Non-Uniform Standard Never Conforming

"It all really started with me just making a couple of hats for myself, and people would notice and say they liked what I was wearing.”

Cir Sayoc, owner and designer of the bespoke headwear brand Non-Uniform Standard, has a calm, soft-spoken vibe that reflects the objects he produces. The hats that come out of Non-Uniform Standard present an obvious quality of workmanship and attention to detail — a contemporary sensibility for classic approaches to clothing.

“I really take pride in being able to pattern-make and in the ability to sew. I think having those skills really separate you from lots of other designers, because not everyone has those skills anymore, and being able to incorporate them into my work I feel gives it a unique feel and look that you can’t get otherwise.”

Craft is critical to the aesthetic of Non-Uniform Standard, which stresses the significance of the quality of materials and skill of the maker in its designs. It’s a principled approach that respects the utility of objects and incorporates purpose at every level of the design process — a method and work style that Cir says he developed as a young professional working in a San Francisco that looked and felt very different than the City seen today.

“My early career eventually landed me at Levi’s, in the early 2000s, and back then the maker culture was much different. Seemed like people everywhere in the City were making all kinds of stuff; and not solely focused on technology, but on crafts, too. Candles, soap, jewelry, stuff like that. It was an interesting culture that really had an influence on me.”

Now, after years away from the City, working and living in Seattle, Cir is back in the Bay Area. And he’s noted the drastic changes that have taken root across the San Francisco landscape, not just from a socioeconomic perspective, but from a style perspective as well. It’s something that he’s incorporated into his project, not just as a way to appeal to a wider audience, but also to communicate his beliefs about what the City is and should mean.

“We want to have a very wide appeal. When you look at the classic fashion that the City has produced — Derby jackets, Levi’s 501s — these are ubiquitous products, these are things everyone can wear. So, right now, Non-Uniform Standard really is for someone that’s into high-quality headwear, who knows and respects quality and who is looking for something a bit unique. As I’m personally drawn to minimalist and heritage cues, I’m thinking that my customer has the same ethos.”

““It all really started with me just making a couple of hats for myself, and people would notice and say they liked what I was wearing.””

And he’s quick to point out that, despite his deep range of professional experience, his ethos has also been shaped by his family, and their approach to clothing and fashion. Raised in a critical era of style, the 1990s, between the two cosmopolitan capitals of California — Los Angeles and San Francisco — Cir’s understanding of aesthetic was developed out of a keen awareness for trends, rooted in a solid understanding that producing your own is always better than simply going out and buying.

“I have really fond memories of going to LA to visit my family, after we moved up to the Bay Area. This was the time of Cavaricci’s and MC hammer, those early 90’s vibes. And the kids, we would always want new clothing, so my grandma, mom, and aunts figured how to make the harem pants that MC hammer wore, and just started making them out of fabric we liked. I remember having a pair of purple stretch rayon that had a little crinkle texture. Good times!”

It’s this energy of family and moving forward together that Cir sees in abundance at Undiscovered SF and in SOMA Pilipinas — a site of cultural unity and exploration that he feels will play a major and lasting role for the Filipino-American community in the City.

“I think SOMA Pilipinas is great because its a place for our culture and for our people to call home. What’s great about Undiscovered is that it connects the dots with all the various groups and businesses from all around the Bay Area, from the communities in Vallejo and Union City and Daly City and San Jose, and when you go to an event like this you get a sampling of it all — not just the businesses, but the people.”