Marine Layer Offers Super-Soft T-Shirts and a Place to Crash
The apparel company Marine Layer is expanding its [Airbnb loft project](https://www.marinelayer.com/pages/airbnb), with plans to open a new apartment and Nashville store that aims to create a unique brand experience that pays homage to the company's beachcomber vibe and e-commerce heritage.
The California-based clothier opened its third [loft above its New Orleans](https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/24201760) store in March for $200 a night. The company also offers lofts for rent in Portland, Ore., (currently being renovated) and [Chicago ($300/night)](https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6644524). The fourth location in Nashville is scheduled to open this summer.
Mike Natenshon, co-founder of Marine Layer, said he and his partner Adam Lynch decided to offer apartments for rent above their stores as a way to sell an experience along with their super-soft T-shirts.
"It was a great way to experience the lifestyle beyond the store," said Natenshon in an interview Thursday on Cheddar.
Natenshon founded Marine Layer in 2009 as a one-man enterprise, with the mission of creating the world's softest T-shirt. He and his friend Lynch started by selling their tees out of the back of a van. Once they outgrew their '69 VW bus, they started an online-only, direct-to-consumer company e-commerce service.
Almost 10 years and two rounds of funding later, Marine Layer has set up 34 brick-and-mortar shops and raised $3.7 million, according to [Crunchbase](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/marinelayer). Natenshon said he and Lynch decided to open physical stores because they wanted to, "be wherever customers want to shop."
Marine Layer's considered approach ー e-commerce, brick-and-mortar, and AirBnB lofts ー is intended to create a unique customer experience.
"We have a human element to our brand that is very hard to replicate," said Natenshon. "Those personal touches are why we are successful in the world of Amazon."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/marine-layer-founders-share-their-secret-to-succeeding-in-the-amazon-era).
U.S. stocks closed Thursday at session lows to end the month of March, posting their worst quarter since the pandemic crash of 2020. However, March was the first positive of 2022. MJP Wealth Advisors President Brian Vendig joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Ron Carson, CEO and Founder of Carson Wealth, sits down with Cheddar's Hena Doba to share how he uses physical fitness as one of the pillars of his formula for success.
Julie Simon, the founder of Julie Simon Cakes, joined Cheddar News to discuss her transformation from media executive to confectionary artist, building her company, the inspiration behind her designs, and why so many celebrities love buying her cakes. “I'm looking to create a sense of wonder, that feeling you had when you were a child and you're watching fireworks and you just thought, 'is this the grand finale?'” she said.
Brooklyn Decker joined Cheddar News to talk about the upcoming final episode of the comedy "Grace and Frankie" on Netflix. "So many tears. I knew it would be emotional. I was not expecting the level of sadness and longing and appreciation, and it was just so intense and beautiful," she said. "And we all hugged. We all broke COVID protocol.” The actor and model also spoke of her partnership with allergy medication ZYRTEC and American Forests ReLeaf program to help plant trees.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 6, 2022, with updates on the FDA’s meeting to discuss a second COVID booster shot, more on the war in Ukraine, tornadoes on the Gulf coast, a third suspect arrested in connection to the mass shooting in California, Darwin’s lost notebooks mysteriously returned, and more.
Capitol Hill has a fox problem. And that’s not the lead-in to a joke. Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., learned firsthand Monday evening while walking to the Capitol for votes.
