ShirtsMyWay.com – Custom Made Dress Shirts
Interview with Peter Crawfurd, Entrepreneur in Fashion and Menswear
Mar 13, 2009
S101 : First of all Peter, can you tell me exactly how ShirtsMyWay.com got started?
Peter : Well, it all started when Michael Yang, my business partner and co-founder, and I decided to start a business. We were sure we wanted to be entrepreneurs, and many avenues were open to us. After a great deal of consideration we decided to go for our first idea, custom made dress shirts at ShirtsMyWay.com. Speaking personally, I've been a fan of custom tailored shirts for a long time, having purchased them in several countries. As we both had a great deal of computer experience – Michael actually has a degree in Computer Science – we felt we could do something really innovative.
S101 : Very creative, really.
Peter : Thanks.
S101 : Can you tell me more about the service that you offer, from production to delivery?
Peter : Well the service really begins on our website, ShirtsMyWay.com, where it's possible for our clients to design their own dress shirts in great detail. We have presented a digital design studio, really an electronic model, that you can see the stylings you would like reflected immediately on the screen. After you have selected your personalized shirt, you can choose from a variety of fits – ranging from completely individualized measurements to our own standard size range.
Our advantage over a standard tailor is that they do not really offer the breadth of service that we do. We offer 7 trillion different combination possibilities right now, and that will be expanding greatly as we grow.
S101 : So regarding this “electronic model”, from what I've seen in my research your model allows you to see each selection you make, from collar cut to button styles to the pattern on the inside of your shirt cuffs?
Peter : Yes, we really drill down into the details of the shirt with our platform – everything from placing different fabrics in drastically different locations to the type of collar you'd like.
S101 : A long overdue option for men who want a more personal style and fit. Can you tell me more about your fabric swatches and tailoring?
Peter : Sure. The available fabrics right now range in price from $59 to $69 per shirt, in U.S. Dollars. The more inexpensive shirts range from primarily 100% cottons and a few blends, while the more expensive shirts are all 100% cotton, of a finer weave.
Tailoring is all done by our experienced tailors overseas here in China, and each shirt we produce actually has a signature – underneath the collar flip of all of our shirts you'll see our silk patterning. This is not visible normally but we feel it gives our product a unique exclusivity.
S101 : ... and it shows you stand behind what you make.
Peter : We want people to feel that they are part of a new experience, another form or level of tailoring and style.
S101 : Can you tell me what avenues you would like to pursue with regards to upcoming fabric patterns and colours, and are there any other products in the near future?
Peter : We will definitely be adding more swatches in the future, currently we have 17. We plan on enlarging our library with a great deal of variety in the future including some more “creative” patterns. To start out however, we've decided to build a base of fresh, reliable fabrics with a few bolder prints thrown in for good measure.
S101 : I love some of the classics you've presented already, and the names are quite catchy. “Fast Track”, “Super Hero”, and “Black Ice” are all very modern looks I think and blend very nicely with your more traditional swatches.
Peter : Thank you. We've seen some really outrageous designs already, some of them including up to four different patterns on one shirt! The great thing about our product is that you can really let your personal taste run free and you aren't simply being shown what to wear by major designers and labels.
S101 : Finally Peter, can you tell me a little bit about pricing, shipping, and any upcoming promotions you'd like to mention?
Peter : Well, our business is starting to mature so our introductory pricing will be ending shortly, with our baseline being established at ~$65 U.S Dollars. That being said, for the next week – beginning Monday, March 16th, we'll be offering a free shirt to those gentlemen who purchase two.
And with ShirtsMyWay.com we always offer free international shipping, a huge plus, we think.
S101 : Well, thank you Peter. I look forward to trying your product in the near future – and I hope you continue to be very successful. It's a great concept, and great for men who want to take part in designing their own clothing and defining their own image.
Peter : Thank you Nicholas, we are already experiencing a great volume of repeat customers who are showing great confidence and pleasure in our shirts.
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