We’ve been flattered with the opportunity to review a very special product – Kuphs.  Created by Dana Knowles, Kuphs are actually knitted cuffs – perfect to bridge the gap between a too-short jacket or sweater sleeve and your hand.  Brilliant, since many jacket and clothes manufacturers just love to create sleeves that are too short.  Here are our comments:

Chris

Let’s face it, Americans love the idea of an underdog.  This idea has been incarnated into some of the founding principles of this great nation, and personified with folklore paying homage to the Bootstraps mentality. Happiness, wealth, and success are achievable by anyone willing to work hard enough to pull themselves to such heights.  From Rocky Balboa to Bill Gates, those who have risen accordingly provide the inspiration and hope to the rest of us that it can be done.

With the current recession looming, coupled with people’s anger at big corporation, big bank, and all the big corruption cases that have donned the news headlines lately, I’ve noticed a newfound appreciation for small businesses.  When one thinks of small business, it conjures images of family, sacrifice, hard work, long days, and giving back to the community.  These core principles are exactly what you’ll find from Dana Knowles, owner and creator of Kuphs.

If you check out her website, you’ll find Dana’s inspirational story.  Having struggled with an abusive relationship, being a single parent, and being homeless, she’s now committed to helping other women in similar circumstances.

Now, Dana and her story are not the product, but well worth mentioning in light of her plight.  The product she created is Kuphs…basically a chic wrist band/jacket enhancer.  How she came up with Kuphs is also a great story…on her website.  While Kuphs are ideal for those with long arms (and short armed-jackets), creative types will likely find other fun fashion uses to flaunt them.

As Kuphs don’t have moving parts, buttons to push, or other obvious uses worth posting, it’s quite difficult to say too much about the actual products.  Therefore, I’m going to focus on everything around the product that makes them so cool.  I’ve already mentioned Dana’s bootstrap story, so how about some more patriotic stuff.

Kuphs are Made in the USA.  While the yarn is from Turkey, all manufacturing is done in the US of A.  When asked if she would consider using a cheaper manufacturing option such as outsourcing to China, Dana affirms that she’s committed to the quality of each piece and has no interest in frequent trips to Asia to oversee the manufacturing quality.  With her years in the fashion & retail industries, she’s seen a huge disparity in the quality of some larger well-known brands that have outsourced their manufacturing overseas.   As such, she’s lined up a manufacturer in New York, so she can better manage the quality of her products, and more importantly, the Kuphs brand.

Definitely check out her website, order some for a friend, and keep an eye out as you’ll likely be seeing Kuphs blow up and available in department stores pretty soon.  Get some now and be ahead of the fashion curve.

Liz

I went nuts over these things when I got them.  Dana made my Kuphs special, and the even SMELLED GOOD.  I couldn’t stop sniffing them.  How did she do that?  I wore them every day, including a trip to Illinois, where I promptly lost the right or left (they’re interchangeable so it’s funny) one in the Charlotte airport.  I am mourning the loss of it, especially since they were such a pretty color and they smelled so good, but I’m going to order a new pair, because they’re under $20 and darn it, I deserve them.  I might even get two pair.

Micah

I may not be the most fashion forward but I’m lucky to have a fiancé that is. When Chris came to me and said he had some Kuphs headed my way I didn’t know what to think of the concept.  When I got them I still didn’t have a good idea but was certainly impressed but the simple yet sleek packaging…however still did not get a full grasp on the concept. It took me a little while to road test these Kuphs (I just moved halfway across the country) but when I tried them on I instantly got it. Since I was a kid I’ve always enjoyed camping and being outdoors. Along with that comes a certain type of experience. Things like losing your body temperature through your head and your extremities. That’s where Kuphs impressed me the most. Having moved from Texas to Virginia recently I’m feeling….well a little bit chilly. I threw on these Kuphs still a little wary but determined to try them out for you, the consumer.  Now keep in mind I still have my punk rock/metal/underground taste in fashion so I used these in conjunction with my air force inspired bomber jacket and had them kinda sticking out to cover my knuckles yet still covering my wrists. Here’s the lame pun…there the bomb!!!! It’s weird to think that something so small can totally alter your perception of your body temperature, I mean these things probably only sit about 5 inches vertically down your arm but I feel an easy 10 degrees warmer when I have them on.  Kudos to Dana, the creator of Kuphs. You’ve done a fine job and I would definitely recommend these for stocking stuffers or gifts in general for anyone you want to stay warm this winter.  By the way, as of press time, my fashion-forward fiance that I mentioned?  Well, she works at Nordstrom’s, and she gets requests for these all the time.  Luckily for everybody, you can also order straight from the Kuph’s website.

Tags: Arts Bill Gates Business Dana Knowles Fashion Flight jacket knitted goods Kuph Kuphs Manufacturing New York United States