June 26, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Willy California Wants Men to Rethink Their Closet

Local clothing line reimagines athleisure

By Toi Creel

With ranges in styles for men’s clothing from suits and professional clothing to full-on workout clothes and athletic gear, it can be hard to find a middle ground. That was the idea when the founders of Willy California, Charles Nelson and Jeff Sockwell, put together a clothing line.

“We started Willy to keep the modern guy on the go looking good and feeling comfortable all day long. The world is moving faster and the line between work and play is becoming more blurred every day. We recognize this trend and realize that men need a wardrobe that prioritizes versatility and comfort,” Nelson said.

Juggling work meetings, kids’ soccer teams and a desire to be both professional and comfortable they founded Willy.

“We recognized a need for clothes that could go from the gym to the office and then to coach our kids’ soccer games. We set out on a mission to create simple, stylish and comfortable clothes that say ‘well put together’ without a huge price tag,” Sockwell said. 

Willy California founders Charles Nelson and Jeff Sockwell

The company itself combines the best of both worlds. It’s an athleisure brand at first glance but seeks to bridge the divide between workout clothes and everyday wear providing a comfortable middle ground of pants and tops that can be paired in multiple ways creating a fully functioning closet.

“We saw an opportunity to create a brand that guys could trust from the early morning workout to the board meeting at noon to dinner at night. We make simple clothes with incredible attention to detail and a focus on comfort for the whole day. We believe that guys aren’t looking for complicated features and flashy logos – they want simple, stylish clothes that feel great and perform when they need to,” Nelson said.

The anti-microbial and moisture-wicking performance fabrics have the comfort of stretch clothing like their athletic polos and standard tees. For those who want to dress it up for more formal occasions, the nicer tee and polos still give off relaxed vibes but take the fit and clothing up a notch for more formal settings.

So what gives Nelson and Sockwell a better understanding of athleisure? They both don’t come from traditional clothing design backgrounds.

“We met at the University of Virginia. You can probably guess what we dressed like. From there, we both got into investment banking. We’re sure you know that uniform, too,” Sockwell said

Even though their paths went in different directions, the founders both ended up in Los Angeles and they came together to combine their love for clothes.

“It took us three years of development to create our core collection. All our gear is based on extensive research, rigorous testing and obsessive attention to detail. We choose our materials based on performance and feel, sourcing textiles from a handful of mills we trust,” said Nelson.

While the founders were thinking about comfort, they also recognize the impact of the business. The idea for Willy was created in Los Angeles, but the clothes are also made here providing jobs—something very important to the founders.

“Local manufacturing is very important for our country – possibly, now more than ever.  But it’s not easy to execute and we have lived through its ups and downs over the last two years. You don’t have to go to Asia or South America to make great, high-quality clothes but you do need to select manufacturing partners carefully and invest in those relationships. In addition to being the right thing for the country, local manufacturing allows Willy to be obsessively focused on every detail. The fact that our warehouse is a few miles from our factory gives us the ability to stop by regularly for quality control checks,” Sockwell said.

While most businesses have faced obstacles from the impacts of COVID-19 and even been forced to close, Willy California has experienced the opposite citing local production as a key factor in their maintaining of customers.

“Suddenly, the typical busy guy is trapped in his house, focused on working out and transitioning his wardrobe to more relaxed, casual clothes for the whole day. Additionally, the fact that all of our factories are local has been key. We never slowed down our order fulfillment and we were able to work closely with our factories to ensure everyone was staying safe in this new environment,” Nelson said.

For more information, visit WillyCalifornia.com.

Related Posts

Santa Monica Police Arrest Shooting Suspect After Officer Ambushed Near Downtown Mall

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Man Linked to Waymo Vehicle Gunfire Taken Into Custody Following Tense Manhunt The suspect wanted in connection with a shooting...

Michelin Stars Shine Bright on LA: Somni West Hollywood and Providence Earn Top Honors

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Two Restaurants in Los Angeles Receive Three Stars as Michelin Guide Celebrates Bold Flavors The MICHELIN Guide California 2025 celebrated...

Cherished Culver City Ice Cream Vendor Abducted in Broad Daylight

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano’s Disappearance Led To Grassroots Action Ambrocio Lozano, also known in the neighborhood as Enrique, was abducted around...

Culver City Leaders Address Youth Safety Crisis After Teen’s Death, Gunfire at Vigil

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Leaders Respond Following Tragedy and Shooting at School Vigil Culver City officials convened a press conference Wednesday morning to confront...

Brentwood Home by Landry Design Group Wins Top National Architecture Award

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Landry Design Group Wins Gold Nugget Awards for Brentwood, Crestwood Projects Landry Design Group (LDG) earned two top honors at...

(Video) WISE & Healthy Aging Helps Loved Ones Boost Their Quality of Life

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs Advance the Dignity of Life for Older Adults See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs...

Masked Federal Agents Detain Iranian Asylum Seeker and Wife in Westwood

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

31-Year-Old Woman was Hospitalized After Possible Medical Emergency On Tuesday, June 24, between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., near the...

Culver City Pride Rolls In with Sunset Ride and Rally June 28

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Celebrate With a 6-Mile Pride Ride and Free Block Party Culver City will mark its fifth annual Pride celebration on...

Los Angeles Leaders Push to Ban Masks for Federal Agents Amid Immigration Raids

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Concerns Grow Over Anonymous ICE and CBP Officers in Los Angeles   A growing coalition of California lawmakers and local leaders...

Squatter-Plagued Beverly Grove Buildings Could Be Razed After Hazard Cleanup

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Demolition of Three Abandoned Apartments May Begin in Two Weeks Three abandoned apartment buildings in Beverly Grove may soon be...

From Westwood to DTLA, Angelenos March Against Military Escalation in Iran

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Protestors Rally at the Westwood Federal Building This Weekend Following President Donald Trump’s authorization of airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear-related...

Overnight Traffic Stops in Culver City Lead to Felony Arrests, DUI Bust

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Culver City Police Nab Suspects Wanted for Burglary and Identity Theft Culver City police officers arrested three individuals in separate...

LAPD Sergeant Killed Assisting Crash Victims on 405 Freeway in Brentwood

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Tragic Early-Morning Collision Claims Two Lives, Including Veteran Sergeant Two people, including an LAPD sergeant, were killed early Monday in...

Recent Homebuyer Down Payments Slip for First Time in Nearly Two Years

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

April’s Median Down Payment Fell as Buyers Lean Toward Lower-Cost Homes The median down payment made by U.S. homebuyers dropped...

Del Rey Affordable Housing Project to Rise on Former Charter School Site

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Community Corp., Local Faith Group Team Up to Build 122 New Apartments Plans are moving forward for a new residential...