Buying a new suit can be an ordeal: After hours of debating material, style and brand, you settle on something that still needs custom alterations. South Jersey-based
7 Regent Lane cuts down on the complexity -- and the cost -- by acting as virtual liaison between a customer and their tailor. Just one year after the site went live, the company has fostered an international client base and is launching their first signature collection.
Back in 2010, cofounder Karen Chung, a
Wharton MBA, was on a trip to Shanghai when her husband decided to have a suit custom made. The experience made an impression.
"My husband actually pitched me the idea," says Chung. "He said, 'I really enjoyed that custom experience. Do you think there’s an opportunity there?'"
7 Regent Lane -- cofounded with Ramesh Subramanian and Dave Reynolds -- helps remote clients determine the style, fit and fabrics for a suit that matches their body type. Because they work directly with tailors, the company purchases high-end fabrics at wholesale prices and doesn't need inventory or a storefront. That innovation reduces their price point from thousands to hundreds. They’ve developed a "measurement verification calculator" tool, a database of body dimensions that catches inaccuracies in a client's self-reported dimensions.
"Trying to fix [a suit] after the fact can be difficult and takes a lot of time," explains Chung. "We do a lot of work upfront."
With their newly launched winter collection, 7 Regent Lane has branched out from suits into fully customizable formal wear and men's accessories.
Source: Karen Chung, 7 Regent Lane
Writer: Dana Henry