What does it mean for a garment to be affordable, and by what authority do I dare to define such a thing?
As I await fabric swatches and estimates from various workshops, I find myself standing at a quiet crossroads between the Hans 100% Linen Hoodie and its more attainable counterpart, the Völk variation. I consider questions of fairness and beauty, of desire and practicality, and how to craft a garment that is both more accessible and still true to its linen heritage. I am comforted by the understanding that there are moments in life that call for the finest of fabrics, and others that welcome simpler, more modest creations. This knowledge reassures me that the Völk line will serve its own worthy purpose.
Yet I must hold steady to certain beliefs. Even while striving to make Völk more affordable, I cannot compromise on the purity of natural linen. The goal is not to yield to the quiet temptations of synthetic shortcuts. Indeed, what is affordability if it arrives stripped of integrity and essence?
I embrace a guiding principle:
Völk must simply be the more accessible extension of Hans.
This principle does not grant license to stray from the design philosophies that breathe life into our garments. Rather, it inspires a gentle, purposeful reduction. There is a subtlety to finding savings not by cutting corners but by refining essentials, by honoring the spirit of the garment even as costs diminish.
The approach seems straightforward, even elegant:
Keep the design faithful to their Hans origins, thereby preserving the soul of the piece and minimizing extraneous development costs.
Remove all that does not serve the garment’s core purpose, paring away the superfluous until only its essential form remains.
Select fabrics that speak of economy without shouting compromise, ensuring that the heart of natural linen persists unmarred.
I believe these simple shifts can reduce the garment’s costs by half or more, without relinquishing its identity. Consider the Völk 100% Linen Hoodie: it will forego the complexity of multiple layers and varied weaves, relying instead on a single linen fabric and two layers—inner and outer—nothing more.
By working with the same factories that craft the Hans line, I preserve consistency of craftsmanship and nurture the relationships that sustain our work. In this way, the making of Völk garments remains honest and transparent, their lineage unbroken.
The pursuit of affordability will never lead me down the path of producing the cheapest garments on the market. This does not trouble me, for I believe that even our humbler offerings can surpass what exists today. There is solace in knowing that, should the Hans 100% Linen Hoodie find success, we will have the means to share the Völk variation—a garment genuinely more accessible, yet still resonating with our principles—with those who seek it.
And so I wait, hopeful that we have found the balance between virtue and value, and that this harmony will ring true in the hands of those who one day wear our creations.
I impose no strict ceiling on the price of our Völk variations. Instead, I allow my younger, more frugal self to guide me, as well as those who find the Hans variant beyond their easy reach. In truth, I would gently steer the thoughtful, everyday individual toward the Völk variation over its Hans counterpart.
Yet I understand that existence grants each garment its proper hour. There is a season for the finer things—those pieces one might splurge on without regret—and there is a season for the simpler, more accessible garments that enrich one’s life without overburdening it. I create the Hans 100% Linen Hoodie because it embodies something I would cherish myself. But I am but one person, aware that many others do not share the same financial ease.
My quiet hope is that when some people find themselves ascending to a more comfortable place, when they at last seek garments of greater refinement, they might remember these creations of mine. May they look to Hans and discover that its value, once distant, is now well within their embrace.