Jordan Guth converts baseball career and construction work into 13-piece fashion line
The Milwaukee designer draws on his athletic background and trades to create durable garments that fit tall bodies.
By Dominic Foster ·
Jordan Guth, a cut-and-sew designer based in Milwaukee, has built his latest clothing collection around the specific experiences of his life. The new line, released under the brand J E Guth, features rugged jackets designed for cold Wisconsin winters and durable materials inspired by his work in construction. Each item in the 13-piece assortment reflects a chapter of his personal history, from minor league baseball to manual labor.
Guth grew up in western Wisconsin where he spent childhood years drawing and playing hockey and baseball. His pitching skills earned him a scholarship to play for the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. In 2012, the Philadelphia Phillies drafted him into their minor league system. The professional baseball years provided Guth with memories and relationships that he still cites as foundational to his identity.
He recalled his first professional win occurring on Fourth of July weekend at Coney Island in New York. During this period, he formed close friendships with teammates from various countries. One of these teammates introduced him to his current wife. Guth noted that professional sports provided a consistent place to stay across the country, a stability that influenced his life path.
When his pitching arm began to fail, Guth left baseball to return to Milwaukee. He enrolled at Marquette University of Science and Engineering, or MSOE, on a hockey scholarship. Hockey was his first athletic love, and his return to the city allowed him to engage with the local creative scene. After graduating in 2018, he resumed artistic pursuits, starting with art prints and then moving to screenprinting T-shirts.
Guth felt that repeating the screenprinting process limited his creative freedom. He wanted to control silhouettes and fits. As a tall man, he struggled to find existing fashion that fit his body correctly. This personal frustration drove him to study fashion design through online tutorials, a process he called YouTube University.
He spent three years learning pattern making, fabric selection, and sewing techniques. He emphasized the need to understand both the technical side of sewing and the visual aspects of fabric. In 2024, he presented his first collection during Gallery Night MKE. That initial line consisted mostly of singular pieces, including a vintage wool hockey jersey for a fictional team called Lakeshore H.C. The jersey featured felt lettering and aged bronze metal bits.
For his second collection, Guth shifted his focus from individual items to complete looks. The new line debuted during Milwaukee Fashion Week in September. This event marked his first time working with models and presenting work on a runway. The designs retain the Great Lakes influence from his earlier work while aiming for universal appeal.
Guth hopes to sell pieces from the collection through a pop-up shop in the future. He stated that the clothing is not just made for him but is designed to improve with wear. He believes that the more a person wears a garment, the more it breaks in and becomes comfortable.
