CityZen - Czech startup offers quality t-shirts

Before the innovative Czech startup CityZen with sustainable clothes for everyday wear got off the ground, 3 friends from Chrudim had to go a long way. Today, it mainly offers high-quality and at the same time elegant clothes. Above all, t-shirts that are breathable, mask sweat and reduce odours. Their offer also includes company T-shirts with their own printing or embroidery. CityZen brand clothing is now heading to the Rigad offer as well!

A long way to CityZen

The story of the CityZen company officially began to be written in September 2018. However, the idea of a company with high-quality and sustainable clothing had been germinating in the head of René Němeček, one of the founders, for two decades. Over time, he set himself the goal of bringing clothing to the market that would not fall into the category of fast fashion, that is, the infamous consumer fashion trend. He also wanted it to be comfortable, functional and good looking.

René Němeček, who today is in charge of production and innovation at CityZen, graduated from the textile faculty in the mid-1990s. Even back then, he was thinking about how to make a t-shirt that could offer features that ordinary t-shirts don't have. However, he did not share his idea with his friends Pavel Hrstka (current executive director) and Martin Burkoň (current financial director) until more than 20 years later.

CityZen t-shirts are breathable, sweat-wicking and quick-drying. But that's just where their benefits begin.

The first steps of a startup

As we already wrote at the beginning, CityZen as a startup was established in September 2018. The first order on the e-shop came approximately 3 months later, before Christmas. After that point, it went fast. In January 2019, the CityZen range was expanded to include functional polo shirts that look elegant and stand up even as an element of smart casual style. Thanks to their functionality, you can also wear them outdoors without any worries.

In May 2019, CityZen won the Startup of the Year title in the T-Mobile Rozjezdy competition. Thanks to this, the company opened up wide marketing possibilities and could start other projects and developments. In the summer of 2019, the warehouses were practically sold out. At that point, CityZen's founders became concerned that they would annoy customers with long wait times. However, by October, the flow of stock was "caught up". In addition, orders began to be packaged in new packaging made of recycled paper, which, like the t-shirts, was very well designed.

Development continues

In November 2019, women's t-shirts appeared in the range, and thanks to them, CityZen's first major Christmas season was a real success. At the beginning of 2020, the manufacturer launched its own e-shop in Slovakia. The beginning of the pandemic brought not only problems, but also opportunities – the manufacturer brought its own masks with antibacterial treatment to the market. The successes of 2020 include the audience award in the Creative Business Cup startup competition or the great response after a report on the Gejzír program on Czech TV. But also moving to larger premises or the creation of a German mutation of the e-shop at the end of the year.

In 2021, CityZen registered two trademarks and expanded its range to include invisible undershirts, men's boxers, long-sleeve shirts, shirts, children's shirts, women's ¾-sleeve shirts and Plus Size shirts. The selection of color options has also expanded.

However, along with the product range, the number of employees, who now number in the dozens, has also gradually increased. This also testifies to the success of the concept, which is appreciated by urban and outdoor-oriented types of customers. CityZen clothing can satisfy both groups. The founders of CityZen are constantly convinced of this not only thanks to the growing popularity of their products, but also by achieving partial successes in the form of various awards (including multiple ShopRoku [Shop of the Year] awards at Heureka or the Entrepreneur of the Year award for CEO Pavel Hrstka).

You won't see sweat on them

CityZen clothing can be said with a clear conscience to be functional. The material is pleasantly breathable, wicks moisture away from the body well and dries quickly. You can use the T-shirts comfortably during any more intense physical activities, including an outdoor hike or exercise in the gym. However, you can also take them to the city, where you will appreciate their excellent and timeless design. But they also have other important functions, which include, for example, high resistance to dirt, antibacterial properties that prevent the formation of odours, and above all, the fact that even after wearing them for a long time, you will not see traces of sweat.

All these features are due to a unique technology called CityZen, which the company of the same name protects like an eye in its head. The technology is unique not only on a local but also on a global scale. The interesting thing is that CityZen t-shirts have no membrane and are made of premium cotton, which is not quite common among the competition.

Local production from the first thread

The premium cotton from which all CityZen t-shirts are made comes from Greece, the United States and Egypt. Before arriving in the Czech Republic, the cotton is not modified in any way - it is a spun cotton yarn, and CityZen only produces the first thread in our territory. The knitted fabric produced here is subsequently dyed in the most gentle way available in the textile industry today.

For its t-shirts, CityZen uses Single Jersey knitwear, which is pleasant to the touch and to wear, and above all, it is airy. In addition, the dyeing technology uses much less water than is common in this market segment, so nature-friendliness and sustainability are not just empty marketing terms here. About 100 liters of water are normally used for one kilogram of material, but with CityZen it is only about 20 to 40 liters. In addition, the entire dyeing process is shortened by a third compared to conventional ones.

Each stage of production is followed by quality control, where various factors are evaluated. In the case of dyeing, it is, for example, colorfastness when washing or when sweating. The material approved for the next stages of production must meet the ecological textile standards Oeko-Tex Standard 100.

All production of CityZen clothing takes place in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Professional cutting and sewing

The final stage of CityZen t-shirt production is cutting and sewing. And while the cutting is done by CNC cutters operated by professionals, the actual sewing of the T-shirts is already the manual work of skilled and experienced seamstresses. Without them, the quality CityZen t-shirts simply wouldn't exist. And at the very end comes the final phase of quality control. In addition to the Czech Republic, CityZen t-shirts are also sewn in Slovakia, but nowhere else.

T-shirts with many benefits

We have already mentioned a few advantages of CityZen t-shirts above, so let's summarize them in points and add another:

• no traces of sweat are visible on the t-shirt during intense physical activity even in high heat,
  

• thanks to the special CityZen treatment, the t-shirts resist dirt,
  

• the quick-drying CityZen treatment prevents the growth of bacteria and odours,
  

• CityZen always uses the best cotton available on the market,
  

• t-shirts are pleasant to the touch,
  

• they absorb sweat well,
  

• they dry quickly,
  

• are produced in the Czech Republic and Slovakia,

• they are 100% recyclable and use sustainable production processes.
  

Custom design

In addition to the t-shirts and polo shirts on offer, CityZen can also prepare a tailor-made offer, i.e. with an own print or embroidery. The quality printing used by CityZen lasts a really long time. Embroidery looks elegant especially on polo shirts, on the other hand, the print is especially suitable for CityZen t-shirts. Customized offers are handled by the CityZen sales department with each customer individually.