Filip Ambroziak had a problem. He was looking for tie bars with a specific design in mind, and he couldn’t find them, at least at his preferred price point. So he decided to have a collection of them made, effectively launching a small online shop offering variations on the original tie bars he had in mind.
It’s confusing to watch some legacy clothing giants from Ralph Lauren to Macy’s stumble when it comes to this thing called the internet, the thing that completely changed the way people want to shop and the thing that younger and more innovative entrepreneurs seem to manipulate with more agility. It’s almost as if the thinkers behind these old brands borrow from the too-big-to-fail music industry playbook, ultimately falling behind. With staggering hubris, they expand and expand over and over with more and more new stores in cities across the globe, then ultimately pull back and close those stores because the anticipated sales weren’t there. (Google the story of Tower Records.) In the wake of disappointing sales and closing stores, the spokespeople from these companies almost invariably tell the press some version of “We’re going to start paying more attention to our online presence.” Gee, ya think?
As I’ve written before, it’s exciting to see young brands take a good idea, run with it, and execute it well with a worthwhile product, especially when the product is handsome, well-made, affordable, and workable. One such recent entry is Beckett Simonon.
Looking at the genetics on my mom’s side and combing through my own hair at age 45, I have a low probability of any notable hair loss. For a huge percentage of men, however, the opposite is true. And while I’m a fan of guys who buzz or shave their heads, I also understand that a lot of men just aren’t comfortable with that and don’t feel confident with the shape of their head or any of the social insecurities one might feel by having less than a full head of hair. For those guys, there is a terrific, non-invasive, non-prescription, affordable and effective solution: The scalp therapy treatment, shampoo and conditioner from Revivogen MD.
Fragrance is the intangible accessory. I’ve written about smelling good (or at least smelling clean) from a personal grooming perspective several times here, but I’ve never written about ambient fragrances.
I imagine most people don’t consider the way a room smells unless it’s bad or overpowering, like many hyper-scented retail spaces I’ve experienced. But our sense of smell is a strong one that consciously or subconsciously ties us positively or negatively to our experiences with people, places and things. For that reason, I’m very sensitive to aroma and I’m a big fan of a room that smells nice.
I’ve written before about uniforms of powerful men – men who don’t have the time to figure out which tie goes with which suit, shirt or pair of socks. President Obama got rid of all of his suits except the navy and gray ones (and that tan one) because it meant one less decision in a day filled with far more important decisions. Extremely busy men who pull serious power levers in their lives need to be able to reach into their closets blindfolded, not screw up and be dressed and out the door before many men have decided on a pocket square. As someone who really doesn’t like to belabor the what-goes-with-what process, I really appreciate such efficiency.
For busy men who like a little color and flair with the daily suit and tie, my friends at ShirtCycle have created a smart solution. To supplement their handy and well-executed custom shirt subscription service (my review here), ShirtCycle has added coordinating ties and socks to their offerings.
No one is going to reinvent the way men dress on any real scale in our lifetime, especially with tailored clothing. Barring variations in color and pattern, the problem of what to wear has essentially already been solved. Where a new entry in the menswear game can shine is in the way that problem is solved. A company called ShirtCycle is a new startup that presents a solution with real possibilities.
A reasonable and experienced person would look at a $150 price tag on a suit and see a huge red flag. The fabric must be cheap, the construction has to be horrible, the buttons and lining probably melt near an open flame, and the people actually making the suit are likely grinding out an 18 hour work day with a 10 minute lunch break in an un-airconditioned fire trap in eastern Asia.
I get bludgeoned with emails from startups in the over-saturated menswear world looking for free promotion in the blogosphere. At best, some of these brands might have fine ideas that are poorly executed. At worst, they’re amateur gimmick magicians who wouldn’t get past the first audition for Shark Tank, offering an ill-conceived fix for something that was never broken just to make a buck. Then there is the rare diamond in the ruff, compentently presenting an elegant solution that meets my four criteria, which dictates that the product or service be 1.) handsome, 2.) well-made, 3.) affordable and 4.) workable, i.e. have an actual application in one’s life. Combatant Gentlemen is one of those rare diamonds in the ruff.
I’m not very confident with color, but I am improving. That said, my favorite shirt to wear is the great white dress shirt. With companies like Brooks Brothers and Charles Tyrwhitt killing real cotton shirts and replacing them with Stepford Shirts made with toxic, formaldehyde-soaked, no-iron/wrinkle-free cotton, it’s become very difficult to find real, handsome, well-made and affordable cotton dress shirts without going custom.