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Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts

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Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts

#31

Post by danpalmer »

Being in the UK I haven't had the chance to use Warby Parker, but I have used "Glasses Online" which is our equivalent from what I've heard (home try-on, good range, very good prices).

Looking at Vastrm, apart from the home try-on it doesn't appear to be the same thing at all? The whole point (I thought) of the glasses retailers is getting great quality at realistic prices rather than prices that have been over inflated by the glasses monopoly that exists.

Vastrm on the other hand sells what look like good quality clothes at the same massively inflated fashion prices that other retailers sell at. $95 for a polo shirt? I'd expect more like $35 as a 'surprising' price.

TLDR; I was quoted £140 ($220) for a pair of glasses, I went to the UK equivalent of Warby Parker and got nicer ones for £60... and they were 'buy one get one free', so essentially £30 a pair. That's the sort of 'surprise' that Vastrm needs to create, and $95 polo shirts aren't going to do that.

Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts

#32

Post by jontang »

danpalmer wrote: post #31

Being in the UK I haven't had the chance to use Warby Parker, but I have used "Glasses Online" which is our equivalent from what I've heard (home try-on, good range, very good prices). Looking at Vastrm, apart from the home try-on it doesn't appear to be the same thing at all? The whole point (I thought) of the glasses retailers is getting great quality at realistic prices rather than prices that have been over infla…

Our value is not being a low cost leader. Our value is in getting people into shirts that fit perfectly. We hope to get our pricing down as we find efficiencies in the mfr and supply chain process. We are making one unit at a time. Not and easy problem to solve on the back end nor a cheap solution. But we are still on par with brands like Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Fred Perry, Sunspel... And are less expensive than Armani, Varvatos, Zegna, etc...

Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts

#33

Post by robertnealan »

@jontang - First off I'll be the first positive voice in that there's quite possibly a niche of people crazy enough to pay $90+ for a polo shirt. That niche isn't likely going to be myself or in general the people here on HN, but it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Regarding all the criticism/feedback that people are providing here - take it to heart. No, really - TAKE IT TO HEART. Reading through the list of comments it seems like everyone is providing similar criticisms (specifically that they'd never pay that much for a shirt and that they don't like the association with Warby Parker). While it's only natural to try to defend your position, I'd say really try to dig in and ask, "Is there a reason everyone is saying the same things or are they just misunderstanding my business?" If the latter, realize that this isn't a "People just don't understand us" issue like some type of angsty teenager, it's a flaw in how Vastrm is marketing itself and how potential customers see the potential benefit. This isn't something to be taken lightly and dismissed, this is something that has killed countless great businesses.

Everything aside - I don't really like polo shirts to begin with, but I wish you the best of luck.

Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts

#34

Post by AznHisoka »

yapcguy wrote: post #3

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…

They have ads with hipsters wearing a thick frame eyeglass, so apparently it's hip or something.

Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts

#35

Post by larrywright »

yapcguy wrote: post #3

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…

Actually, there is something special about Vastrm.

There are plenty of companies that do made to measure clothing online, but they require you to do a lot of measuring (either having someone measure your body, or taking a shirt that fits you well and measuring it). This is a somewhat involved and error prone process. What Vastrm is doing is letting you get some shirts in different sizes and fits, and then returning the ones that don't fit you well. That's very different than what the other companies MTM online sites offer. They generally have very restrictive return policies since the shirts were made custom for you.

As for Warby Parker, I've bought two pairs of eyeglasses and a pair of sunglasses from them, so I have a little more experience here. Buying glasses online was a bit of a crap shoot previously. You look at some frames online (the sites are pretty crappy) and find something you think might look good, and then order your glasses and have them shipped. Not ideal. What Warby Parker offers is for you to choose 5 frames, have them shipped to you, and then you get to try them on and figure out what works best. They also encourage you to share the photos on social media to get input from your friends. Clever marketing, but also pretty effective. As for the quality, in my experience their frames are of a higher quality than the much more expensive frames that I've been buying from my local optometrist. All this to say: Warby Parker combines great designs, an easy process, and high quality to make for a much better experience than exists today.

Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts

#36

Post by MartinCron »

yapcguy wrote: post #3

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…

I would expect you to be downvoted for your middlebrow dismissal of Warby Parker.

If an excellent web site, free try-at-home-program, low-prices, and social responsibility is what passes for "just slick marketing" I hope that more companies go for "just slick marketing".

Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts

#37

Post by rubyrescue »

jontang wrote: post #14
yapcguy wrote: post #3

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…

This is great. I'm a huge fan of J Hilburn, but what I'm learning is, it's not binary. I also want sportswear, i want polos that fit, etc. The whole market for custom shirts is just opening up and my sense is that you'll get a ton of folks who have tried others and therefore are open to Vastrm.

Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts

#38

Post by wdewind »

larrywright wrote: post #35
yapcguy wrote: post #3

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…

Actually, there is something special about Vastrm. There are plenty of companies that do made to measure clothing online, but they require you to do a lot of measuring (either having someone measure your body, or taking a shirt that fits you well and measuring it). This is a somewhat involved and error prone process. What Vastrm is doing is letting you get some shirts in different sizes and fits, and then returning t…

> They generally have very restrictive return policies since the shirts were made custom for you.

The two I've used, Black Lapel and Indo Chino, both allow you to return anything for any reason.

Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts

#39

Post by danpalmer »

jontang wrote: post #32
danpalmer wrote: post #31

Being in the UK I haven't had the chance to use Warby Parker, but I have used "Glasses Online" which is our equivalent from what I've heard (home try-on, good range, very good prices). Looking at Vastrm, apart from the home try-on it doesn't appear to be the same thing at all? The whole point (I thought) of the glasses retailers is getting great quality at realistic prices rather than prices that have been over infla…

Our value is not being a low cost leader. Our value is in getting people into shirts that fit perfectly. We hope to get our pricing down as we find efficiencies in the mfr and supply chain process. We are making one unit at a time. Not and easy problem to solve on the back end nor a cheap solution. But we are still on par with brands like Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Fred Perry, Sunspel... And are less expensive than Arm…

Ok, fair enough if that's the market you're going for, but I don't consider it to be the same market as Warby Parker and equivalents as they emphasise the price as being an important factor.

Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts

#40

Post by biot »

larrys wrote: post #25
jontang wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Please, no labels. Or if there are visible labels (beyond something small, tasteful, and discreet) have an option to remove them. I'd even pay a little extra for that option.
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