Pacsun Enters its Grown-Up Phase with Field of Study

A mall chain once known for carrying Quiksilver and Volcom hoodies has upped its menswear gamesmanship with the launch of Feld of Study by Pacsun. 

The collection retails for $25 to $150. Pieces include a jacket, half-zip sweater, crewneck sweater, trouser shorts, camp shirts and basic T-shirts. 

The line is a higher price point than what’s typically sold at Pacsun and is aimed at a slightly older consumer. Field of Study is meant to continue the chain’s earlier successes with other elevated offerings, such as Fear of God Essentials and collaboration with The Met. 

“Field of Study reflects a new era of maturity among our community, while still nodding to Pacsun’s relaxed, creative energy,” said Chief Merchandising Officer Richard Cox. 

The CMO said Field of Study offers consumers investment pieces that last longer and “grow with them.” 

Distribution is through Pacsun’s online shop, in addition to 25 of its stores. 

Pacsun Assortment Evolution

In some ways, Field of Study is a bid to continue the momentum around menswear’s intersection with streetwear in its highly successful partnership with Fear of God Essentials. 

The label filled a need for the retailer that was several years in the making for a mall chain that had at one time been the home of mostly surf, skate, moto and some streetwear labels. 

That merchandise assortment evolved over the years as Pacsun hedged against the action sports industry contraction by tuning into more fashion trends on the women’s side of its business. It also grew its company-owned brand assortment as further security against the ebbs and flows of third-party brands. 

With Essentials, Pacsun established itself in the elevated streetwear space with coveted drops. Field of Study builds on that in a bid to further expand the consumer base. 

Change Across Multiple Regimes

The retailer’s marketing continues to place the Pacsun brand in front of consumers with recent dollars spent at Governors Ball to sell an exclusive capsule, a roadside stand to sell merchandise for Neon Carnival attendees and a partnership with Selena Gomez’s Rare Impact Fund on the Rare DNM label. 

Pacsun’s shift occurred across multiple CEO regimes. 

It’s been under its current management since 2023 when Brieane Olson, who has been with the company since 2006, stepped into the co-CEO role. 

Olson started as the chain’s senior design director for the women’s business and later was promoted into titles such as senior vice president of merchandising and design, chief merchandising officer and chief brand officer. She was named president in 2021 and became co-CEO with Mike Relich in March 2023 after former CEO Alfred Chang, another long-time Pacsun veteran, went on to lead Fear of God as its chief executive. 

Chang left Fear of God in October to serve as CEO of Everlane. 

Getting a read on how the business is doing is tough.

Pacsun is privately held and rarely discloses financial information. It’s owned by San Francisco private equity firm Golden Gate Capital, which bought it out of bankruptcy in 2016. The retailer last reported 2020 sales in excess of $700 million, with digital accounting for about half of that.