Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts
41–50 of 59 posts
Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts
#42@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…
Slide 1/2 - Both slides push "New Designer Collections". What does that even mean? If Vastrm is positioning itself as high quality custom polos then everything on the site should speak to that level of quality and be recognizable as "designerware" by the Vastrm brand, not just because you say it's part of a designer collection."
Slide 3 - It's a decent idea in that it pushes something that I'm going to assume is unique about your brand (the woven collar), but I still have no idea what that means or how it's going to benefit me.
Slide 4 - vCool fabric? I don't particularly care that my shirt has "moisture wicking" fabric, I care that it's high quality, comfortable, and is going to help me look damn good.
Slide 5 - This is your entire business! Why in the hell is it the last slide? Less than 10% of people will ever stick around to see the last slide and it's the most important one you've got. The imagery itself leaves something to be desired, but designing my own shirt is one of the biggest selling point for Vastrm.
The thirds columns below are decent but aren't that convincing (first one is the best of the bunch but needs to be shown on an actual model showing how damn good of a fit it really is). What are these details that make it a luxury shirt? Why is the call to action on the video "Learn More" instead of "Watch the Video" or something more specific to its content?
The "Home Try On Program" block is again one of the most important parts of your business (it's risk free! Try it on and send what you don't like back!), and it's at the bottom of the page. Sell this idea!
Also, your 100 years of history looks great! This tells me your company has a story, a history. This is the type of BS that people love to know is there (even if they dont' bother reading the page) - that you're not some big chain retailer but a small business with a family history that's sticking it to "The Man".
The actual product grid pages look decent, but the single product pages are overwhelming me with an accordion of options. I understand the idea is allowing people to customize their shirt, but I'd have to click at least 20 different times to open/select each option and then add the product to cart.
Make it responsive!
Obligatory Plug - I'm an SF based web designer/front-end developer with experience doing responsive Magento stores for clients.
Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
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.
Look at Charles Tyrwhtt, they're in London, they ship custom shirts to anywhere in the world and you can return for any reason.
Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts
#44This said, I'm not really drawn to the offering:
1. I personally don't have a problem with fit. Many brands already offer different options (i.e. classic, slim, ultra-slim) and I'd find it hard to believe that there is a large number of individuals in the target market who can't find a brand that offers a satisfactory fit. If you're interested in wearing attractive, comfortable clothing, identifying the brands and fits that you like really isn't a big deal. And once you've done this, you generally don't need to revisit.
2. This isn't a suit. I have little interest in spending time designing a polo or seeking a more "perfect" fit for casualwear. Vastrm seems far less efficient than "take a trip to the mall."
3. I wouldn't consider myself a label snob, but the label and visible branding that often accompanies it is always reasonably going to be a part of the value proposition when it comes to clothing.
Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts
#45I added a polo shirt to the cart and it showed up as £115.00, which is about $180 USD. Is this a currency typo?
Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
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
#47I added a polo shirt to the cart and it showed up as £115.00, which is about $180 USD. Is this a currency typo?
That $115 is in dollars. We only support USD at this point. Our site should not convert.
Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts
#48People with physical deformities (what is a more polite way to say this?) could also be a market.
Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts
#49Yawn. 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…
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/05/workers-ri...
You say you spent 2.5 years setting up a supply chain, but did you examine the possibility of manufacturing in the USA?
Given that your polo shirts start at $115, surely there's enough fat margin to allow for increased costs? The federal minimum wage is just above $7/hr. How long does it take to make a polo shirt?
Why did you choose Thailand and not the USA? That's the question the Bloomberg interviewer should have asked.
Re: Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts
#50Earlier 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…
Sure, that's what Apple says too, but look at the news today. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/05/workers-ri... You say you spent 2.5 years setting up a supply chain, but did you examine the possibility of manufacturing in the USA? Given that your polo shirts start at $115, surely there's enough fat margin to allow for increased costs? The federal minimum wage is just above $7/hr. How long does it take…