Owned by Fonterra Farmers and part of the Farm Source brand family, 360 Clothing was established to design and manufacture specialist dairy workwear.
Fonterra farmers have played a key role in the overall development of 360. The range integrates unique design features that dairy farmers need.
The new Women's Dairy Shed range joins a complete line of rural gear designed by women, for women including: base layers, overalls, rainwear, and fleece options.
Over the past year, in the quest to build the ultimate farming workwear range for women, 360 partnered with the Dairy Women's Network to test and prototype the Women's Dairy Shed range on-farm with its members. The new range hits the shelves this month in Farm Source stores nationwide.
"Women play a big role in farming, and we have been proud to design a clothing range that caters to them from merino base-layer, mid-layer, and wet weather gear as a total system. There is simply no point having a well-made technical product that doesn't fit right - and this has been especially important with our women's range," says 360's Strategic Sourcing Quality Lead Kate Hanan-Page.
"Women are also very interested in knowing what the best combination of layers to use on-farm under different conditions and changing seasons. So, we must treat it as a total layering system for women and back it up with advice on the best way to look after their gear to extend the life and maintain the performance of the range.
"One of the messages that came through strongly in the testing process was the fit - making sure items fit correctly around the hips and bust areas, particularly in the bib over-trouser. Our new range is true to fit and we've added additional features like an adjustable internal cuff for smaller wrists - this has been a surprise game-changer. Our testers also preferred external pockets rather than the internal pockets that feature in our men's range. The feedback has been so positive with all remarking on the fit, ease of movement and lightweight feeling of the range. We can't just use a men's shape, shorten the arms and legs, and call it quits, there are so many variables to address to get it right."
When it comes to manufacturing the 360 range, Farm Source follows a comprehensive sourcing and quality control process to ensure the final product that makes it to our stores is of top quality, fit-for-purpose, and sustainable.
"Farm gear is unique, it's not just a hunting jacket in a plain olive. The gear works as hard as our farmers do. It's not just wind and rain the gear is subject to. It has to endure animal waste, be resistant to chemicals, and be used day in and day out, generally hanging up in the shed with an occasional hose down if it is lucky. We use a range of technical factories that specialise in making specific styles for us. These factories are hand-picked globally and so are the fabrics we need," Kate says.
"Sustainability is a major consideration in our farm workwear range. We source ethically made materials and audit all our factories to ensure that our products are made in a sustainable way and that the packaging and distribution networks also align with Fonterra Co-operative's group commitments."
"360 Clothing focuses on hard-wearing gear that lasts and then we support farmers with a full repair service. We are committed to maintaining optimal performance and life span for our farmers as our position on sustainability," Kate says.
"The 360 range is an affordable core workwear option but we do not compromise on the quality or performance. The actual name, 360, captures what we do - scouring the full 360 degrees of the globe to source what our farmers need to be warm, dry, comfortable and safe on the farm."
For more information on the new 360 Women's Dairy Shed range, visit 360clothing.co.nz or pop into your local Farm Source store.