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Quality seems to be making a comeback in the US, especially in menswear. We've entered an age where trial is cheaper than ever, and many online sellers offer ne
by jonnathanson 14y ago
Quality seems to be making a comeback in the US, especially in menswear. We've entered an age where trial is cheaper than ever, and many online sellers offer nearly unconditional return guarantees.
The reason large luxury brands compete on image, and not necessarily on quality, is because they can. They've taken years to get there. Many of them are also public companies, so they're under intense pressure to expand profit margins and tighten costs. If Ralph Lauren can make a shirt for $5 and sell it for $50, and could make the same shirt for $2 and sell it for $50, they will take the latter option. Likewise, if they can make it for $5 and sell it for $100, they'll take that option. And if they can make it for $2 and sell it for $100, even better. They're creating shareholder value by doing so, and doing so at scale.
Conversely, startup clothing brands typically begin by addressing a specific niche, and addressing that niche's dissatisfaction with the status quo. A friend of mine runs an extremely successful tie company by following this strategy. You might think: why ties? Who actually wears ties these days, and does anyone actually care about their quality? Well, it turns out that, of the set of all people who do wear ties every day, some of the deepest-pocketed and most frequent purchasers of ties care a great deal about quality. Luxury brands have been pissing these people off by cutting corners on quality and coasting on brand image. So...enter my friend's startup, addressing this small but lucrative customer base. Bingo.
(Incidentally, Ralph Lauren himself started off selling neckties).
- wsul 14y agoand he started selling them at 2x what others were selling comparable ties at in the same stores. He targeted a niche as well -- his wide ties were far from trendy when he dropped them. You have to admire his ability to market! What is the name of your friend's tie company? We want to spotlight other well-made products as we build our company.
- jonnathanson 14y agohttp://vandafineclothing.com http://vandafineclothing.com As you will see on the site: 1) pricing is not cheap, and 2) they get kind of wonky, providing all sorts of construction details on each item. But that's the target demo here: guys who care a lot about quality ties, and who will pay a lot when they see them. Their initial word-of-mouth customer base was a web forum with a particularly upscale, subject-matter-obsessed userbase. (Sort of like launching a new sci-fi series on a Battlestar Galactica forum). (Incidentally, the company is based out of Singapore, and targets a more international base -- especially the emerging Asian luxury consumer. But lest anyone get the wrong idea: Singapore is not a cheap base of operations for manufacturing. Quite the opposite. This is not a make-it-cheap-overseas and sell-it-cheap-in-the-US business model).
- malandrew 14y agoA friend of mine from high school started Collared Greens ( http://www.collaredgreens.com/ http://www.collaredgreens.com/ ) which already focuses on neckties made from organic fibers. They aren't my style, but if you wear neckties, bow ties or polo shirts, they have great colors and patterns.
- jonnathanson 14y agoYour friend's site is beautiful, and well merchandized.
- wsul 14y agoDefinitely agree, you should make an intro!
- malandrew 14y agoSend me an email. Email is in profile.
- throwit1979 14y agoInteresting. I believe the founder of ties.com lurks on HN periodically, as well.