OutsideIn

What OutsideIn does

OutsideIn (legally We Are Outside In Limited) is a Belfast, Northern Ireland-based direct-to-consumer clothing brand founded in 2016 by David Johnston. The company designs and sells outdoor-inspired apparel and accessories — including fleeces, outerwear, hoodies, t-shirts, headwear, socks, crossbody bags, and kids headwear — through a Shopify e-commerce storefront (weareoi.com) and a single physical outlet at the Boulevard in Banbridge, with seasonal festival and pop-up presence across the UK and Ireland. All products are manufactured through SMETA-audited factory partners, and the catalog spans a £6.50 to £95 price range with unit-based pricing and free UK delivery over £70.

The brand is unified by a 'Wear One, Share One' one-for-one giving model: every customer purchase triggers donation of a brand-new, specially designed 'Giving Item' (such as thermal beanies, thick socks, or underwear that cannot be second-hand donated) to people experiencing homelessness, distributed through a network of 40+ charitable Giving Partners globally. The company has donated 239,000+ items since 2016 (as of April 2026), with on-product 'Tag of Hope' messaging and a feedback loop from partners informing Giving Item design.

OutsideIn is a privately held, founder-owned company with 16 employees, no disclosed institutional funding or outside investors, and a UK and Ireland primary market focus. Revenue is generated entirely through direct product sales (one-time purchases) plus dead-stock and sample clearance via Thrift Store pop-ups at the Boulevard location; the company does not operate subscription, licensing, or wholesale channels.

Name

OutsideIn

Legal name

We Are Outside In Limited

Website

https://weareoi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OutsideIn is a Belfast-based direct-to-consumer clothing brand selling outdoor apparel and accessories through Shopify and one outlet store, unified by a one-for-one model that donates essential clothing to people experiencing homelessness via 40+ global Giving Partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Apparel

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (4581)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor Clothing & Footwear Retail (Camping/Hiking/Climbing) (CRAMAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Backpacks, Bags & Load-Carriage Retail (CRAMAMAI), Backpacks & Travel Bags (CRAAAJAB)

Keywords

• Outdoor apparel
• Purpose-driven clothing
• Ethical fashion brand
• Donation-based retail
• Fleece jackets

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: OutsideIn generates revenue through direct sales of apparel and accessories via its e-commerce website and physical retail store. Every purchase triggers a donation of essential clothing items to someone experiencing homelessness through the Wear One, Share One model.
2. Thrift Store Pop-Up Sales: Dead-stock, damaged items and sample products that cannot be listed on the main store are sold through OutsideIn Thrift Store pop-ups at their Boulevard location. Proceeds help cover delivery and distribution costs for Giving Items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OutsideIn designs, sources and sells outdoor-inspired apparel and accessories (fleeces, jackets, hoodies, t-shirts, cargo pants, headwear, socks, bags) through its own Shopify e-commerce site and one physical outlet store in Banbridge, Northern Ireland. Every purchase triggers the donation of a brand-new essential clothing item to a person experiencing homelessness through its 'Wear One, Share One' model and a network of 40+ charitable giving partners. Pricing is unit-based per SKU in GBP for the UK and EUR for the Republic of Ireland, with free delivery above defined thresholds.

Product overview

OutsideIn is a purpose-driven clothing brand offering a unified portfolio of apparel and accessories unified by the 'Wear One, Share One' social impact model. The core product lines include: Fleeces (Essential Quarter Zip, Wave, Signature Pocket, Band, Borg, and Gilets), Outerwear (Shower Jackets, Festival Jackets, Puffer Jackets, Coach Jackets), Hoodies & Sweatshirts, T-Shirts, Bottoms (Cargo Pants), Headwear (Dad Caps, Beanies, Pom-Pom Hats), Kids Headwear, Socks (Vintage, Cloud Dancer, Abstract), and Crossbody Bags. The brand also offers Gift Cards and operates a physical Boulevard Outlet Store. All products follow oversized unisex fit sizing (Men's XXS-XXXL) and are manufactured with ethical SMETA-audited factory partners. The product ecosystem is unified by the social mission: every purchase triggers a donation of essential clothing to someone experiencing homelessness, with specific 'Giving Products' matched to each purchase category (e.g., Fleeces donate underwear, T-Shirts donate socks, Beanies donate thermal beanies).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Oi: Shortened brand name used for product branding (e.g., Oi embroidery on products, 'Oi Fam' community reference).

Quantifiable outcome

• 239,000+ Giving Items donated since 2016
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Liverpool Homeless OutreachcoreOthersCharitable partner distributing donated items to residents at DJK Recovery House who have recently come out of homelessness and/or addiction. Receives Oi Hats and other essential clothing items to support their recovery community.
• Soup Kitchen LondoncoreOthersLondon-based charitable organisation receiving donations of essential clothing items and fundraising support from OutsideIn. Distributes items to guests experiencing homelessness, particularly warm clothing for winter survival when sleeping rough.
• Giving Partners NetworkcoreOthersOver 40 organisations globally partnered with OutsideIn to distribute donated clothing items to people experiencing homelessness. These partners provide critical feedback which informs the designs, quantities, and types of items needed to meet the greatest needs of those experiencing homelessness. Partners include various homeless charities, shelters, and outreach organisations across the UK and beyond.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cotopaxi: Mission-driven outdoor apparel and gear brand (Questival, 'Gear for Good') selling fleeces, jackets, and accessories with a purpose-led positioning that closely parallels OutsideIn's outdoor-aesthetic plus social impact combination.
• Lucy & Yak: UK-founded ethical apparel brand (dungarees, fleeces, outerwear) sold DTC and through festivals/pop-ups with a strong values-driven brand identity — comparable in channel mix (DTC + events), price points, and UK ethical-apparel positioning.
• Boody: Eco-friendly essentials apparel brand (basics, underwear, socks) sold DTC with a strong sustainability story. Comparable on the 'everyday essentials with purpose' angle that overlaps with OutsideIn's Giving Items focus.
• United By Blue: Apparel and accessories brand that removes a pound of plastic from oceans/w waterways for every product sold. Same mission-mechanic (purchase triggers tangible impact) targeting outdoor-lifestyle consumers with apparel and bags.
• TOMS: One-for-one footwear and apparel brand whose original model (one pair purchased = one pair donated) is the archetypal comparison for OutsideIn's 'Wear One, Share One' giving mechanic, even though TOMS has since broadened its giving approach.
• Finisterre: UK-based sustainable outdoor and coastal apparel brand selling fleeces, jackets, and accessories with strong ethical/sustainability credentials — directly comparable product mix and target customer to OutsideIn's outdoor-inspired NI heritage positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Patagonia: Largest and most established mission-led outdoor apparel incumbent. Sells fleeces, fleeces, jackets, and accessories with deep environmental/activism credentials; broader assortment and global scale dwarf OutsideIn but represent the category leader OutsideIn aspires toward.
• Regatta: Large UK outdoor and casualwear brand offering fleeces, jackets, and accessories across a wide price range through DTC and wholesale. Comparable product portfolio at a much larger scale, representing the value-oriented incumbent against which OutsideIn's premium positioning must differentiate.

Regional players

• Saltrock: UK heritage surf/outdoor casualwear brand selling fleeces, hoodies, jackets and accessories through owned retail and concessions. Comparable product mix and UK casual-outdoor positioning; serves as a regional incumbent in the same shelf-space as OutsideIn.

Emerging players

• Tough Cookie Apparel: Small UK social-impact streetwear/outerwear brand with a charitable giving component and comparable price-point outdoor casual apparel — directly comparable as a small-scale UK mission-driven outerwear brand.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/weare_oi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCH4pWbUA_wOg0CNmS_6huyw
• Instagraminstagram.com/weare_oi
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/weare_oi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weareoi

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 OutsideIn