Since naming is my thing I will add that the choice of vastrm as a name is horrible. An invented word is fine but it should either relate to the product or at least be memorable and easy to pass along by mention. Especially for a consumer product which is marketed in part on a web site. I don't know how to pronounce "vastrm" is it "vastrem" or "vastrim" or? ... and even if I did I'd have to spell it for someone since…
vastrm makes me think of "rm *", actually. Which would be an awesome name for a document retention/destruction company.
This is like Zappos or a ton of other companies that offer free return shipping.. very little correlation to Warby Parker as mentioned.
Our customers aren't buying an off the rack shirt here. We are sending sizing templates for people to try on. They then go back to our site to determine any adjustments to their sizing profile (adding length to shirt or shortening a sleeve, or tapering the waist, etc). We then go ahead and make a one of kind size and fit for that customer based on their unique body type.
I wish that sites like this would make it obvious (or easy to find out) what geographical area they serve without my having to work my way through a checkout process to figure it out.
apologies for this. We will fix this. We just started shipping to Australia, UK, Canada, France, Germany and Japan. More countries to come as we set up logistics in those countries.
The comparison to Warby Parker was more in terms of customer engagement model vis a vis the home try on program. Cost structure, supply chain, mfr, and the competitive nature of our businesses are quite different, as you point out.
In light of that, isn't Zappos a more apt comparison?
Somewhat, but our customers aren't buying an off the rack shirt here. We are sending sizing templates for people to try on. They then go back to our site to determine any adjustments to their sizing profile (adding length to shirt or shortening a sleeve, or tapering the waist, etc). They send the try on shirts back to us and we then go ahead and make a one of kind size and fit for that customer based on their unique body type. make sense?
Yawn. Plenty of companies already sell custom shirts online. What's the big deal about Vastrm? What's revolutionary? Also, what's the big deal about Warby Parker? Just slick marketing and creation of a brand, but the same Chinese factories as used by CHEAP-GLASSES-FRAMES-DOT-COM. EDIT: Nice, a downvote after just a few seconds. Look, just because Vastrm is a YCombinator company doesn't mean it gets a free ride. The i…
Most custom shirt companies out there only provide custom dress shirts and suiting. We are looking at going after the sportswear category. No one, we know, as of yet, has set up a supply chain and factory that can produce a quantity of one unit at a time without costing a fortune. The factories we use are part of a consortium that consults with the US gov't on setting up both labor friendly mfr abroad as well as clea…
Didn't realize you were the founder.
In addition to my comments on your company name you should consider including a label of sorts somewhere on your shirt as a branding element (needs to be visible even if it hangs from the front or the tail). It doesn't have to be ala Polo or Tommy (over the chest) but there should be something to let people know that the product is yours.
Also I'm sure you have researched this but my gut says $100 is not the same as $98 in terms of consumer perception.
Since naming is my thing I will add that the choice of vastrm as a name is horrible. An invented word is fine but it should either relate to the product or at least be memorable and easy to pass along by mention. Especially for a consumer product which is marketed in part on a web site. I don't know how to pronounce "vastrm" is it "vastrem" or "vastrim" or? ... and even if I did I'd have to spell it for someone since…
vastrm makes me think of "rm *", actually. Which would be an awesome name for a document retention/destruction company.
Not only that but it made me think of "vasectomy" oddly enough.
Document destruction/retention: "rm"
but document retention "mv".
That's a great business by the way (destruction and document scanning). Destruction much easier though.
First impressions count. And as they say in law calling it close to Warby Parker "doesn't pass the smell test". Your points are valid (and I will take them as correct). But when someone sees a headline that says "the Warby Parker of" they are going to think many different things and that's at least what I thought. Clothing is sold everywhere eyeglasses are not. Custom clothing is nothing new what Warby did essentiall…
Great points here. Thanks for your insight. We will continue to learn from all these comments. re: men not caring about fitted polo shirts: we think the market here is fairly large. Mass merchandised clothing today only comes in 4 - 5 sizes (S, M, L, XL,etc...) but our bodies are all different shapes and sizes. So that size M that Jcrew or Ralph Lauren sells will only fit a sub-segment of the population. Everyone else is compromising on fit. If you want a better fitting shirt, come to us. If your willing to shop around for brands that fit your body type or if you don't care about fit, that is fine too. We are here to simply offer more choice for consumers.
Yawn. Plenty of companies already sell custom shirts online. What's the big deal about Vastrm? What's revolutionary? Also, what's the big deal about Warby Parker? Just slick marketing and creation of a brand, but the same Chinese factories as used by CHEAP-GLASSES-FRAMES-DOT-COM. EDIT: Nice, a downvote after just a few seconds. Look, just because Vastrm is a YCombinator company doesn't mean it gets a free ride. The i…
Most custom shirt companies out there only provide custom dress shirts and suiting. We are looking at going after the sportswear category. No one, we know, as of yet, has set up a supply chain and factory that can produce a quantity of one unit at a time without costing a fortune. The factories we use are part of a consortium that consults with the US gov't on setting up both labor friendly mfr abroad as well as clea…
I've bought made to measure shirts from vendors like MyTailor.com. I'm an advocate, but I don't know many people who buy their shirts MTM on the internet (yet). Most men still by off the rack and the quality and fit is crappy and the price high.
Some of my colleagues do get MTM suiting made in places like Hong Kong and Thailand.
The apparel market is massive I think there is room for innovation.
Most custom shirt companies out there only provide custom dress shirts and suiting. We are looking at going after the sportswear category. No one, we know, as of yet, has set up a supply chain and factory that can produce a quantity of one unit at a time without costing a fortune. The factories we use are part of a consortium that consults with the US gov't on setting up both labor friendly mfr abroad as well as clea…
Didn't realize you were the founder. In addition to my comments on your company name you should consider including a label of sorts somewhere on your shirt as a branding element (needs to be visible even if it hangs from the front or the tail). It doesn't have to be ala Polo or Tommy (over the chest) but there should be something to let people know that the product is yours. Also I'm sure you have researched this but…
Thanks larrys. Greatly appreciate your thoughts and insights!