What goes into the price of an IRIS piece?

A note on our prices

This October, with the introduction of our new Fall/Winter collection, some of our prices will increase.

We know that nobody particularly enjoys paying more, and we don’t take the decision lightly. We’ve worked hard to absorb rising costs for as long as we could, while continuing to invest in the things that matter to us: thoughtful design, high-performance materials, women-specific fit, European production, small-batch manufacturing and the community around IRIS.

But we also know that when you’re investing in cycling kit, the price is only one part of the equation. What really matters is what you’re getting for that price and what goes into making it.

So, rather than simply telling you that our prices are changing, we wanted to revisit the bigger question:

Why does IRIS cost what it does?

Here’s a little more insight into what goes into our products, our pricing and the choices we make as a small, independent brand.

1. Design & Development

We design and develop our products ourselves because we want to have control over the things that matter: how a garment performs, how it fits and how it makes you feel when you wear it.

For us, product development isn't simply choosing a colour and putting a logo on an existing cycling garment. It starts with an idea and involves fabrics, construction, fit, sampling, testing and plenty of refinement along the way.

Being a women’s cycling brand also means designing specifically for women. Bodies are different, and cycling positions are different. Our products are developed with those differences in mind, rather than treating women's cycling apparel as a scaled-down version of men's kit.

Our development process takes place between the IRIS team and our European production partners, with feedback from our community helping to shape what comes next.

And we don't simply start again with every collection. We think about how new pieces work alongside the products that came before them so that your IRIS wardrobe can evolve rather than constantly needing to be replaced.

The result? Products designed with purpose, rather than products designed simply to fill a collection.

2. Production

This is where the biggest part of the cost of a garment sits: the materials, labour and manufacturing required to make it.

We choose to manufacture our products in Europe and work closely with our production partners. That comes at a higher cost than producing at very large scale in lower-cost manufacturing markets, but it's an important choice for us.

It allows us to work in relatively small quantities, maintain close relationships with the people making our products and have greater visibility over how and where our garments are produced.

It also means that our collections don't need to travel around the world before they reach you.

The materials themselves are a significant part of the cost too. Fabrics, zips, threads, labels, elastic, chamois and all the other components that go into a cycling garment add up, and technical fabrics and construction aren't all created equal.

We choose materials because we believe they offer the performance, comfort and durability our products need. And where possible, we design with longevity and repair in mind.

We also actively look for opportunities to reduce waste. Our Revamp Collection, for example, used leftover deadstock materials and turned them into something new rather than allowing those fabrics to go unused.

We don't overproduce simply to make the unit cost of a garment cheaper.

We'd rather make less, make it well and give you a reason to keep wearing it.

3. Company Administration

There's also everything that happens behind the scenes.

The things you don't necessarily see when you put on a jersey, but which are essential to running IRIS: our warehouse and office, insurance, accounting, website, payment and transaction fees, photography, travel to visit production partners, packaging, customer service, marketing and the people who keep everything moving.

We're a small independent business. That means we don't have the huge production volumes of a multinational cycling brand to spread these costs across thousands or hundreds of thousands of garments.

Our collections are made in relatively small quantities, which is one of the things that makes IRIS what it is, but it also means that the cost of running the business is necessarily concentrated across fewer products.

We also sell through selected retail partners. When we do, the retailer needs to have a sustainable margin too. That's an important part of building a healthy retail network and making IRIS available to more people beyond our own website and supporting cycling communities..

All of these things form part of the true cost of bringing a product from an idea to your doorstep.

4. Community & Social Impact

IRIS has always been about more than clothing.

We want to contribute to a better cycling culture. One where more women feel welcome, confident and excited to ride.

That means investing in our community through events, rides, our ambassador programme, collaborations and initiatives that connect women across different parts of cycling.

From grassroots riding to the professional peloton, we're interested in helping create a cycling culture that feels more open, inclusive and fun.

Some of this work is about direct financial support. Some of it is about giving our time, expertise and platform. And some of it is simply about creating opportunities for women to meet, ride and build their own cycling communities.

These activities aren't separate from the IRIS business. They're part of why we exist in the first place.

When you buy from IRIS, you're helping us continue to build that community.

So, how do we arrive at the price?

The easiest way to think about it is that the price of an IRIS product needs to cover much more than the cost of the fabric and the person who made it.

The retail price needs to contribute towards:

• Designing and developing the product
• Materials and manufacturing
• Logistics and packaging
• Running our website and warehouse
• Customer service
• Photography and content
• The people working behind the scenes
• Retail partnerships
• Community events and programmes
• And ultimately, the investment needed to develop the next collection

Because we're a small business producing in relatively small quantities, these costs are more concentrated across each product than they would be for a much larger brand.

That's one of the trade-offs of being small and independent.

What about the profit?

Profit can sometimes sound like a dirty word when we're talking about sustainability. We don't think it should.

A healthy business needs to make money if it is going to exist for the long term.

For IRIS, profit isn't simply money left over at the end of the year. It allows us to invest in the next collection, pay our suppliers, develop new products, manage the inevitable ups and downs of running a small business and continue building the brand without relying on external investment.

We also believe in growing responsibly.

That means not producing huge quantities simply to achieve lower unit costs. It means making considered investments and thinking about the long-term health of the business rather than chasing growth at any cost.

For us, independence matters. And independence requires a sustainable business underneath it.