Vastrm is the Warby Parker for shirts

Post by jontang » Fri, Sep 06, 2013, 10:10 PM UTC

robertnealan wrote: post #42

robertnealan wrote: post #33

@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…

Also, looking at the actual content on your front page I'm somewhat lost. 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…

Post by jontang » Fri, Sep 06, 2013, 10:14 PM UTC

danpalmer wrote: post #39

jontang wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Post by rdl » Fri, Sep 06, 2013, 10:27 PM UTC

jontang wrote: post #51

rdl wrote: post #48

Another interesting market for bespoke vs made-to-measure vs off the rack might be concealed carry. It is more of an issue for belts, and then kind of a toss up for pants and shirts. Unless you just go with skin tight clothing, it can be done with regular clothing now, but ccw and undercover people will spend a lot of money. It is a huge issue for women, though. (I know I'd probably never spend $80 on a regular belt,…

Yes, we have been approached by folks with physical disabilities that need custom solutions. We have been looking into that.

Post by jontang » Sat, Sep 07, 2013, 4:34 PM UTC

rdl wrote: post #56

jontang wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, we have been approached by folks with physical disabilities that need custom solutions. We have been looking into that.

Another market where this might be awesome is corporate gifts. I also wouldn't buy a $115 polo shirt for myself, but I probably would consider it as a gift (as long as I could put my branding or message on the gift certificate, and ideally in the packaging of the actual shirt.)