So, maybe you’ve encountered this scenario: you walk into a retail clothing store, grab something off the rack that you think you will like, try it on, look at yourself in the mirror, and say to yourself, “They must have used Godzilla as the template when they made this piece of clothing.”
I have that problem a lot. Invariably, if I choose a dress shirt based on the correct size in the neck circumference and arm length (the standard way to fit men’s off-the-rack dress shirts), there’s usually enough room in body of the “traditional fit” shirt for me to wear the shirt over the top of body armor, three eight-pound sacks of russet potatoes, and a ferret named Herbert, still in it’s cage.
In the last couple of years some clothes designers have added “Slim Fit” and “Extra-Slim Fit” options to their styling, but the selection in those more fitted styles is very limited.
Yes, theoretically I could have gone to a tailor in London to have clothing made by hand for me — if I lived in London and was a member of the Royal Family, for example, but alas, and alas.
However, given the new technology available to clothing designers these days, I decided to try something that might be a worthy alternative.
A new company called MTailor is on the leading edge of making clothes that are actually meant to fit you, no matter your size.
The general idea behind MTailor is that you use their app to take your body measurements — a process which they say is more than 20% accurate than when using a professional tailor — then you pick your desired shirt customized the way you want it. For example, you get to choose collar style, cuff style, shirt cut, length, pocket or no pocket, and even to add a little extra spacing on the wrist where you wear your watch.
Once your order is placed, your specifications zip through the interwebs to the factory, where your custom shirt is made. Then, after about three weeks, your shirt is delivered to your doorstep.
No charge for domestic shipping, no charge for returns.
Given my trouble with typical potato sack off-the-rack that’s-the-fact-Jack clothing, I thought I would give this a try.
So, downloading the app?
No problem.
Stripping to my skivies so the app can take my intimate measurements?
Um, …, you are going to delete that video, right?
NOTE: The above image is of a stunt double — this is not actually a picture of me in my underwear.
Choosing the shirt I want?
No problem — the interface is easy to use and you are able to select the exact options you want. Now, you obviously don’t have as many options as if you went to a tailor to have your shirt made by hand, but still, there is a nice selection of options to choose from.
And just like that, in less than 15 minutes the app had taken my measurements and I had selected a shirt to be made according to my specifications.
After pushing BUY, it’s just a waiting game.
NOTE: this is an item of clothing made to your exact body measurements, so there is a little wait involved. Currently, the wait is about three weeks.
For example, I placed my order on 14 August, and just yesterday, on 24 August, I received a notification that the fabric for my shirt was being cut, and that the expected shipping date is 1 September.
By the way, if you are interested in trying out MTailor yourself, use my referral code and you’ll get $20 off your order. Even better, I’ll get $20 off my next order too, so we’ll both benefit!
So, just use this link when you create your account, or enter the code giwokhur in the box where it says, “Your referral code”.
I’m looking forward to receiving my order, and I’ll be sure to post a review when it arrives, so be sure to stay tuned!