A new breed of bespoke tailor is taking New York by storm. Ahead of a potential global expansion, CEO sits down with Jacomo Hakim, founder, and CEO of BookATailor, to discuss getting a suit made on the street
You have quite a novel approach to getting a suit made.
We have made the process quick, easy and automated. You simply head to bookatailor.com and schedule a time for a smart tailor to come to you.
They arrive, examine your body profile, take images of you, measure you and build your bespoke profile. Then you are ready to choose fabrics – and we teach everyone a little about which fabrics are best for what you need your suit for – and you’re able to style out your whole suit on a tablet.
Yes, this can all be done in one of our showrooms. But failing that, we can do it all on the street.
Four weeks later, you get an email that your product is ready, and we bring it to you. Adjustments will be made in-house, and then the suit is yours. Moving forward, we have your measurements on file so you can just go online and get another suit made.
The concept stared as a kiosk in a mall. What prompted you to start running a tailor shop out of a smart car?
We noticed that many people saw the kiosk and were very interested in our product, but they didn’t want to get a suit made at the kiosk. Malls can be busy places. So we said, “Okay, we’ll come to you.”
Also, the car is more comfortable than a kiosk, and you can move it and put it wherever we need it to be.
You have both physical and mobile sales platforms. Which is more popular?
They are both popular. The physical store has been around for almost three years while mobile has only been going six months, so it’s no surprise which one is bigger at the moment.
But I think mobile will be the biggest eventually. It’s creating the most buzz because it’s fun, innovative and just plain cool.
How important has technology been in your success? Do you think if it were ten years ago, BookATailor would be the same as it is today?Without technology, we would not have been able to do what we are doing at all.
Technology is what automates our business; it allows us to be on top of every single little detail of the entire process. I think if I had started this ten years ago, we would have changed the industry by now.
So the app is doing well then?
It’s gaining traction in the areas with cars. You book a tailor, and we come to you. It works like Uber, so you can see where our cars are. At the beginning of next quarter, we plan on expanding more cars in more cities, and pushing more people to download the app.
How does your approach compare to other tailors who use online measurement tools?
Our service is different because we’re vertical. We handle the production facility ourselves, so we’re able to get suits out the door way quicker than other companies.
Doing everything, ourselves also ensures quality control, which is essential when it comes to making things like suits. Some companies use online measurement tools that have a margin of error upward of 65 percent.
However our ‘Bespokino’ patented measuring tool has made it possible for a consumer to simulate the feel, size and fit of a shirt at home, to then order it online.
But can an online tool ever hope to compete with the eyes of an experienced tailor?
Not as such. But we are about to implement a live video chat option so that a person at home can talk to a tailor who can walk them through the whole process.
Do you think some people might turn their noses up at the fact that measurements happen in one place, before being sent to Thailand for the suit to be made? Isn’t having everything done in-house best?
You’re completely wrong because some of the best tailors in the world are Thai tailors. They’re better than those in London and the US.
The only difference – in a way – is that a person doesn’t need to go all the way to Thailand for measurements.
Traditionally, going to see a tailor is an experience. You have a coffee, talk a little, and the like. Can you do that on the side of the road?Absolutely, but that’s why we try and bring that experience to you. You have no idea how many people come by and speak to us and ask questions or have a laugh with us.
During the summer, we hand out pocket squares, so anyone who walks by gets a free one. We always have coffee with us too, so if ever you see one of our cars feel free to stop by and have a cup.
Where is BookATailor available right now?
We operate in many cities in the US, including New York, San Francisco, LA, and Miami.
Right now we are exploring options to take us further afield, including Germany, Paris, Mexico and soon the Middle East.