If you want to look good, one of the easiest ways to do so is by simply making sure that your clothes fit well. But it’s not cheap — going to a tailor to get a shirt fitted and made costs real money.
Y Combinator-backed MTailor wants to change that by offering affordable, custom-fit clothing. It can do that because it removes much of the cost associated with taking customers’ measurements by measuring them via mobile apps.
MTailor is a new kind of fashion company that enables customers to design and purchase premium, tailored shirts for just $69 each. That’s well below what one might expect if they went to a tailor to have a shirt fitted, and even less than some people will pay if they were to buy a dress shirt off the rack from a department store.
But the MTailor version of the shirt will likely fit a whole lot better — and that’s part of the magic of the app. The first time users design a shirt they’d like to purchase, the app sizes them up using the front-facing camera on their iPhone or iPad.
The sizing process is surprisingly simple, but you probably want to do it in the privacy of your own home. To get fitted, you prop your mobile phone or tablet up against a wall at a certain angle and then strip down. (The app requires you to either go shirtless or wear a spandex shirt. Briefs and boxer briefs work fine, but boxers won’t.)
You then line yourself up with your arms raised at an angle, and then in a circle in front of the camera while it takes video of you. It’s not the most glamorous thing you’ll do today, but it’s designed to get you a tailor-fitted shirt without going through all the hassle of getting yourself measured by an actual tailor. Enter your height and you’re done!
On the back end, MTailor uses the video and height that you enter to build a model of your precise measurements. The company claims that it’s actually able to get more precise measurements than a tailor — by as much as 20 percent.
MTailor users can create their shirts by choosing from a number of different fabrics, which range from dress to casual. They can then choose what type of cuff (one button, two button, or french cuff), collar (widespread, straight point, or button down), and cut (slim fit or classic). Users can also choose whether or not they want to have the shirt fit to be tucked into their pants or left untucked, and even customize the shirt cuff to fit over a watch.
Since MTailor uses technology to do its measuring, it cuts down on the costs related to creating custom-fit shirts. As a result, the company is able to offer its shirts for as little as $69, or as much as $89. Either way, it’s cheaper than having a tailor custom-fit you.
Customers get their shirts shipped to them in about two weeks after ordering. MTailor also has a pretty awesome return/refit policy. If for whatever reason a customer doesn’t like the way a shirt fits, they can be remeasured to ensure a better fit. If that doesn’t work, they can get a refund without even having to send the shirt back.