There’s nothing more dismaying in life than waking up one morning, excited to go for a bike ride, only to have your plans dashed by the rain. Cleverhood, a rainwear company based in rainy Providence, Rhode Island, wants to change the relationship we have with inclement weather with a lineup of cleverly-designed ponchos, capes and jackets.
Founded in 2011 by graphic designer Susan Mocarski, Cleverhood started with a single product: a high-performance rain poncho. The idea being that if people only just had the right piece of outerwear, they wouldn’t need to resort to using their cars or even just staying home in order to stay dry. Cleverhood’s poncho, ideally, would open the world back up to people even when it rains.
And while it started with a single poncho, Cleverhood’s expansion into rain capes, wool capes, beach capes and even a rain jacket — they all embody the single idea that going outside in the elements doesn’t have to be miserable as long as you have the right piece of outerwear. Like how people find a sense of community after a snowstorm has blanketed their neighborhood, Cleverhood believes the same can be found in a rainstorm. There’s just something a little different, something that makes you want to open up to the person next to you like standing in the rain. There are few better conversation starters with a stranger than just saying something like “Wow, it is really coming down out here, isn’t it?”
By producing some unique, and smartly-designed pieces, Cleverhood want to encourage people to get outside and be a part of their neighborhood, rain or shine. A Cleverhood product will make riding around town, or a walk around the block a more pleasant experience, but hopefully it’ll help you feel more connected to your surroundings. To that end, Cleverhood sources a majority of its materials and manufacturing right here in the US — partnering with suppliers across the country, from New York to Los Angeles, Massachusetts to Georgia.
2019 will mark Cleverhood’s ninth year exhibiting at the Philly Bike Expo. So if you’re looking for someone to talk about the weather with, or more accurately, how to stay out of the weather while still being in it, stop on by their booth.