‘There’s always room to give back’

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The unique way underwear company Tommy John is supporting healthcare workers on the front lines

Since the global pandemic took hold in the U.S., there has been an outpouring of support for front-line healthcare workers. People have purchased pizzas for hospital staffers. They’ve made face masks by hand. They’ve written messages of gratitude and hope in sidewalk chalk.

Tom Patterson and Erin Fujimoto wanted to help, too. They decided to give underwear.

It may not seem like an obvious way to give back, but it made perfect sense for Patterson and Fujimoto. They are the husband-and-wife team who founded Tommy John, a popular national underwear company. They are also problem solvers at heart. They launched their company 12 years ago after Patterson grew tired of struggling with ill-fitting undershirts. And they’ve chosen to give new underwear to those on the front lines because they understand the unique issues that medical workers face.

“At the end of the day, it all boils down to comfort,” Fujimoto said. “These nurses are moving, moving, moving and doing so much physical work. If we could help them avoid a wedgie, why not do that?”

Fujimoto laughs when she describes the issues her company’s products were designed to solve. “Underwear is a funny business,” she said. But the impact Tommy John has made over the past two months is no laughing matter. Since the start of the pandemic, the company has contributed more than $500,000 in product to healthcare workers across the U.S. — including a recent gift of more than $85,000 worth of undergarments to Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center. These items will be distributed to front-line team members during Nursing Team Member Week, May 6 to 12.

“We’re still a pretty small company, and obviously every business is struggling right now. But at the same time, there’s always room to give back,” Fujimoto said. “We have this amazing product. It’s premium. It’s kind of a splurge, in some cases. And if we can use that product to deliver a bit of comfort to nurses on the front lines, then it’s well worth it.”

While Patterson and Fujimoto live in Hoboken, N.J., they have a strong connection to the Charlotte community. Patterson has family in the area, and there is a Tommy John store in the SouthPark Mall. As they looked for hospitals to partner with for their donations, Presbyterian Medical Center was a natural choice.

“It’s an area we love and a community that has been so supportive of us and our business as our brand has continued to grow,” Fujimoto said.

Given the limitations imposed by a pandemic, Patterson and Fujimoto haven’t seen their donations go out firsthand, but they have heard some wonderful stories.

“Some of the nurses who have seen our efforts have reached out and asked for donations. They’ve told us about the stress and how hard-hitting this pandemic is and how happy it makes them to know that people are willing to give back,” Fujimoto said. “To be able to help them feel like they’re appreciated goes a long way.”

It also alleviates discomfort, which is a problem not necessarily talked about, but one Patterson and Fujimoto know exists. They survey their customers often, and even before the pandemic, they found out the brand has a sizable following in the medical community. These are professionals who work long hours, who have physical and demanding jobs. 

“Because they are moving all the time, it makes sense to invest in products that perform,” Fujimoto said.

Tommy John prides itself on making products that perform. In fact, that’s how the company got its start back in 2008. At the time, Patterson was a medical device sales rep who had grown frustrated with all the ill-fitting undershirts on the market. He was constantly adjusting his shirts and tucking them back in multiple times a day. He couldn’t find anything on the market that performed the way he wanted it to, so Fujimoto suggested he take action. The couple had something designed from scratch.

The resulting product was so good, it developed a fan base among Patterson’s friends and colleagues. When Patterson lost his job in 2008, he decided to pursue Tommy John full time. Before long, he had sold products into Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, and it grew from there. The company has since expanded its product line to include men’s and, more recently, women’s underwear, and it has built a reputation for prioritizing comfort and fit above all else. 

Beyond the donations to front-line healthcare workers, Tommy John is now feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Two of our primary selling channels — wholesale and retail — have been shut down, so we’ve had to pivot our business strategy entirely,” Fujimoto said. “We’re lucky that we’ve always had a heavy ecommerce business, but we have to lean into it much more.”

These days, Patterson and Fujimoto also have the added complexity of being parents to two young children, ages 3 and 5. Juggling the full-time work of running their business with the full-time work of raising their kids has presented a new challenge, but they’re leaning into that one, too.

“It’s hard, but it’s so rewarding to find new things to do with the kids. Our daughter, who is 5, is really into finding ants right now, so as long as it’s not raining, we are going out ant hunting. And it’s awesome,” Fujimoto said. “If you find the little moments to appreciate and cherish, there are some things to really enjoy about this time.”