5'9'' by Design
Story by Olivia Rigney
Clothing brand Five Nine Collective hand-sews inclusivity.
Megan Wisvari poses in Five Nine Collective Clothing
Photo provided by Trevor Johnson
After graduating from Ohio University in May of 2022, Trevor Johnson did not foresee a typical office job in his future. Taking a risk, he fully committed to the Five Nine Collective, the company he started, which is an athletic clothing brand that focuses on mid-thigh shorts, primarily for men who are 5 feet and 9 inches tall and under.
“I really don’t want to have an office job, so let’s just do the shorts thing,” Trevor says. “I didn’t know anything about manufacturing, but my grandma has a sewing machine and that’s how it all started up. I taught myself how to do it all.”
After being displeased with a popular shorts brand in 2020, Trevor decided to take his idea and run with it. The Five Nine Collective has been about men’s shorts from the very beginning. The very first products to date were merely scraps of material Trevor would use to practice putting materials together.
“When I first started, the very first pair were Pittsburgh Steelers fabric I found at Joann Fabrics,” Trevor says. “Then I started doing customs for people once I got a little bit better.”
The brand’s online store started dropping shorts for sale in the summer of 2021 and has not stopped since. Using social media to his advantage, Trevor has been able to expand the company’s connections.
“All fall [of 2021], it was just me doing stuff for my friends and family,” Trevor says. “And then I made an Instagram and found a fabric distributor in Los Angeles to get the mesh and fleece material for the sweat shorts.”
Finding potential manufacturers is a very intricate process, according to Trevor. After developing a presence on Instagram, the next step for the Five Nine Collective became locking down a reliable and high-quality sample.
“From May until July, I was getting nothing but terrible samples,” Trevor says. “Then I posted a video and [a company] hit me up and he’s like, ‘hey man, I do private manufacturing. And I have an open spot for a client.’ So, I talked with him [to] get the sample made and this is the best sample I’ve ever had.”
After seeing an encouraging video on TikTok, Trevor decided to increase the Five Nine Collective’s online presence to gain more attention.
“I started putting out 10 videos a day,” Trevor says. “Some of it was shorts content. Some of it was whatever came to mind. It just started rapidly growing and then I remember one week … I sold out of all my fabric. Then I just continued posting more and more and now we’re here where I have to manufacture.”
Family has been a motivating factor for Trevor. Trevor’s younger brother and a junior studying exercise physiology at OU, Tanner Johnson, has been a supporter of the brand since day one.
“I kind of thought it was cool because I knew I understood where he was coming from,” Tanner says. “His original idea saying there’s no short shorts for short guys, and being five nine myself, I agree with that.”
Trevor’s inspiration for his clothing brand started with wanting to provide options for men who are not as represented in traditional fashion.
“The more you look into fashion, the models are definitely taller,” Trevor says. “The way some size-carts expand, I feel like they’re not made for the average person. Pants [are] the hardest thing to find. Getting a good pair of pants sucks because my size is either non-existent or sold-out. That’s definitely something I want to pursue in the future, to help with that issue”
Clothing by Five Nine Collective.
Photo provided by Trevor Johnson
Shopping as a masculine-presenting person can be especially challenging when not only looking for new brands and stores, but also specific cuts. While runway fashion requires all models to be over an average height, finding everyday clothes that are functional and flattering is a skill that can be obtained with some steps.
Love Your Tailor, a professional tailoring service, has outlined steps for masculine-presenting individuals to get clothes fitted to match their height:
1. Wear clothes that give off a slimmer figure to elongate the entire look. If this style is preferred, it is recommended to stay away from baggy clothes and opt for something that fits the shoulders.
2. Find the perfect length of pant. Instead of cuffing pants, tailor pants to lie just above the shoelaces.
3. Accessorize to bring together an outfit. Keep this in mind when choosing accessories that complement other pieces of the outfit.
The trial-and-error process of finding what looks good differs from person to person. Tanner has had similar experiences when shopping.
“It’s not bad considering five nine is an average height, so there’s some things geared toward us,” Tanner says. “But at the same time, if there’s a pair of shorts or whatnot and you’re really liking them, but they just don’t get that one spot you like on your thigh, then you can’t really buy them.”
In a society catered towards tall individuals, there are still ways to feel confident that go against the beauty and body standards. Trevor is hopeful for the future of the Five Nine Collective and being able to provide items that cannot be found at other bigger companies.
“Long term goals are to be one of the biggest in the industry focusing on good short shorts in general,” Trevor says. “But I’d like to just get in the basics. So essentially, have my own cut of T-shirt, cut of hoodie, cut of sweatpants and be a truly original brand. I always want to keep it and be a good place for people to come and get essential items.”