LONDON – In an industry historically reliant on bulk production and wholesale distribution, British golf clothing brand Bunker Mentality is taking an alternative approach. CEO Robert Hart has introduced an on-demand, made-to-order service that promises to reduce waste, increase customer choice, and challenge the traditional retail model.
“I had never really considered the possibilities of on-demand production,” Hart tells Apparel Insider. “Like a lot of businesses, we were too focused on the old model of bulk production and wholesale distribution.”
An unfortunate leg injury in December 2023 gave him time to reflect on the business and research the broader issue of fashion waste and sustainability.
What he discovered shocked him. He says: “I was unaware of a substantial amount of information about the sustainability crisis and the role the textile industry played in that. Given my background in manufacturing, it was eye-opening.”
Before launching Bunker Mentality, Hart had spent years in large-scale manufacturing, including overseeing a transition from traditional volume production to a Just-In-Time system at a supplier to Marks & Spencer. That experience proved crucial in seeing the potential benefits of an on-demand model.
Launched in October 2024, Bunker Mentality’s Made For You (MFY) service allows customers to order golf apparel that is produced only after the order is placed.
“The customer selects their style, colour, and size on our website. The order goes directly to our factory, which then prints, cuts, sews, and ships the garment straight to the customer, all within 10 days,” Hart says.
The brand’s factory in the Far East is state-of-the-art, utilising solar power and water recycling systems. At present, Bunker Mentality’s fabrics are standard polyester sportswear, but recycled materials will be introduced from June 2025, with bamboo fabrics also under consideration.
One of the key challenges of online fashion retail is sizing and returns. Hart believes they’ve solved this too.
He says: “If a customer doesn’t like the fit, we’ll make them a new one, take back the first, and resell it through our website. We notify our customers monthly about available ‘on-the-shelf’ products for those who prefer instant availability.”
This model has helped keep returns at just 5 per cent, significantly lower than the industry average.
A keen but decidedly average golfer, I personally tested the service, ordering a custom-fit golf polo. The ordering process was pain-free, and within just over a week I received perfectly tailored top with a premium feel and impressive craftsmanship. The fit was spot on, and the absence of mass-production waste made it feel like a guilt-free purchase (if there is such a thing these days).
Golf, with its ties big name global sports brands, might not immediately be associated with sustainability concerns. But Hart believes there is a growing awareness among golfers.
He says: “Other brands boast about using recycled fabrics yet ignore the massive carbon footprint of their supply chain, namely bulk production, global freight, warehouses, sales teams driving up and down the country, excessive packaging.” Hart points out that much of this stock is eventually heavily discounted because brands overproduce without knowing what customers actually want.
Bunker Mentality’s on-demand model virtually eliminates this problem. “Compare the huge footprint of traditional mass production with a made-to-order system where the carbon footprint is barely visible,” he says.
The success of the MFY service has encouraged Hart to expand into other sports.
“We are considering Tennis Mentality, Running Mentality, Gym Mentality, Cycling Mentality, and even Padel Mentality,” he says. The upcoming launch of women’s technical golf shirts also highlights the brand’s potential in women’s sports apparel.
The initial results are encouraging. “Half of the polo shirts we sold in the final quarter of 2024 were MFY, and this was during a gift-buying period. That tells us people are willing to wait a little longer for a product that’s truly theirs,” he says.
Could on-demand ever go mainstream? In the short term, this seems unlikely. Mainstream fashion business models are inherently built on high levels of waste, a reality they can afford to sustain due to the relatively low cost of their end products. This excess is deeply embedded in their supply chains, making a large-scale shift to on-demand production a significant challenge.
However, on-demand models are already gaining traction among smaller, independent, and niche brands, where flexibility and sustainability are often key selling points.
Regulation could also be a major catalyst for change. If extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation gains momentum across the Western world, imposing penalties on overproduction, large brands may be forced to rethink their approach.
A refined on-demand model that better aligns production with real-time consumer demand, potentially leveraging website analytics and AI-driven forecasting, is certainly plausible. Shein, for instance, claims to operate on a version of this model, though the details remain somewhat opaque.
WEB: https://bunker-mentality.com
