[yapcguy]

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 interviewer asks why Vastrm is special and after some mumbling about an iPhone app and custom algorithms, the CEO admits that it all comes down to letting the user pick a couple of shirts and returning the ones that don't fit. Wow, why didn't anyone think of that before?!

There is nothing special about Vastrm. They are using celebrity endorsements like Will Smith to pimp their brand but at the end of the day the shirt is still made in a sweat-shop in Thailand. Instead of paying Vastrm $115 for each polo shirt, you're better off buying a plane ticket to Bangkok so you can enjoy a nice holiday whilst getting your custom suit, shirt and shoes made for a few bucks.

[jontang]

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 clean mfr and eco friendly mfr processes. It's not a sweat shop. Sorry to disappoint. Also, this was not a free ride. We spent 2.5 years prior to YC setting up supply chain, factory, product development and a host of other logistical processes to be able to deliver quality and efficient production.

[cmbaus]

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.

[rubyrescue]

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.

[yapcguy]

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 to make a polo shirt?

Why did you choose Thailand and not the USA? That's the question the Bloomberg interviewer should have asked.

[jontang]

There are no manufacturer in the USA would allow us to produce one garment at a time. Most mfr. have minimum order requirements of approx. 1,000 pcs per style per color. We would not have been able to offer custom styling NOR custom fitting. We would just be another mass production brand, which is counter to what are purpose is. Unique style and size for every customer. Also, we could have processed orders through a network of tailors, but most tailors do not have patterns for sportswear, including polo shirts. And that would not have been a scalable model. hope that makes sense.

[larrys]

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.

[biot]

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.

[jontang]

Thanks larrys. Greatly appreciate your thoughts and insights!

[larrywright]

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.

[wdewind]

> 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.

[jontang]

We offer no questions asked returns. If you don't like the shirt for any reason. We will refund you.

[yapcguy]

Ditto.

Look at Charles Tyrwhtt, they're in London, they ship custom shirts to anywhere in the world and you can return for any reason.

http://www.CTShirts.com

[cmbaus]

As a Warby Parker customer, I think the company is just at the tip of what they will accomplish. This is a gigantic market and most people are still paying $400 for same frames and lens you can get for $100 from them.

I've had two pair of glasses from them, and I've never had so many comments and compliments on a pair of glasses. So even if the glasses are made by the factories that make frames for other companies, there is something to be said about their design.

I'd love to see Warby Parker's disruptive strategy applied to other parts of the health care market. It shows what free market pressures can do to effect prices.

[AznHisoka]

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

[MartinCron]

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".