Scottevest

Scottevest is an American clothing brand founded in 2000 by Scott Jordan. It specializes in garments designed to carry electronic devices, travel essentials and other personal belongings through integrated pockets, compartments, cable-routing channels and related utility features. The brand's best-known products are technologically oriented vests, jackets and coats, although its range has also included shirts, pants and underwear. The company originated in Chicago under the name Scott eVest. Jordan conceived the initial product as a technology-focused adaptation of a traditional fisherman's vest, responding to the practical problem of carrying several electronic devices without resorting to a bag. The brand name was changed in 2002 after a threat of legal action connected with its resemblance to IBM's lowercase “e” branding. In 2003, the company relocated its headquarters from Chicago to Ketchum, Idaho. A further trademark dispute with Scott USA in 2004 led to a settlement under which the name was concatenated as Scottevest. Scottevest primarily markets its apparel to travelers and technology users. Its garments are designed to distribute the weight of stored items across the body while retaining a relatively streamlined appearance. The company has promoted some designs as a way to carry the contents of a small personal bag or to manage airline baggage constraints, while also presenting the clothing as ordinary-looking apparel rather than overtly specialized travel equipment. The product architecture can include numerous purpose-built compartments, pockets sized for specific devices, and channels that allow headphone or charging cables to be routed through the garment. The brand has also developed products and accessories incorporating technology-oriented features. These have included garments with flexible, detachable solar panels intended to charge devices, a shirt incorporating a wearable battery for Google Glass, and more unusual items such as boxer shorts with a smartphone pocket. The company has served travelers as well as customers in military and law-enforcement roles who may need to carry multiple communications or electronic devices. Scottevest gained additional public exposure through media coverage and Scott Jordan's appearance on ABC's Shark Tank in March 2012. Jordan declined investment proposals reported as reaching up to $1 million. The company also stated that it experienced annual revenue growth in the range of 20 to 40 percent during part of its development; in December 2013, it estimated sales for that year at $10 million, with 85 percent attributed to its website. These figures are historical company estimates rather than current financial disclosures. Leadership and public relations have also been part of the brand's story. Jordan stepped down as chief executive in 2017, but resumed the CEO role in March 2019. In early 2018, comments attributed to him about the company's advertising on Fox News generated negative publicity. The comments were deleted, an apology was issued, and Scottevest publicly distanced itself from Jordan at the time, describing the remarks as inappropriate. The episode concerned the founder's public statements rather than the functionality or safety of the company's products. Scottevest remains associated with pocket-intensive functional apparel for travel, technology carrying and other mobility-focused use cases.

Scottevest began in 2000 when Scott Jordan founded the company in Chicago, Illinois. Its original name was Scott eVest, a reference to the first product concept: a technology-oriented interpretation of a fisherman's vest. Jordan's premise was that people increasingly carried phones, music players, cameras and other electronic equipment, but conventional clothing offered little practical storage. The company therefore focused on integrating device-specific pockets and compartments directly into garments. The name changed in 2002 after the company faced a threat of legal action over its similarity to IBM's lowercase “e” styling. In 2003, Scottevest moved its headquarters from Chicago to Ketchum, Idaho. The company then encountered another naming dispute in 2004, when Scott USA challenged its use of the word “Scott” on trademark grounds. The dispute was settled by joining the words into the single name Scottevest, which became the brand's established form. The business developed a distinctive approach to travel clothing. Rather than presenting the garments as visibly technical equipment, Scott Jordan described them as travel clothing that did not look like travel clothing. Jackets, coats and vests were designed with large numbers of strategically located pockets, in some cases as many as 42, for electronics, passports, cables and other personal effects. The garments were also engineered to spread the weight of loaded pockets across the body, helping preserve a relatively slim silhouette. This design proposition connected the brand to travelers attempting to reduce the need for carry-on storage or manage airline baggage restrictions. Scottevest expanded beyond outerwear into shirts, pants and less conventional products. Some items incorporated channels through which headphone or charging wires could be threaded. This feature was reportedly inspired by an incident in which Jordan's headphone cable caught on a door handle while he was running through an airport. The company also experimented with detachable flexible solar panels using CIGS photovoltaic material on a stainless-steel substrate, as well as wearable power solutions. One shirt was promoted as incorporating a battery intended to recharge Google Glass. Other products included boxer shorts with a dedicated smartphone pocket. Although travel was the principal consumer positioning, Scottevest also addressed military and law-enforcement users who may need to carry several communications devices or pieces of equipment. The company became known for combining apparel design with organizational utility rather than competing solely on conventional fashion attributes. Its products were supported by direct-to-consumer online selling, which the company identified as a major source of revenue. The brand reported strong growth during part of its development, citing annual revenue increases of approximately 20 to 40 percent. In December 2013, it estimated that sales for the year would reach $10 million, with 85 percent generated through the company website. These historical figures illustrate the importance of e-commerce to its business model but do not constitute current financial reporting. Public visibility increased in 2012 when Jordan appeared on ABC's Shark Tank. He chose not to accept investment offers reported as high as $1 million. Jordan later published Pocket Man: The Unauthorized Autobiography of a Passionate, Personal Promoter on October 30, 2014, extending the founder's personal profile alongside the brand's media presence. Leadership became a public issue in 2017 and 2018. Jordan stepped down as CEO in 2017. In late January 2018, comments posted on social media about Scottevest's advertising on Fox News led to negative coverage. The comments were removed, an apology followed, and the company characterized the remarks as impulsive and inappropriate while distancing itself from its former chief executive. In March 2019, Jordan resumed the CEO position. The episode remains the principal reputational controversy identified in the available reference material. Scottevest's core identity continues to center on multi-pocket clothing for travelers, technology users and other customers who value integrated carrying capacity.

• 2019

  Scott Jordan returns as CEO

  [1]Scottevesten.wikipedia.org

  Jordan resumed the chief executive position after stepping down in 2017.

• 2018

  Social-media controversy

  [1]Scottevesten.wikipedia.org

  Comments attributed to Jordan about Fox News advertising caused negative publicity and led to an apology and a public distancing statement from the company.

• 2017

  Scott Jordan steps down as CEO

  [1]Scottevesten.wikipedia.org

  The founder left the chief executive role, according to the available reference material.

• 2013

  Company estimates $10 million in annual sales

  [1]Scottevesten.wikipedia.org

  Scottevest estimated sales of $10 million for the year, with most sales coming through its website.

• 2012

  Shark Tank appearance

  [1]Scottevesten.wikipedia.org

  Scott Jordan appeared on ABC's Shark Tank and declined reported investment offers of up to $1 million.

• 2004

  Name consolidated as Scottevest

  [1]Scottevesten.wikipedia.org

  Following a trademark dispute with Scott USA, the brand name was concatenated into the single word Scottevest.

• 2003

  Headquarters moved to Ketchum, Idaho

  [1]Scottevesten.wikipedia.org

  Scottevest relocated its headquarters from Chicago to Ketchum, Idaho.

• 2002

  Brand name modified after IBM-related legal threat

  [1]Scottevesten.wikipedia.org

  The company changed its branding to reduce similarity to IBM's lowercase “e” presentation.

• 2000

  Company founded in Chicago

  [1]Scottevesten.wikipedia.org

  Scott Jordan founded the company as Scott eVest to develop clothing with integrated storage for electronic devices and personal items.

Functional travel and technology-carrying apparel that combines ordinary-looking clothing with extensive organized storage.

• Travel apparel · 2000

  Multi-pocket vests

  The vest is the brand's foundational product concept: a technology-oriented adaptation of the classic fisherman's vest. Scottevest vests use numerous organized compartments to hold phones, cameras, cables, passports and other personal items while distributing weight across the garment. They are designed for travelers and technology users who want substantial carrying capacity without relying entirely on a bag.

• Outerwear

  Travel jackets and coats

  Scottevest jackets and coats extend the brand's pocket-based system into full outerwear. Depending on the design, they can include many compartments for electronic devices and travel necessities, with construction intended to spread the load and avoid an excessively bulky appearance. The garments are positioned as everyday-looking clothing rather than overtly technical travel gear.

• Technology-enabled apparel

  Cable-management garments

  Some Scottevest garments include internal channels that let users route headphone or charging wires through the clothing. The feature addresses the practical inconvenience and snagging risk associated with carrying wired electronic devices. It reflects the company's broader practice of incorporating small utility systems directly into apparel.

• Technology-enabled apparel

  Solar-panel garments

  The company experimented with detachable flexible solar panels intended to provide charging power for personal electronics. The panels were described as using CIGS photovoltaic material on a stainless-steel substrate. This line represents Scottevest's effort to combine wearable storage with energy-generation or charging functionality.

• Technology-enabled apparel

  Google Glass charging shirt

  Scottevest offered a shirt incorporating a wearable battery intended to recharge Google Glass. The product extended the brand's device-carrying proposition from storage into portable power management for emerging wearable technology.

• Functional underwear

  Pocketed boxer shorts

  Among the brand's more unusual products were boxer shorts with a pocket sized for a smartphone. The item applied Scottevest's central storage concept to a category not normally associated with integrated device carrying.

• 2018

  Fox News advertising comments controversy

  In late January 2018, social-media comments attributed to Scott Jordan criticized the audience of Fox News while discussing the company's advertising there. The comments received negative media attention, were deleted, and were followed by an apology. Scottevest said the remarks were impulsive and inappropriate and publicly distanced itself from Jordan, who was no longer CEO at that time.

  Source

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• 2018

  Publicly distance the company from former CEO's commentsStrategy

  Background

  Social-media comments by Scott Jordan about Fox News advertising generated negative coverage while Jordan was no longer serving as CEO.

  Action taken

  The comments and accounts were removed, an apology was issued, and Scottevest described the remarks as inappropriate while distancing itself from Jordan.

  Aftermath

  Jordan returned as CEO in 2019, but the incident remained the company's principal documented reputational controversy.

  Source

• 2012

  Decline Shark Tank investment offersOther

  Background

  Scott Jordan represented the company on ABC's Shark Tank and received investment proposals reported as reaching up to $1 million.

  Action taken

  Jordan chose not to accept an offer.

  Aftermath

  The appearance increased public exposure for the brand without bringing in the proposed television investment.

  Reported investment offers. $1 million (2012)

  Source

• 2004

  Concatenate Scott eVest as ScottevestStrategy

  Background

  Scott USA challenged the company's use of the word “Scott” in a trademark dispute.

  Action taken

  The dispute was settled by joining the two elements of the brand name into the single word Scottevest.

  Aftermath

  Scottevest became the brand's established name.

  Source

• 2002

  Change the brand name to reduce IBM similarityStrategy

  Background

  The original Scott eVest styling was considered too similar to IBM's lowercase “e” branding after a legal threat.

  Action taken

  The company modified its name and visual presentation to reduce the resemblance.

  Aftermath

  The brand later underwent another naming adjustment and ultimately adopted the concatenated Scottevest form.

  Source

1. 1Scottevesten.wikipedia.org