Over the past few years, dozens of “made-to-measure” men’s clothing websites have appeared, none more ubiquitous than the MTM shirt. These vary from sketchy to pricey, with many points in between. I’ve slowly been trying some of these guys out, with mixed results. I won’t try to reinvent the wheel here but I thought I’d share my thoughts in hope that it will aid others in their search for a perfect shirt. Keep in mind that all of these purchases were heavily influenced by discounts, at least initially – I didn’t pay retail for any of them, nor would I.
A lot of people like Ratio, and with good reason: made in the USA, good customer service, and (my favorite) idiot-proof designs. Some sites overwhelm the shirtless man with options (ahem moderntailor ahem), which highly increases the risk of making a god-awful shirt if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing. I mean, seriously? That said, here’s my experience:
What I got: Classic white pinpoint with spread collar and French cuffs. My ‘dressy’ shirt.
Deal I used: ‘dappered’ (thanks, Joe) for 25% off
Pros:
- Great customer service. Eric (the owner/creator of Ratio) responded personally to my questions and concerns and did a great job following up. Awesome guy.
- My first spread collar shirt, and also my favorite. Perfect amount of spread and point width.
- Made in the USA.
- As I said before, the design options are minimal and classic, which aids in creating an attractive shirt.
Cons:
- Lack of sizing customization. My shirt was a bit big in the torso and neck and slightly tight in the shoulders (to be fair, the neck was my fault and could have been fixed). The other issues probably could have been addressed by working with Eric directly, but not by editing my initial measurements. I do appreciate Ratio’s pared-down approach to the MTM process, but I think it could benefit from more body measurements (shoulders and waist especially)
- Fabric was just OK. This is just me, and only applies to the fabric I bought, but I was not particularly impressed. It seemed like the same translucent white fabric you would see at Macy’s. Perhaps my expectations were too high or perhaps I picked a bad egg, but that’s what I noticed.
Rating: 7.5/10. Lots of potential.
I’d never heard of this company until Put This On mentioned their ‘free shirt’ offer. This deal became somewhat controversial (and probably not very beneficial to the company) because they only offered it to college students from a very particular (read: highly selective) list of schools. Fortunately, I spent my grad school years on the farm, so I signed up.
What I got: Blue Check (tattersal) twill, spread collar, barrel cuff.
Deal I used: Free. Thanks, Derek.
Pros:
- Fit turned out fine, although the sleeves were too long. Not bad for a free shirt.
- It was free.
Cons:
- Fabric. It wasn’t made clear on the site, but I’m pretty sure the fabric I chose was a cotton blend; it has since begun to pill heavily and fall apart. I know the company sells nicer fabrics, but in my opinion a company is only as good as its worst product – if they’re willing to put their name on it, I’m going to judge them for it.
- Buttons. I didn’t think this would be a problem, but the ‘tailor pick’ buttons were wafer thin, and several snapped on the shirt’s virgin trip through the washing machine’s gentle cycle (I didn’t even use the dryer). Not only that, but the shirt came with exactly zero replacement buttons, so I was up no-button creek on that one.
- Shipping took over 6 weeks. I think I would have missed the “interview” that the shirt was for in the first place had I waited for it.
I can’t remember exactly how I found out about these guys, but I was initially scared off by the high prices. I signed up for the email list, and eventually jumped on a decent introductory offer.
What I got: University Stripe, spread collar, barrel cuff (as seen here).
Deal I used: 30% off first purchase
Pros:
- My fave so far. A perfect amount of fabrics and customization without being overwhelming or unnecessary.
- Fabric was sturdy and had a great feel; clearly superior to cheap mall shirts.
- The higher quality of construction is obvious with details like split yokes and reinforced tail gussets.
- Fast shipping.
Cons:
- Shipping costs were a cruel surprise at $15. Most fabrics are quite expensive, too.
So that’s my experience with these companies so far; as long as I keep getting introductory offers I’ll probably keep trying new ones. Ask me a question if you’d like to know more.