Imagine clothing made out of a disco ball, underwear that hides your unmentionables from the TSA, sweatshirts born out of a military think tank and work pants that could save your life.

That’s what you get from Betabrand, an online clothing company and the inventors of a corduroy technology that defies the known laws of the universe.

Betabrand is built on the premise that online commerce is fundamentally different than brick-and-mortar. You probably don’t find that very surprising. In fact, it should be intuitive. But few fashion brands have altered their model for the online market.

Betabrand is a fashion company that moves at the speed of blog. Instead of offering a fall or spring line, these guys pump out limited editions of new inventions — at least one a week, sometimes more. This serves two purposes. First, it keeps the offerings fresh, not unlike social media. And since everything is a limited edition, new products are required to keep merchandise “on the shelves.”

But that’s not even the best part. Spend five minutes reading through their product descriptions or collection names and you’re guaranteed to chuckle. We belly-laughed more than once while researching.

Par exemple, the Cordarounds. Finally, there’s a corduroy with horizontal ridges. And they’re scientifically proven to “drastically lower your crotch heat index” and “lower drag coefficient by an amazing 16.24%.”

Yeah, we believe that about as much as the idea that the DARPA hoodie is a byproduct of “programmable matter” experiments (think Terminator 2). But Betabrand loyals aren’t the types to care about scientific numbers. And Chris Lindland (CEO) knows it.

In an interview with the New York Times, Lindland said his goal was “not to create the coolest, most cohesive line of clothing, but to create the most conversation-worthy line of clothing.”

We have to say, Betabrand’s clothes are more than conversation-worthy. They’re wearable — a rare compliment for a company that walks the scissors’ edge of fashion. And beyond that, some of their wares are downright brilliant. The “Bike to Work Pants” have fold up pant-cuffs and pull-out pockets lined with reflective material so you can be seen on the road without having to change clothes at the office.

We’re hoping Betabrand can maintain its Challenger Brand momentum and stay fresh and irreverent-chic in the face of growth. Because the world needs more ideas like the Black Sheep Sweater.