Reigning Champ
Vancouver-born premium athleisure built on proprietary fabrics, minimalist design, and obsessive construction quality.
- Founded
- 2007
- Founder
- Craig Atkinson
- Country
- Canada
- Made In
- Primarily Vancouver, Canada (CYC Design Corporation factory); some production outsourced to select factories
- Price Range
- Accessible
- Stance
- 7 / 10
- Coverage
- 10 products
Member ratings will fold into this score, coming with Loopwheel membership.
Reigning Champ was founded in 2007 by Craig Atkinson in Vancouver under the CYC Design Corporation umbrella — the same manufacturing operation behind sister brand Wings + Horns. Atkinson's background importing vintage Americana to Japan and distributing North American brands gave him a textile connoisseur's eye, and that sensibility became the brand's DNA: start at the fabric, respect the details, master simplicity. The vast majority of production runs through CYC's own Vancouver factory, keeping quality control tight. In 2021, Aritzia acquired Reigning Champ for $63 million, giving the brand broader retail reach while preserving its core identity. The label has since expanded beyond its signature fleece and terry into shirting, knitwear, and seasonal fabrications — including a linen collection for SS26 — while maintaining the understated, sport-inflected aesthetic it built its reputation on.
Founded 2007 by Craig Atkinson.
Products from Reigning Champ
Linen Venue Jacket
Reviewed Jun 2026
Lightweight Jersey Standard T-Shirt
Reviewed Jun 2026
Textured Terry Standard T-Shirt
Reviewed Jun 2026
Cotton Pique Academy Standard Polo
Reviewed Jun 2026
Midweight Terry RC33 Hoodie
Reviewed Jun 2026
Solotex Mesh RC33 Short 7"
Reviewed Jun 2026
Solotex Mesh Tiebreak Standard T-Shirt
Reviewed Jun 2026
Cotton Oxford Windsor Standard Shirt
Reviewed Jun 2026
Supima Pique Ace T-Shirt
Reviewed Jun 2026
Linen Concourse Standard Overshirt
Reviewed Jun 2026
// Within the lineup
Brand average: 6.6/10 · across 10 scored products
Best of the lineup
- Linen Venue Jacket9+2.4
Below the line
Variance vs the brand’s make-quality average. Outliers sit ≥ 1.5 points above or below the mean — the kind of spread worth knowing before you click buy.
Return policy
14-day returns for a refund to original payment method; 30-day exchanges for merchandise or store credit. Items must be unworn, unwashed, with tags attached. USA returns incur an $8 return postage fee deducted from refund. Items discounted 50% or more are final sale.
Sale cadence
- Midsummer Sale · late June: <cite index="22-2">public access starts around June 25</cite>, up to 50% off tees, sweats, shorts and seasonal basics; VIP/email early access 1-2 days prior.
- Black Friday / BFCM · late November: <cite index="12-1,12-2">up to 50% off classics, seasonal sportswear and performance favourites for a limited time</cite>; subscriber early access typically 2 days ahead of public launch.
- Boxing Week · December 26 through early January: up to 50% off, with a deeper second-markdown wave in early January on remaining stock; most items final sale.
- Archive Sale (ad-hoc): <cite index="3-1,3-2">50-70% off past season's stock, limited-edition pieces, and items discounted for the first time, available for a limited time</cite>.
- Otherwise full price: <cite index="24-2">the brand is known for knockout product but not regular discounts, making the annual midsummer sale a notable event</cite>.
Next sale (predicted)
June 25, 2026· 8/10 confidence
Is Reigning Champ Worth It?
Reigning Champ is worth it, with one caveat: you're buying it for the sweatshirts and basics, not the shorts. Across 8 reviewed pieces averaging 7.6/10, the brand consistently delivers on its core promise: proprietary fabrics, clean construction, and made-in-Vancouver manufacturing that holds up to scrutiny. The Midweight Terry RC33 Hoodie at $148 is the clearest argument for the brand. The Solotex Mesh shorts at $98 are a harder sell.
Across 8 reviewed pieces, Reigning Champ averages 7.6/10, with the Solotex Mesh Tiebreak Standard T-Shirt leading at 8.1 and the Midweight Terry RC33 Hoodie close behind at 8.0.
The man who wants premium athleisure made in North America, doesn't need a logo to justify the price, and wears hoodies and tees more than he wears suits.
The shorts category underperforms relative to price: $98 for the Solotex Mesh RC33 Short is a lot to ask when the score sits at 7.6 and competitors are closing the gap.
The make
Reigning Champ's manufacturing story is more honest than most brands at this price tier. The majority of production runs through CYC Design Corporation's own Vancouver factory, the same operation behind Wings + Horns, which means quality control isn't outsourced to a spreadsheet. The brand's proprietary fabrics, including the Solotex Mesh used in both the Tiebreak T-Shirt (8.1/10, $75) and the RC33 Short, are the real differentiator. These aren't fabrics you'll find on a shelf in a commodity mill. The Midweight Terry in the RC33 Hoodie is the best argument for the brand: at $148, the weight, the loop structure, and the construction sit comfortably above what Champion or even Everlane can put together.
The value
At $75, the Solotex Mesh Tiebreak T-Shirt is the easiest recommendation in the lineup. An 8.1 at that price is a strong result, and the Cotton Pique Academy Polo at $78 scores 7.8, which holds up against comparable options from Sunspel or Polo Ralph Lauren's better lines. The $148 hoodie is where the brand earns its reputation: that's a fair price for Canadian manufacturing and fabric development that you can actually feel. Where the math gets harder is the $98 shorts. A 7.6 at that price point requires the wearer to care specifically about the Solotex Mesh construction, because the performance-to-dollar ratio isn't self-evident.
The context
Reigning Champ was acquired by Aritzia in 2021 for $63 million, which raised reasonable questions about whether the brand would drift toward the retail mainstream. So far, the core identity has held: the Vancouver factory is still running, the fabrics are still proprietary, and the design language remains minimal to the point of near-invisibility. The brand sits in a specific lane between technical sportswear (Arc'teryx, Lululemon) and fashion-adjacent basics (Entireworld, Sunspel). If that lane is where you live, Reigning Champ is one of the better-built options in it.
Historically manufactured at parent company CYC Design Corporation's factory in Vancouver, BC, located near the Reigning Champ design office. Per Grailed's 2024 brand history, "The vast majority of Wings + Horns and Reigning Champ's production is handled at CYC's nondescript factory in Vancouver, with only an estimated ten-percent outsourced." Adidas Athletics x Reigning Champ "Made in Canada" capsule was "handcrafted at Reigning Champ's Vancouver factory from signature Canadian-made Heavyweight Terry" per the brand blog. As of 2024-2025, an increasing portion of production has shifted to Vietnam. Made in CA directory notes "As of 2025, Reigning Champ has moved manufacturing out of Canada" and that colour variants within a single style are split between Canada and Vietnam. A late-2024 customer comparison on DressedWell documented specific SKUs with both Canada and Vietnam origin labels (e.g., Midweight Terry Slim Crewneck in 'petrol' made in Vietnam, other colours made in Canada).
No third-party certifications, supplier code of conduct, or published sustainability report; Good On You rates the brand "Not Good Enough" across People and Planet. The main credible signal is operating its own Vancouver factory (via parent CYC Design Corporation), which provides more labour transparency than typical DTC peers, plus a lifetime product guarantee covering defects.
- 2007Founded by Craig Atkinsonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reigning_Champ
- 2021Acquired by Aritzia ($63M)https://investors.aritzia.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2021/Aritzia-accelerates-expansion-into-mens-with-acquisition-of-premium-athletic-wear-brand-Reigning-Champ/default.aspx
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