Take it from someone who would know: dressing nice is hard work for guys.
We all see guys like Bradley Cooper and George Clooney and think “How do they make it look so simple?”
And we may even have subscriptions to Esquire and GQ, and salivate and shudder at the expensive digs dotting the pages.
Ah, aspirations of dressing well effortlessly! So faint. So unobtainable.
The winds of change
The curated shopping model is blowing into Australia to change that for us.
The concept of buying products selected for the shopper, based on tastes, has been hugely successful in other parts of globe, and now a new startup called The Gentleman’s Supply Co is bringing personalised, curated style to Australia.
The idea is simple enough. Guys who sign up for the service work with a personal stylist who helps the shopper make fashion-savvy choices. At the time of signup, the user is asked a few questions about their style and personal tastes, and the answers are used to shape future ensembles ordered through the company.
What’s in it for me?
Once opted-in, guys can choose the amount they’d like to spend. The service offers all the biggest names in menswear: Hugo Boss, Paul Smith, Gant, and Valentino, among others.
The curated service has men covered (quite literally) for all occasions. For the causal dresser, there are polo shirts, tees, casual button downs, jeans, and chinos. For dressier dressers, the offerings include suits and ties, dress shirts, and slacks. The full spectrum of shoes and accessories, business and casual, are also covered.
So in other words, all those plush brands from the pages of GQ have sprung from the paper to your computer, courtesy of the innovative Sydney startup.
Who’s the boss?
Well, it’s none other than Claude Sebastian, a man who may well be Australia’s most stylish gent, in his own right. In addition to being a veritable fount of style know-how, Sebastian operates a world-class brick-and-mortar menswear store at the corner of Martin Place and Pitt Street in Sydney, serving up dapper offering to style-conscious Sydneysiders as well as the online masses.
The curated curiosity
The term “curated” has been bandied about a lot lately. That’s because it’s been a runaway success in places like the United States. The curated model works because it lets shoppers tap into the latest trends without the pressure and confusion associated with making bad fashion choices.
The curators, in this case the personal stylists, ease the anxiety on the shopper. By delivering up-to-the-minute trends, the curated model appeals to consumers who appreciate quality as well as style, and who are willing to pay for big-name brands.
Of course, the curated model gets extra points for being new and interesting. Shopping with a curated clothier comes complete with that “in” feeling that has been woefully absent from most big-box clothing stores and online discount outlets for several years now.
Curating makes buying clothes easier, yet more effective thanks to the style guidance, such as in the case of The Gentleman’s Supply Co.
Who doesn’t want to rock up to a hot dinner date looking like James Bond in a Tom Ford suit?
There is now no excuse for badly dressed blokes.
