I received an e-mail announcing a “custom shirt event” in Boston put on by a company called 9tailors. The event is described in a press release here:
Consultants from 9tailors will make custom-apparel shopping easy for women. First, a fitter will measure clients to ensure accurate fit through the bust, waist, hip and sleeve. Women who are petite, tall or in-between can find a fit that complements their body shape. From pretty and flirty to clean and simple, from brightly hued fabrics to femininely styled collars, 9tailors dress shirts can be designed to suit a range of styles and tastes. 9tailors also understands that our clients are budget conscious. So, all custom dress shirts start at $60.00. Sample dress shirts will start at $25.00. Shoppers can secure a fitting ahead of time by e-mailing info@9tailors.com. Walk-ins are also welcome. Those who RSVP will have a chance to win a free custom dress shirt.
To a petite who has an awful time finding an even remotely close to fitting dress shirt, this sounds like music to my ears. I had never heard of this company before (probably because I live in LA), so I did a little digging to find out what they’re all about. The founder and CEO, Samantha Shih, is a petite woman at 5’0″, who had difficulty finding well tailored clothes in the U.S. Like many petites of Asian decent, she would get custom tailored clothing made for her when she visited Hong Kong, and realized the potential of connecting quality Chinese tailors to an American audience. Read a great bio of her here. Starting off only offering men’s dress shirts, 9tailors has recently ventured into women’s clothing. Only available for men at the moment is the online design tool, where customers can “design” their own shirt and input their own measurements. There are plans for a women’s online shirt design tool to be added to the website at the end of summer. But anyone can go to the 9tailors studio, or make an appointment for a stylist to come by your office (if you work in or near Boston, MA), to be measured and pick shirt design elements from samples.
From the look of things, and with prices starting at $60, 9tailors seems to be a great option for petites (or anyone who finds themselves being a special size) to get measured for custom fitting dress shirts. I’ve considered purchasing dress shirts off the rack for that price, not including the price I’d have to pay for alterations!
Because I’ve never seen, or had 9tailors custom make a dress shirt for me, I can’t personally vouch for the quality or workmanship from this company. But I encourage anyone in the Boston area to go check out 9tailors at their custom shirt event and take a look at the merchandise. I’d love to hear from anyone who ends up going!
Sounds really neat. I wish I lived near!!
$60/shirt sounds suspiciously cheap. The shirts are probably made in a factory abroad = low quality.
i wouldn't dismiss overseas manufacturing as cheap. Lexus, Mercedes, Armani, etc. all made overseas
Sounds really neat. I wish I lived near!!