When it comes to dress shirts, one size does not fit all, and finding a dress shirt that fits is even more difficult if you do not fit into the traditional, American dress shirt sizes. Nimble Made is creating high quality, “actually slim” dress shirts that fit right off the rack. Designed with the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in mind, Nimble Made’s cofounders (who are both members of this community) realized that the fashion industry did not cater to AAPI slimmer frames and proportions. Nimble Made’s sizes are based on height and weight, rather than the traditional industry standard of neck and sleeve length, and it has 6 slim sizes, ranging from N0 to N5.
AlleyWatch interviewed Cofounder Tanya Zhang to learn more about Nimble Made.
Tell us about the product or service that Nimble Made offers.
Nimble Made is a direct-to-consumer “Actually Slim Fit” dress shirt brand. While the dress shirt industry still uses “neck & sleeve length” to determine sizes, our unique sizes are a function of height and weight with a trimmed shirt length, sleeve length, and back/shoulders for a better slim fit. We strive for more size inclusion and AAPI representation in fashion to include men of all body types, starting with a slim fit that actually fits.
We have 6 actually slim sizes that scale numerically from smallest to largest, N0 to N5, and are a function of height and weight. Wesley, my cofounder, is 5’5” around 140 lbs and he wears the N2 size. We have a size calculator on our website, where we actually recommend one of our slim sizes! We believe height and weight to be a better indication of fit – especially when it comes to a better slim fit.
What inspired the start of Nimble Made?
My cofounder Wesley Kang is a slimmer Taiwanese-American, who was working in finance and had to wear a dress shirt every day to work. He often had a hard time finding a well-fitting dress shirt off-the-rack that fit his build, at 5’5” in height and 140 lbs in weight.
I saw the same issue with my father who immigrated to the states from China and always stated that “American dress shirts didn’t fit [him]” because they were either too baggy, long in length, or had excess fabric when tucked at the waist.
Traditional dress shirt retailers size through a function of neck size and sleeve length e.g. 14.5” neck / 32 sleeve length (usually the smallest size offered… which was still too large for Wesley) and we knew we could create something better for slimmer guys who’ve felt left out by the dress shirt industry.
We came up with the idea in March 2018 to create high quality “actually slim” dress shirts that fit off-the-rack without a tailor, but our greater mission is increasing Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) representation in fashion.
How is Nimble Made different?
Our dress shirts cater to a niche of slim men who have traditionally bought custom-fit clothing or needed to get their shirts tailored/hemmed. With a trimmed chest/back, shorter sleeves and shirt length and a more tapered waist, our dress shirts eliminate excess bagginess for a better slim fit.
We hold a very bold narrative of striving for more Asian American Pacific Islander/AAPI representation and size inclusion in fashion. We strive to increase cultural awareness for our Asian American heritage through Nimble Made, so we name the dress shirts after symbols and themes in Asian culture. For example, our pink dress shirt is called the New Year after Lunar New Year and the tradition of wearing new red clothes for celebration.
What market does Nimble Made target and how big is it?
There is a $202M market size when looking at AAPIs who behaviorally purchase men’s business clothing online.
What is the business model?
We have a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business model.
Who do you consider to be your primary competitors?
Our primary competitors are other men’s shirt brands that cater to a similar niche. Many D2C e-commerce brands like Ash & Eerie and Peter Manning create shirts specifically for shorter men which has some overlap with our market.
You are seconds away from signing up for the hottest list in New York Tech! Join the millions and keep up with the stories shaping entrepreneurship. Sign up today
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within six months?
In the next 3-6 months, we aim to:
1) Increase website traffic through SEO via building backlinks, curating relevant, targeted blog posts supported by keyword research, and an increased spend on securing press placements. We’ve seen success in leveraging our brand narrative as Asian American founders striving for more representation from our past features in HuffPost, MONEY Magazine, Yahoo, etc.
2) We aim to expand our product selection to include more casual shirts in additional styles such as short sleeves and mandarin collars to cater to customer demands and generate growth in sales. We’ve learned that many of our customers work in a more casual setting and are looking for greater variety. An expanded casual shirt offering will prepare us for the summer season and Q4 2020.
What is the one piece of startup advice that you never got?
Nothing is as you expect it to be. From finding idea validation to gathering data to awaiting inventory–all take so much more time than one expects it to. When working in a corporate role, there’s always some form of validation, whether that’s getting feedback from a supervisor or receiving a paycheck at the end of the day. With a startup––especially a team of 2––it’s easy to get restless when trying to reach the next milestone. Navigating one’s first venture is truly a test of patience.
If you could be put in touch with anyone in the New York community who would it be and why?
I’m a big fan of Jennifer Rubio, cofounder of Away, and would love to chat with her about navigating entrepreneurship and a D2C brand as a fellow Asian woman.
Why did you launch in New York?
We launched in New York because that’s where my cofounder Wesley and I met. We were both working our corporate jobs in Manhattan when we decided to quit to pursue Nimble Made full time. New York City is an environment of non-stop hustlers, who constantly inspire us during our entrepreneurial journey, and we’re able to draw inspiration and resources from such a creative community of artists. Sourcing quality photographers and models, for example, was quick and easy, helping us get to an MVP stage fast. The Asian American community in NYC has been very supportive and hands-on in spreading the word about Nimble Made. We’ve also been able to partner with like-minded organizations for our organic grassroots marketing to build a solid foundation of a customer base and support.
The Asian American community in NYC has been very supportive and hands-on in spreading the word about Nimble Made. We’ve also been able to partner with like-minded organizations for our organic grassroots marketing to build a solid foundation of a customer base and support.
What’s your favorite restaurant in the city?
My favorite restaurant is Vietnaam on the Upper East Side. I go at least once a week for some authentic Vietnamese food. Highly recommend their #22 family recipe noodle soup and their pho!
You are seconds away from signing up for the hottest list in New York Tech! Join the millions and keep up with the stories shaping entrepreneurship. Sign up today
