TAILOR MADE
Top bespoke shirt makers in the country
The domestic made- to- measure market caters to the Indian man who is busy, discerning and informed; a consumer who has a taste for luxury but looks beyond flaunting labels. A shirt today is more than just perfectly tailored; it is a reflection not only of great craftsmanship, but a sartorial embodiment of its owner’s personality. From minimalist to socially conscious, comic prints to Indus Valley inspired patterns, India’s homegrown shirting companies have something for everyone. And with seamlessly digitised operations, they deliver on convenience just as proficiently as they do on quality.
Tailor- Made Tales
ANDAMEN Satvika and Siddharth Suri, 31, Delhi
“We are very romantic about India and passionate about luxury and craftsmanship,” says Satvika Suri, who founded Andamen armed with an MBA from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, along with her husband Siddharth, who also holds an MBA degree from the Wharton School of Business. The latter wanted to launch a men’s fashion brand which leverages India’s rich heritage and craftsmanship, and this philosophy is what led to Andamen. And so with an investment of ` 1.5 crore, the husband- wife duo began operations.
Fabrics in focus “Andamen’s business shirts use the world’s best quality of cotton, the Egyptian Giza, spun into a high 120s or 140s yarn count that gives our shirts exceptional lustre and soft touch,” says Suri. And their casual shirts come in a variety of fabrics from super fine linens to coarse raw denims, other textural fabrics, super- soft twills and fine poplins.
Express experience The brand looks to blend technology and convenience to create a seamless shopping experience. What really stands out is their promised delivery time, which is typically within one or two working days. “Recently, a gentleman from Italy wrote to us that he was stopping over in Delhi for a few hours and had been wanting to buy our shirts for a long time,” says Suri. “We guaranteed a 30- minute window and delivered multiple sizes and styles to his hotel room so he could try on what he liked. And he paid with his credit card at the delivery location.”
USP “Our heritage collections feature designs that are inspired from India’s rich culture and craftsmanship, fused with the latest in international men’s fashion. Our current collection, Indus, recalls the Indus Civilisation, when India was the centre of the transformative Bronze Age. It is an exploration of the architectural, technological and cultural heritage of our past,” says Suri.
Price ` 3,000 to 5,000 Available on www. andamen. com Style Meets Sustainability
BAREEK Aman Singh, 27, Delhi For Aman Singh, 27, it all began six years ago
with a trip to Shantipur in Bengal. “One of India’s oldest textile hubs, Shantipur is most famous for its handloom sarees. I visited many clusters in the district and witnessed the exquisite work being done by local weavers,” he recalls. So fascinated was he, that further exploration over weekends and extended holidays, led him to other handloom clusters and pockets in the state. “I began keeping sample cuttings of these fabrics.” Thus began ECHT ( German for true, genuine and real), a side project during and after his post graduation in advertising and public relations from the Indian Institute of Mass Communications ( IIMC)— a small selfsustaining collective that showcased the work of those talented weavers.
Conscious and distinctive Earlier this year, Singh founded Bareek, a brand which imbibes the ethos of conscious sartorial consumption, and one that he believes embodies the effortless, the simple, the subtle — made for those who understand the process of craft and the time that goes into it. “You’d be surprised to know that great cuts, quality fabrics and subtle detailing are very hard to find. And that’s where Bareek comes in. Slow crafted by master weavers from across the subcontinent, each yardage of handloom fabric is distinct and no two thaans can exactly be the same,” says Singh. “That means every shirt is truly one of a kind,” he adds.
A fine balance Bareek caters to the middle ground between the flamboyant and the banal, Singh says. “There is a certain subset of Indian men who are looking for something more balanced. These men are on the lookout for homegrown labels that have a minimal and global aesthetic.” And this subset seems to be growing as the Bareek online store has seen an increase of visitors by 384 per cent in October, as compared to the last three months of operations.
USP “Everything else pales in comparison to our exquisite handwoven fabrics and their quality. An added advantage — by wearing handloom weaves of any kind, you not only support the rural economy but you also effectively promote craft traditions and become a patron to millions of weavers in India,” says Singh.
Price ` 1,990 onwards
Available on www. bareek. in
Perfect Fit
BOMBAY SHIRT COMPANY Akshay Narvekar, 35, Mumbai
Before he started Bombay Shirt Company in 2012, Akshay Narvekar, 35, would get his own shirts made – this entailed a tedious process of trawling fabric markets, sourcing accessories and eventually taking it all to a tailor to stitch the perfect bespoke shirt. “I was sitting around with some friends and we thought there has to be an easier way to do it!” he recalls. So after he completed his MBA from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, Narvekar and a friend, who continues to be a shareholder, invested ` 7 lakh and BSC was born. Over the last five years, the company has consistently doubled its sales.
Style fileThough the style of the brand has long been described and associated with the minimalist and classic, BSC is now experimenting with prints. “We’re launching a shirt which is white with a print of Snoopy all over it,” says Narvekar. As the market evolves and actors such as Jim Sarbh and Ranveer Singh don everything from sea horse- print suits to polka- dot ensembles, there are certain classics Narvekar knows will always do well. “Anything with a pink base and a print on it will sell. I don’t even have to think about it. New York classic polkas always work.” But he makes sure the BSC shirt is never over the top and retains its signature classic quality.
Seamless and paperless Over the last five years, the brand has grown both in terms of variety and experience. From a swatch book of 30 fabrics, BSC now has 3,000. From a wholly online operation, Narvekar now operates out of three stores as well as his e- commerce website. The brand, however, truly means business when it identifies as “omnichannel”. As the store experience gives the customer an opportunity to interact with and avail the assistance of stylists, who help select fabrics and design options and Narvekar understands
the need for a first- time customer to touch and feel the product. Everything else, however, is digitised. “Your account and measurements are saved, it immediately syncs with your online profile. So, the moment you reach home you can login online and you’ll have access to all your information including measurements and you can add fabrics to your cart,” says Narvekar.
USP “We are trying to scale the omnichannel concept where the experience — whether online or in the store— is seamless. Online, we don’t ask people to put up their measurements. Instead, we have a feature which asks basic questions, your weight, body type, fit preference, and calculates your measurements,” says Narvekar. Price ` 1,800 to ` 75,000
Available on www. bombayshirts. com
The Personal Touch
TAILORMAN Gautam Golcha, 47; Vidya Natraj, 36, Bangalore “At Tailorman, we combine the charm of the old
world, personalised, made- to- measure experience with cutting edge technology that brings accessible luxury to the consumer,” says co- founder Gautam Golcha, 47. He, along with Vidya Natraj, 36, who wanted to diversify into the men’s clothing space began Tailorman in 2013, with an investment of ` 6 crore. The brand caters to the gentleman who “wants predictability in many aspects but at the same time, wants to be surprised”, and indeed, this consumer is choosing Tailorman, as the company has seen a growth of 70 per cent year on year.
International weaves To this gentleman, the brand promises a non- negotiable standard of quality, down to the last button. “We have access to fabrics from the best international mills, including Zegna, Loro Piana, Scabal and VBC, besides Indian and Asian mills,” says Golcha. “Little details like the thread and interlining are from the best German brands. Everything is individually cut.” “We have stores, e- commerce and a travelling tailor service where a tailor comes home to you.” Tailorman positions itself as omnichannel – with the store and online experience blending seamlessly. “We have in- store apps in which the measurements are entered and if you want to come back it’s all stored in an account so you don’t have to go through the hassle again.”
Classics with a twist As the brand develops its products, Golcha and Natraj have engaged an Italian designer who gives the collections that classic influence. “He’s a believer of catering to the young mind, yet he’s bringing out things which are classic with a twist,” says Golcha. Even with finer details, Tailorman is looking to deliver an unique experience. “Everyone would do a contrast tab on the side vent, but of the various things we’re looking at is a soft patch of leather there,” says Golcha as she takes one through the experience.
Eco- friendly fabric Tailorman is also looking to go the socially responsible route. “We are kickstarting production of ‘ circular economy fabrics,” he says. “Sustainable fabrics that we are working with include tapping massive untapped fibre sources that are currently considered waste - straw, leftovers from grain harvest, recycled papers and recycled clothing.”
USP “Very interesting weaves, almost three dimensional. It’s textured — honeycomb, almost waffle- like, if I can use those terms.”
Price ` 2,500-` 12,000
Available on www. tailorman. com