Dryrobe

dryrobe was designed by British surfer Gideon Bright. The first prototype was based on an idea his mum had when he was a teenager — a huge cape made from waterproof material, a towel lining and a hood, sewn together to keep him warm changing after surfs on the cold Atlantic coast. The homemade version did the job well enough that it stayed with Bright for years — but it was standing in a freezing car park decades later, in a soggy towel robe that wasn’t cutting it, that he decided to build something properly.

Setting up in his garden shed, Bright developed a front-zip change robe combining a warm towel lining with a waterproof and windproof outer layer. The first time he wore it to the beach, two people asked where they could buy one. The brand’s breakthrough into triathlon came when a British Triathlon performance coach spotted the product, bought a handful on the spot, and the Brownlee brothers were soon wearing dryrobe on the pontoon. Between 2014 and 2016, partnerships with the ITU, US Masters Swimming and Tough Mudder followed, and dryrobe appeared on the backs of Team GB at the 2016 Rio Olympics in partnership with Adidas.

dryrobe has moved to 100% recycled fabrics throughout its range, and in 2022 achieved B Corp certification — an international recognition awarded to organisations that meet high standards of social and environmental performance. The brand now turns over just shy of £22m annually, but still makes only one thing, and still makes it in North Devon.