The PWHL employees must be working around the clock these days.
With two weeks to go before the league’s first game, there are still plenty of questions left to be answered. Yesterday, the PWHL crossed one off the list when it announced a partnership with Line Change for its inaugural apparel and launched its online shop.
“The partnership between the PWHL and Line Change means so much more than uniting two female-focused entities,” said Amy Scheer, PWHL Senior Vice President of Business Operations in the league’s press release. “It’s not just hockey, and it’s not just apparel. It’s about a moment in time when women in sport are being recognized in a way like never before, and about creating a product – either on the ice or in clothing – that sends the message to women everywhere that they belong here.”
Line Change is a clothing brand which will be well known to Montreal Canadiens’ fans as it was created by Angela Price and Julie Petry when their husbands, Carey Price and Jeff Petry, still played with the team. Initially, it produced clothes exclusively for the Tricolore. In time, they expanded to produce lines for many NHL teams, such as Chicago, Edmonton, Pittsburgh and Boston, to name a few.
This was a partnership made in heaven for the PWHL as Line Change prides itself on the simplicity of its designs and its stylish look. According to the Line Change website, Line Change is a clothing line developed from a need for better assortment of fashionable, quality clothing for female sports fans. Furthermore, they donate a portion of the proceeds from each team’s collection to that team’s respective charity.
Line Change’s designs are never loud or over the top, which is perfect for a league that has very little in place aside from its logo and teams’ location. With a little over a week to go before Christmas, it was high time the PWHL launched its online store, and it did so simultaneously with this partnership announcement.
The shop is set-up well and intuitive. There are seven sections, one for PWHL merchandise and one for each of the original six teams. Fans can buy all types of Line Change products to rep the league or their favorite team, or they can choose replica jerseys. Unfortunately, one team’s jersey (Montreal) is unavailable right now, and there’s no indication of when it will be in stock.
Around The PWHL
As of noon yesterday, the shop was online and ready for business. While fans seemed pleased with the design of the clothes on offer, many were lamenting the lack of a larger sizing option. Each item only goes up to an XL size, meaning that not everyone will be able to rep their favorite team in style. I initially wondered if that was a decision made by Line Change but it turns out it was up to the PWHL. Line Change’s sizing chart does provide for up to 3XL. Co-founder Angela Price confirmed that Line Change offers up to 3XL in sizing, but it was up to the league to buy up to that size.
Therefore, it seems like the league decided to limit what would be offered to fans to buy. That’s a puzzling decision and one that was heavily criticized yesterday. Perhaps it opted for standard sizing for monetary reasons, but it seems to me that simple market research would have sufficed to realize that there was both a need and demand for larger sizes.
The same issue was true for the PWHPA merchandise which was on sale at the various showcases. With hoodies costing $115 dollars, people will want their purchase to fit them, and that’s not too much to ask.
The other criticism that made the rounds on social media was the fact both Montreal and Minnesota’s line offered the same long sleeve Tshirt featuring a simple “M” on the front. People want to rep their team in style yes, but they also want it to be clear which team they are repping.
Personally, what caught my eye was the pricing of the replica jerseys. When the jerseys were launched, the PWHL was quick to state these were placeholders and would be replaced once teams had both names and logos. Yet, each adult replica jersey will set you back $125, and each youth jersey will cost $115. That’s a lot to spend on jerseys which won’t be around for that long and will soon be outgrown.
If you plan to give someone PWHL or team merchandise for Christmas, be aware that it’s highly unlikely your purchases will be received before Christmas. The website states orders will be shipped in five to seven business days and adds extra time should be allowed for shipping through the holiday season.
Hopefully, adjustments will be made to fix the issues pointed I’ve pointed out. This new league needs all the support it can get and it should want everyone to be able to rep it in style.
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