Growing up in Hong Kong, Ben Perkins lived in humidity. He regularly wore a white dress shirt for school functions, orchestra performances, and church activities. When he wasn't wearing a dress shirt, he was wearing athletic clothing. On one particularly muggy and miserable day while wearing a white shirt he thought, "Why can't I make a dress shirt out of athletic material?" And that is how the idea of &Collar was born. Except in 2008 and as a 13-year-old, the brand was Wicka-Sweat. 

A few years later after returning home to the US after living in the Philippines for two hot years, Ben decided it was time to make it happen. With that said, Wicka-Sweat needed rebranding. He reached out to the best branding team he knew: his sister and her advertising friends: Lizzi Perkins, Timmy Bates, David Shum, and Jordan Larsen. 

After breaking bread, the company &Collar was officially formed in August of 2017. From the first meeting in a living room to running the company out of several different garages, we have always kept the goal of producing affordable apparel that will not only keep you comfortable but won't break the bank.