Travel inspiration becomes travel innovation

Upon quitting his job as an assistant trader at a hedge fund in Manhattan to pursue his love of traveling in 2006, Hewlett High School alumnus Adam Rapp’s plan was to move to Amsterdam, Holland and get a job at a major bank but all that changed the following year while in China.

When Rapp, 31, ran into a team of pick-pockets in China he realized his open-pocket shorts offered him no protection against the thieves. He searched for a pair of pants that would keep his belongings safe but came up empty handed.

In 2008, Rapp, a North Woodmere resident, founded his company, Clothing Arts, and began designing Pick Pocket Proof pants, or P^cubed pants, to keep travelers safe. “Travel inspiration becomes travel innovation,” he said. “The pants allow you to select your level of security based on your surroundings. You can have an unsecured, single secured, double secured and even a triple secured pocket. It literally puts security back into the hands of the traveler and offers them the function and security of four money-belts; eliminating the hassle of digging into your shirt or pants to fish out your money or passport by storing everything at your fingertips.”

The P^cubed pants were tested by Rapp himself for six months as he traveled around the U.S., Asia and Europe before the first prototype, made by six workers in a one-room factory in Turkey, was displayed at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City in 2010. “The idea from the birth of Clothing Arts was to create clothes that will stand up to life on the road,” he said. “Beginning next month, 140 workers will be producing the pants in Bangladesh.”

The pants are coated with DuPont™ release and repel technology and are lined with Teflon® fabric protector so they are durable and repel oil and water. “On top of the quality of our construction, we offer all our unique pockets that blend into the rear of the pants so they look like a normal pair of pants until you choose to double secure the pocket,” he said. “Also, there is a triple-secure passport pocket, Smartphone pocket and several cargo pockets and an attachable utility pocket which can hold a half-liter water bottle.”

Taylor Welden, a freelance industrial designer for the blog, Carryology.com, reviewed the Pick Pocket Proof Adventure pants this past winter. “I think they’re great everyday pants, they look nice and are not overly tactical,” he said. “They would no doubt be amazing travel pants, if not, the perfect travel pants. Next time I fly overseas for a backpacking trip, these will undoubtedly be the first pants I go to.”

More than 3,000 pairs of P^cubed pants have been sold and they currently come in two styles, Adventure and Business, and are available in both shorts and pants. The Adventure-style is similar to cargo pants with big side pockets and the Business-style is more streamline with a classic straight leg.

Tim Leffel of Practical Travel Gear, a website that reviews a new and useful item each week, reviewed the Adventure-style P^cubed pants in November 2011 and the Business-style on June 7. “They’re the best ones I’ve ever seen for keeping your valuables safe in places where pick-pocketing is an issue and they’re very tough,” he said. “I find it easier to wear these than carry something extra along to keep my money safe. In my pants I had keys, a phone, an iPod, a notebook, cash, credit cards, coins, sunglasses, lip balm, a pen, and a map—with room to spare.”

When Leffel reviewed the Business-style P^cubed pants, he said, “Unlike those adventure pants, these dispense with the cargo pockets and present a cleaner, slimmer look,” he said. “I love the ruggedness of these pants though and I feel like my passport, wallet and change are super-secure.”

Rapp looks forward to the release of a third men’s pants line in time for the upcoming holiday season. “Also, our first women’s line will debut at this year’s Outdoor Retailer Summer Market [in Salt Lake City] as will our first line of men’s and women’s travel shirts,” he said. “As the number of travelers who wear our clothes grows, so will our ability to offer new and innovative ways to travel; 2013 is shaping up to be an incredible year and we can’t wait to offer our new designs to the world.”