Who We Are

Society seems fairly willing these days to talk about the terrible problem of sexism, trauma, and entrenched discrimination, but are things getting any better?

Many advocates are quick to point out that gender biases aren't just "a women's issue." It's important that men step up and own the problem, and acknowledge complicity. It's hard enough to "call out your mates," and even harder to notice problems in yourself. Toxic masculinity also impacts relationships between men as well

Nobody believes he is toxic. People who demonstrate "toxic masculinity" are always others. It's very hard to even reach the threshold of self-awareness to recognise this is oneself anyway, because it's not clear where the line between "toxic" masculinity and just "regular" masculinity might lie. Is masculinity itself toxic? That doesn't feel very empowering.

But, change needs to come from a place of empowerment. We thought that a new frame could be needed. We're calling it "non-toxic" masculinity. It sounds blunt and clear because it needs to be. It's the obvious opposite of toxic, without trying to be euphemistic. Self-diagnosis is inherently difficult, biased, and goes against people's natural instinct for self-preservation, which is to chase things that feel good rather than those that make you feel bad. Therefore, it's much easier to aspire to specific behaviours that are non-toxic, rather than avoid ones which are toxic.

But, while we think non-toxic masculinity is easier to aspire to, it's important that it's still a pluralistic exercise. We aren't in this to provide a definition or to list 'approved' behaviours. It's more important for us to grow organically what the concept might mean to a diverse range of people, and use those stories to build a sense of aspiration and definition without fences.

So, how to make a product that will enable this storytelling to happen, while also embodying the values in all aspects of manufacture, design, and service? For Everett Co, an aspiration personally as business owners meant absolute commitment to ethical production and low environmental impact, while also using the brand to enable men to espouse alignment with the values in an understated way. We decided on swimwear to design something that felt inherently vulnerable - and perhaps new to a lot of people who haven't engaged with the style before - but doing so in an elegant and subtle way. We then set out to make the most thoughtful and sustainable swimwear (for men) in the world.

The Everett Co company was founded in August 2020 (yes, a mid-COVID project) by Jacob and Sam. Everett is Sam's paternal grandmother's family name. The original Everett & Co. was a grocery business founded in 1839 on Hindley St in Adelaide, South Australia, by Sam's great great great grandfather Charles Everett. The dream is to one day open a flagship store at that same address.

It has taken six years to perfect the design, quality, and sourcing. Every single tiny aspect from the life-cycle of each stitch of thread to the impact of our care labels has been considered in minute detail. We also decided to start out by taking a more sustainable approach to manufacturing, so we are launching with batched delivery only. This means we'll place periodic larger orders (initially, at the end of each month), and all the pre-orders during that month will be sent off in one go. It massively reduces waste, and also increases the efficiency of our production, which means we can afford to donate more back to the community.