Thanks for the nice words on the shirts. We definitely have been putting in work on our button downs. They keep getting better and better, but that is not without the constant tinkering we have done over the past 4 years on them. They have been extremely popular for us too which is pretty crazy given that we only used to be able to sell hoodies back in the day.
And I absolutely hear you on the cost. $80 is a lot to spend on a shirt no matter what the quality or brand strength. And there are a lot of button down shirts out there that cost much less than ours. And on the other end of the spectrum there are a lot that cost up to 10x what we charge and more.
But to answer your question about why ours cost what they do…. We chose to make ours with the quality of fabric and construction detailing that just cost a lot more to produce, and at the same time they can command those prices as a result of those efforts. The reason you like them as much as you do is probably at least partly due to the feel of the fabric, the quality of construction, and fit, right?
We didn't want to make a $60 button down shirts because we knew the fabric would be shitty, the seams wouldn't be reinforced, and we wouldn't get the detailing we wanted. And as we have gotten better at executing them each season we also realized that there is more that we could do in order to improve them for the following season. For Spring/Summer 14 and into next Fall/Winter 14/15 we started importing Japanese fabrics that are significantly nicer than what we had already been using (and I already liked our Fall 14 fabrics a lot). You'll see if first hand if you come into one of the boutiques when the stuff starts becoming available. These are Gitman Vintage level fabrics. And the Mill we use is the same one most of the menswear and upscale street brands that range from $180-$225 use. We just couldn't justify charging those prices and it is outside of our market's price point so we are keeping it at a much more reasonable level. But unfortunately they won't be coming down in price. To be honest, they will be coming up some. And that is a direct result of the raw materials being higher-end, doing things like triple stitching the shoulder seams, and the new details we added. These are shirts we want our customers to have for years and years. They should break-in and become staples in your closet.
I think you are correct when you say that it is a lot to spend on something. If we were a different brand we could put out a less expensive button down shirt and make it in large numbers for the masses. But we have never made clothing for everyone. We have always focused on a small portion of the market that gets us. If we wanted mass appeal we would be at a lower price point with a lower quality product and we would sell our clothing to every retailer that hits us up.
I am probably just getting old, but I'd rather have 1 really good shirt than 2 average ones. If it is made the right way and the colors/patterns are timeless, it is worth it to me. Quality never goes out of style.
I hope you continue to enjoy the 2 button downs you got last Fall/Winter from us and hopefully you can come check out the new ones to see them in person when they hit the shelves.
Hope that helps a little.
