsubset.com. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in New York, the company offers a focused assortment across four categories: women's underwear (thongs, bikinis, briefs, hipsters, boyshorts, maternity), bras (triangle, keyhole, scoop bralette, tank bralette), loungewear (tees, robes, house pants), and men's underwear (boxer brief, socks). All products are built around organic cotton construction with PFAS-free materials and are manufactured in Fair Trade certified factories. Pricing is unit-based, with underwear at $20 and bras at $62, supplemented by bundle promotions (e.g., any 2 soft bras for $115) and a 15% first-order Starter Set discount.
The company's revenue model is straightforward D2C e-commerce: individual product sales and bundles through a Shopify storefront, with free shipping on orders over $75, free returns, and carbon-neutral shipping. Customer acquisition is product-led and PR-driven, relying on earned media coverage (British Vogue, Wirecutter, Harper's Bazaar, The Cut, Refinery29, Glamour), social media presence (Instagram @wearsubset, Facebook knickeyofficial, X knickeyofficial), email capture, and an Impact.com affiliate program. The target customer is women seeking chemical-free, ethically-made intimate apparel, with a secondary segment of men seeking sustainable underwear and loungewear. The company is privately held and founder-controlled by co-founder and CEO Cayla O'Connell Davis, with no disclosed institutional funding. The operating footprint is US-only, with no retail, wholesale, or marketplace distribution at present.
Knickey firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Knickey
- Legal name
- Subset
- Website
- https://knickey.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Subset (formerly Knickey) is a US direct-to-consumer brand selling organic cotton, PFAS-free, Fair Trade certified underwear, bras, loungewear, and socks to sustainability-minded women and men through its owned e-commerce site.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Knickey industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Organic Cotton Innerwear
- NAICS
- Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (4581), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)
- SIC
- Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621), Women's, Misses', Children's & Infants' Undergarments (2340)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Intimates, Lingerie, Swimwear & Sleepwear Brands (CRAAAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Panties & Briefs (CRAAAIAB), Lingerie & Seduction (Sets, Bodysuits, Teddies) (CRAAAIAD), Intimates, Lingerie & Sleepwear Retail (CRAAABAF)
Keywords
Where Knickey is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Knickey business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of organic cotton underwear, bras, and loungewear through owned e-commerce website. Revenue generated through individual product purchases, bundled deals, and starter sets. First-order discount (15% off) and gift with purchase over $125 drive customer acquisition. Clear pricing with products ranging from $20-$62 for underwear and bras, with bundle promotions like Any 2 soft bras for $115 and Any 3 styles for $80.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual underwear and thong products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual bra products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Men's products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bundle promotions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Knickey product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Knickey (operating as Subset) designs, manufactures, and sells organic cotton intimate apparel and loungewear directly to consumers through its own e-commerce website. The product line spans women's underwear (thongs, bikinis, briefs, hipsters, boyshorts, maternity), bras (triangle, keyhole, scoop, tank), loungewear (tees, robes, socks), and men's underwear and lounge, with PFAS-free materials and Fair Trade certified manufacturing.
Product overview
Subset (Knickey) is an organic cotton innerwear company offering a unified product portfolio of essentials across four core categories: Women's Underwear (Thongs, Bikinis, Briefs, Hipsters, Boyshorts, Maternity), Bras (Triangle, Keyhole, Scoop Bralette, Tank Bralette), Lounge (Classic Tee, Boxy Tee, Essential Robe, Socks), and Men's Underwear (Boxer Brief). The offering centers on the Starter Set as the entry point for new customers, supplemented by Gift Cards. Products are sold through direct-to-consumer e-commerce with free shipping over $75 and free returns. The brand emphasizes organic cotton certification, Fair Trade manufacturing, and sustainability across all products. Key sub-brands include the Marine Collection (PFAS-free), Willow Collection, and Garnet Collection featuring coordinated colorways.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Women's Underwear
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 13,000 five-star customer reviews
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Knickey
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Knickey technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Knickey partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Fair Trade Certified FactoriescoreSubset partners with Fair Trade certified factories to manufacture all products. This partnership ensures that everyone involved in making Subset products is treated with respect and care, addressing ethical manufacturing concerns. The Fair Trade certification provides independent verification of fair wages, safe working conditions, and community development funds for workers.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Knickey competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Parade: Parade is a venture-backed DTC intimates and underwear brand targeting a similar Gen Z / Millennial consumer with colorful, sustainable basics. It is the closest direct competitor in positioning, channel mix (DTC-first), and price band ($8–$48). Comparable in scale ambition but operates with substantially larger venture funding.
- ThirdLove: ThirdLove is a DTC bra and intimates brand emphasizing comfort, inclusive sizing, and direct-to-consumer fitting. It overlaps directly with Subset's bra assortment and DTC model, though ThirdLove is significantly larger and broader in category.
- Cuup: Cuup is a DTC lingerie and intimates brand selling bras, underwear, and swimwear through its own e-commerce site. Comparable in DTC-first distribution and premium positioning, with a similar focus on minimalist, fashion-forward design.
- MeUndies: MeUndies is a DTC underwear and loungewear brand selling direct to consumer via subscription and one-time purchase. Overlaps directly with Subset on underwear, lounge, and the DTC-only channel strategy.
- TomboyX: TomboyX is a DTC intimates brand focused on gender-inclusive underwear, bras, and loungewear. Direct peer in mission-driven positioning, organic and sustainable materials emphasis, and DTC-first distribution.
- Organic Basics: Organic Basics is a sustainable DTC apparel brand selling underwear, basics, and activewear made from organic cotton and recycled fibers. Comparable on the organic cotton, ethical manufacturing, and premium-DTC underpinnings that define Subset's positioning.
- Pact: Pact is a DTC apparel brand selling organic cotton underwear, basics, and sleepwear directly to consumers. Comparable on the organic cotton, Fair Trade certified, DTC-first positioning and a similar $20–$50 price band across hero SKUs.
- Hanky Panky: Hanky Panky is a heritage intimates brand best known for signature thongs and lace-trim underwear, sold DTC and through select retailers. Overlaps with Subset's underwear assortment and premium price positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Aerie: Aerie (American Eagle) is a mass-market intimates and apparel retailer with a large assortment of bras, underwear, and loungewear at lower price points. Comparable on category but operates at scale, through physical retail and as a much larger competitive threat to premium DTC intimates brands.
- Everlane: Everlane is a DTC apparel brand built on transparency, sustainable materials, and premium basics including underwear and loungewear. Comparable on the sustainability-led premium-DTC narrative, though at a significantly larger scale and broader category footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Knickey social profiles
Digital presenceKnickey compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Knickey financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Knickey leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Knickey funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Knickey M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Knickey
What does Knickey do?
Knickey (operating as Subset) designs, manufactures, and sells organic cotton intimate apparel and loungewear directly to consumers through its own e-commerce website. The product line spans women's underwear (thongs, bikinis, briefs, hipsters, boyshorts, maternity), bras (triangle, keyhole, scoop, tank), loungewear (tees, robes, socks), and men's underwear and lounge, with PFAS-free materials and Fair Trade certified manufacturing.
Is Knickey a public or private company?
Knickey is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Knickey founded?
Knickey was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Knickey based?
Knickey is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Knickey make money?
One revenue line is on record: direct E-commerce Sales.
Who are Knickey's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Parade, ThirdLove, Cuup, MeUndies, TomboyX, Organic Basics, Pact and Hanky Panky. Broad incumbents are Aerie and Everlane.
Does Knickey have an API?
No public API is recorded for Knickey.
What industry is Knickey in?
Knickey's product category is Organic Cotton Innerwear. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAAAF, Intimates, Lingerie, Swimwear & Sleepwear Brands, with a secondary code of CRAAAIAB, Panties & Briefs. Its NAICS code is 45811 and its SIC code is 5621.