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S3 Ep17: Tailoring Success - A Chat with Adam Groh
42 Plays16 days ago
In this episode of the Dial It In podcast, host Trygve, joined by producers Andy and Nicole, discusses fashion with their guest Adam Groh, founder of Acme Clothiers. The conversation highlights Adam's journey from working in various industries to creating custom-made suits that exude confidence and precision. Adam explains the differences between off-the-rack and custom clothing, emphasizing the comfort, fit, and personalized experience that custom garments provide. The episode covers key wardrobe staples for professional men, the significance of dress and presentation, and insights into the growth of the custom clothing industry. Additionally, Trygve shares his personal challenges with finding well-fitting shirts and explores future fashion trends. The episode concludes with Adam providing information on how listeners can connect with him and Acme Clothiers online.
Connect with Adam:
@MN_gent
@AcmeClothiers
AcmeClothiers.com
LInkedIn
…
Dial It In Podcast is where we gathered our favorite people together to share their advice on how to drive revenue, through storytelling and without the boring sales jargon. Our primary focus is marketing and sales for manufacturing and B2B service businesses, but we’ll cover topics across the entire spectrum of business. This isn’t a deep, naval-gazing show… we like to have lively chats that are fun, and full of useful insights. Brought to you by BizzyWeb.
Links:
Website: dialitinpodcast.com
BizzyWeb site: bizzyweb.com
Connect with Dave Meyer
Connect with Trygve Olsen
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Dial It In' Podcast
00:00:01
Speaker
and
00:00:06
Speaker
used to Welcome to Dial It In, a podcast where we talk to fascinating people about marketing, sales, process improvements, and the tricks that they use to grow their businesses. Join me, Dave Meyer, home trick the ocean of fizzy web, as we bring you interviews on how the best in their field are dialing it in from their organization. Let's ring up another episode.
00:00:29
Speaker
and a Gentlemen, um what are you wearing? Trigby, what do what do you have on today? I'm just wearing my normal outfit. It's not enough. and No, it's it's enough. It looks like it maybe doesn't go together. Plaid and flannel? I don't know. It's a camera. It's not flannel. It's a Ralph Lauren pullover. It's a fancy way of saying sweatshirt.
00:01:00
Speaker
Oh, at least it's the quarter zip. Now it makes more sense. No wonder you guys look comfortable. Okay. Right. I'm looking at Andy. Did you just get back from the gym? It's Friday. we We are allowed to wear this.
Interview with Adam Grow of ACME Clothiers
00:01:11
Speaker
um We have an internationally known clothing expert who's on the pod today. And this is what you this is what you came to work wearing. You couldn't have thrown on a collared shirt or anything.
00:01:21
Speaker
I forgot we don't even pop it. Don't put the collar down. You don't do not pop the shirt. Oh geez. All right. Hey, I'm Trigby. This is another episode of dial it in with me, our producers, Andy and Nicole today. And I'm super excited about our guests. But before we get to that, we do our today's episode is sponsored by our friends at data quick, the ultimate tool for HubSpot CRM administrators and data architects.
00:01:44
Speaker
DataQuik seamlessly exports your HubSpot CRM architecture into an interactive user-friendly map, streamlining data mapping, cleanup, and organization. With DataQuik, you can quickly identify and manage every object, property, and dropdown value in your portal, saving valuable time and reducing manual effort. Experience efficient data management and ensure accuracy with DataQuik. Visit dataquik.co to get started today.
00:02:14
Speaker
And they're turning into a long time sponsor. So that's great that they're so seriously, you don't want to change or anything. Andy, this is what you're going with before we bring our guests. This is me. This is me today. This is what you got. Okay. All right.
Adam's Journey in Menswear Industry
00:02:28
Speaker
I'm super excited. I met this guy about a month ago and he is one of the most genuine people that I've met a long time. And I was immediately wanted to have him on the podcast. And I'm grow as the founder of ACME Clothiers, a modern clothier dedicated to creating personalized custom made suits.
00:02:44
Speaker
for men that exude confidence, precision, and timeless style. From humble beginnings to crafting high end pieces for discerning clients, Adam's journey has been fueled by a passion for exceptional craftsmanship and one-on-one service. To me, Clothier's Adam is redefining why what we wear matters, blending artistry and personal connection to deliver custom clothing experiences that help clients look and feel their very best.
Importance of Custom Clothing
00:03:12
Speaker
Adam, thanks for joining us today.
00:03:14
Speaker
Thank you, Trigby. That's really kind words and it means a lot to hear that. I am not quite old enough necessarily to say I've had a long journey, but it has been up and down and been all around. So thank you. To kick things off, tell us a little bit about you and how you i decided to get into starting your own clothier.
00:03:34
Speaker
Sure, I'm 21, and I've been around the industry for a little while, but I haven't actually been working within it until about two and a half, three years ago now, where I started at Jaime's Epidastery. And even through that job, I had not ever once had a single resume built, so I really fell into it.
00:03:49
Speaker
Before even that, I was a laborer for four years working laying sod at the commercial construction level. And so I really wasn't necessarily able to wear, I guess you could say fashionable or stylish clothes day to day, but I always had a passion for it. All the way through high school, I like to say probably about eight years now is I've been spent understanding the men's industry, learning more about it, fabric, clothing, how we've come to where we are now in society with dressing.
00:04:12
Speaker
So to fast forward again to Jaime's, I did that for two and a half, three years, helped over 400, 500 different people make outfits, design specific one off piece of the clothing. And I really, in the last six months especially, learned how to convince people that good tailoring and fantastic fabric, fantastic craftsmanship is worth your time because it's something you get to keep forever.
00:04:37
Speaker
And it was really quite fun to do that. So I wanted to be able to do it at an even higher level than I was allowed to in the retail space with more control over who gets to see what I do, who gets to work with me and build a company that people want to work for at the end of the day. Now, I think I'm still a solopreneur at the moment, but the goal is to scale this hopefully massively and build a fun company that's dedicated to making the best clothing and no holds barred. I'm not a budget person by any means. I am definitely somebody who loves the luxuries of the world. Everything from pens to suits and such, but I think there's a certain amount as well. And I guess more about me, I'm only 21. I grew up in a small town of Welch, Minnesota, about 53 people. So I'm really coming from the countryside to something a little bit bigger than that.
Personalized Service Approach
00:05:26
Speaker
gotcha So everybody at home who isn't necessarily ah in the men's fashion in Minnesota, Jaime's Habbard, actually is a sort of a well-known custom clothier manufacturer here in in Minnesota, where you go and they've they've got the old-timey barber with the handlebar mustache. She'll give you a straight razor shave and you don't look at suits, you look at cloth cloth and then they do all the measurements and stuff. And that's the dream is e for most professional men is to go down there and to get something made and live that that life, that old school life of the 40s and 50s to have a really amazing suit. But you're going past that because you don't even have a retail space anymore. You come directly to people's houses right correct yeah mit and meet them at a custom level.
00:06:11
Speaker
Correct. So it meets them at a more personal level, allows me to give more to that person. So for instance, because I am so much more focused on the individual customer, being I'm making one off pieces for you that have to speak to your personality, your interest, what your goals are as in like, are you trying to make your personal image stronger? Are you trying to feel more subdued?
00:06:30
Speaker
What are the colors you're going for? And with that, then, not only do I make people with the clothing, but I also write a full guide for each customer that works with me for the next pieces I'd recommend, how to wear them in pictured outfits. I draw out the suit design, the shirt jacket design, and I match that with the fabrics and linings and such as well. So it's really a all-encompassing way to make dressing easier at a quality level that is uncompromising. And that's part of what I'm really trying to do.
00:06:58
Speaker
So you said something in there real quick that I want to pause and take back on just a little bit. You said you write a guide for them. Is that like a style guide? This shirt goes with this jacket, with these pants, with these shoes, or what's that guide look like?
00:07:12
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. So it's not necessarily a rule book, but it's a guide. And being it is a guide, it's where you can start to be like, this is what I want to make for you. And here's how you would wear it in case you don't think you could wear it for some reason. Because a lot of the big overcomes you have to get over when making clothes for people is they just don't know how to wear clothes because we've been so far out of practice with wearing tailored clothing or just clothing. We feel really amazing in A4 that it helps to build that and show somebody and give them the confidence in what they're wearing.
00:07:43
Speaker
like Why does what we wear matter so much? That's a really common theme with what I talk about, especially on LinkedIn. If you follow me, what we wear matters because in the first three seconds of meeting somebody, that first second a half, you don't even say a word. You just look up and down at them, starting with their shoes to their face and decide if you like them or not. So if someone's disheveled, you've already started off on the wrong foot. And there's very few things that you have direct control over in the world when meeting a person.
Impact of Clothing on Confidence
00:08:09
Speaker
And it really comes down to,
00:08:11
Speaker
How do you look? What are you wearing? Do you smell? And then what are the first four words you say? It just comes down to the five senses. It's not like you're going to be able to touch somebody if that brings it down to smell, touch and eyesight and hearing. Okay. Adam, how can, how does clothing shape people's confidence and even though their professional success?
00:08:34
Speaker
Oh, it's huge. People often complain that they're ignored at the workplace or that they feel like they're not heard or not noticed and then wonder why, but they don't look at themselves first necessarily. They want to push it on to other people because it's really easy to do that, understandably. But oftentimes, just by putting on clothing you really feel good in, you'll instantly lift your mood, your confidence, et cetera, and so forth.
00:08:59
Speaker
just by wearing something different, because it's almost like putting on a suit of armor. like My favorite suit, for instance, when I first got into this was a double-breasted, and you literally have to cross the suit over, and it really feels like you have layers between you and the rest of the world, and it gives you a lot of presence. It's really a powerful thing. Now, I'm not saying everyone has to have a double-breasted suit, but like a chunky sweater can have a similar effect, or a really cool dress shirt and linen in the summertime to feel like you're just a step above everybody else.
00:09:25
Speaker
And that's not to say you're superior, but when, excuse me, you've set yourself apart visually, it's hard not to feel like you're special in some kind of way. The adage of dress for success is a real thing. Yeah. And I think a lot of adages come from something that's true, whether or not they've remained that way. But I think in dress for success, it's remained a true fact for history.
00:09:48
Speaker
One of the, one of the rules that I was taught at a very early age is in in your entire wardrobe, you should always dress one step above the people you're with. So if it's business casual, wear a suit. and but If it's casual, wear business casual. If it's casual, wear business casual and look nice. And that's always done well for me when I'm clients.
Expanding Influence at Pitti Uomo
00:10:11
Speaker
Adam, let's push you around a little and make sure that everybody appreciates your bonafide. So you're going on a vacation soon, a couple of weeks here. Yeah. Are you going to Orlando, the Epcot, or where are you going? So I'll be going ah back to Italy for the second time to an event called Pitti Omo. I believe it's Pitti 108 now, but essentially what it is, is it's a men's trade show that has grown to become the Mecca of menswear influencers, brands, and anybody who's trying to either be interested in the world of menswear or grow up in it.
00:10:41
Speaker
So I just started like the men's were influencer thing nine months ago, 10 months ago now last March. And I just crossed over 1400 followers like two weeks ago, which was really fun. But I really invested in going to Italy to meet people. And that's the biggest thing because your network is your net worth. And I think there's something true to that.
00:11:00
Speaker
So you go to this city called Florence in not quite all the way north of Italy, but in the more northern part of Italy and in the province of Tuscany, the wine country. And Florence is very well known for its architecture and its art specifically from the Medicis.
00:11:17
Speaker
But I go there to meet other menswear influencers, people who are much more successful than I am, so I have something to shoot for and learn from, and to feel like you're in a community. Because the menswear community isn't necessarily large in the Twin Cities, and it's fun to meet the best of the best and feel like you're really part of that community, even though you're quite the small fish in comparison. So it's like ah it's like a trade show for menswear.
00:11:42
Speaker
Yeah, it effectively is a trade show for men's wear. And if you've ever been to a trade show in any industry, it's pretty similar that you're going to wake up at six, make all your content, post it by eight, hopefully so that the American market gets to see everything. Go to the Foteza at nine, meet at the coffee shop, walk as a group, because I'm part of a club that goes there to the Foteza.
00:12:02
Speaker
sit at the Fortezza, pose, talk to your friends till probably about noon. Then I'm going to be walking around the show to meet the brands I want to pull in to act me so I can have more options for my customers. And then you go to dinner at eight or nine, cause it's Italy. You eat and drink until maybe 11. Then you go to the bar, the fiddlers elbow, and you're there until two, 3 AM m sitting there drinking lager or whatever else is going on.
00:12:27
Speaker
all while wearing high very very expensive suits and men's. So I guess the person I would have is just, is it impolitic? Is it impolite to bring a tide pen just in case? Because Italian food and I don't generally mix.
00:12:43
Speaker
No, I wouldn't say it is impolite. And even though I tend to wear more expensive clothing, it's not necessarily necessary to wear expensive clothing. The biggest thing at Pitti is to own your style and to show up in a way that is creative. That's not to say that a navy suit is bad. You can still wear a navy suit in a more creative way. And of course, there's all the people who are just there for the trade show as well, who show up in their sweats and their normal shirts and such.
00:13:10
Speaker
But to really have fun with it, you can do your vintage looks if you want, your new looks that you're trying to debut. It's just about networking and trying to look your best. I literally like having new clothes because I just don't have the patience for vintage, but there is still a place out there for vintage. So is Pitti a little bit similar to Fashion Week or something like that on the other side? Similar to but not nearly as stuffy, I guess you could say. So Fashion Week tends to be more of the truly luxury and just like the high luxury industry versus the artisan luxury industry, I would say are two different worlds. So like Fashion Week is going to include the brands that are at pity, but to a lesser degree, most of the time, and then add in stuff like Ralph Lauren's going to be at the Fashion Week, Louis M as a lot of the people that classic, a lot of things that people normally associate luxury brands with.
00:14:05
Speaker
versus Pitti is going to be more boutique brands, people who are in the world of classic menswear and tailoring and artisans. So that is a little bit different. And Pitti tends to be a lot more welcoming to newcomers, whereas for Fashion Week, you truly need to be invited either as a customer or a big time producer of content. I think Fashion Week is more of is not always ready to wear clothing because I myself am a longtime fan of Project Runway because I enjoy creativity in the workplace. and Also, one of my life's goals is to have Tim Gunn check in on me, but Fashion Week is usually highly experimental or avant-garde or for Nicole's sake, ah weird. But and what you're talking about is actual practical high level applications, not just how can we make a tie weird ah for spring. Okay. Yeah. Cause Fashion Week is much more focused on truly the fashion of clothing, like you said, the artistic expression, whereas Pity is a lot more down to earth feeling.
00:15:06
Speaker
Gotcha. Sounds like that the the pity one is more of a networking the event and really being authentic in the brand that you have and the and authentic in who you are and meeting people. It's really what it sounds like. So Adam, what as as the officially branded clothier of the Madeleine and podcast, what are some key word of staples that every professional man should really have to and ensure they're always dressed for success at work?
00:15:35
Speaker
Sure, big things are it depends on where you work, right? So if you're in a professional environment, if you're a lawyer, a realtor, etc. There's a couple things I think all men should have, so I would start with a navy suit and a white shirt, and then a tie in a different color such as brown, rust, or maybe purple, just to give you at least one core outfit they can wear to your weddings, your funerals, and all that. I think all men need at least that outfit with a pair of black or dark brown oxfords, which would be your shoot.
00:16:05
Speaker
ah Aside from that, I think a really good pair of dark denim jeans. I wear a Japanese selvedge denim. I don't think everyone needs that, but I do believe in buying denim jeans that don't have stretch in them and just making sure they have a big enough leg so that they don't... Did you say Japanese selvedge denim? Yes, selvedge denim. It's just a different way of weaving denim. So what the Japanese did is they effectively kept their looms from the 60s, 70s and earlier, which creates a fabric that's a lot more unique and inconsistent.
00:16:33
Speaker
And they also have a couple of things that are different, like it's a stiffer fabric, but then it breaks in really soft once you've worn it enough. And one or two things there as well. There's a lot to denim and I do really love denim, but we don't necessarily need to get into it here. Got it. ah One of the things that I've noticed a lot in the last couple of years, especially as I I get really tired of wearing dress shoes is that there's been a sort of, in especially in men's fashion, there's been a reversion to wearing dark sneakers and fashion sneakers. Is that, am I right in and noticing that? Is that a thing now? it Should you guys even wear dress shoes anymore?
00:17:11
Speaker
I personally love dress shoes. I just spent a fair amount of money on proper, I say proper, on nice dress shoes this last year. So I got two pairs of oxfords from a brand called Carmina. They're out of Mallorca, Spain. And then I got a pair of loafers from Badouin and Long out of England. And I truly think dress shoes can be very comfortable as long as you know what you're looking for and what to buy and then making sure you understand you have to break them in because I can really mess your feet up if you don't give your feet the time.
00:17:41
Speaker
Now, I don't think sneakers are necessarily a wrong way to dress. I don't necessarily believe in telling people you're wrong for dressing a certain way. I think there's certain ways of dressing that are just more more coherent than necessarily wearing sneakers, but I'm not against wearing like vans with my suits, for instance, in a more casual sense.
00:17:59
Speaker
I think where people run into trouble with a Cole Han for example with a leather upper and then like a white cream sole is it draws your eyes down and it doesn't help you because the point of dressing and menswear is not only to look good but then draw the eyes up to the face because you want people to look at your face and what you're saying because that's what naturally people want to stare at anyway is your eyes. So that's why when you're cutting a video together you don't start up here and then drop down to the right and then pop back up top because it disorients people and it's not comfortable.
The Art of Shoe Choices
00:18:28
Speaker
So by having a shoe that's bright white at the bottom of your outfit and everything else is dark, it really drags your eyes down instead of up. And you don't want people looking at your feet. You want them up at your face. Gotcha.
00:18:41
Speaker
That's, that's funny because I typically wear really loud and obnoxious shoes and I have for 20 years and most of my professional life noted. Okay. X-nay on the Eaker Snaes. So you talked about the importance of having a Navy suit. What other staples should most men really have in order to build out?
00:19:00
Speaker
Right now, my mind's in fall-winter mode because we're in winter up here in Minnesota. so I think the navy suit's a good thing to have. If you want a good casual jacket that you can still dress up, I think a navy pea coat, either surplus or some other brands, is really good. I got mine for $40 on Facebook. It's a cheap, easy way to stay warm in the winter and still look really stylish and you can wear it with jeans and denim and still have some fun with it.
00:19:23
Speaker
Then the next pair, I'd have a pair of khaki trousers just to have as your sort of business casual trouser. And then I'd probably look to have one or two casual dress shirts you can wear that aren't necessarily formal, but could be dressed up that way. Something in maybe an Oxford cloth. I'm a big fan of lavender because it's a strong enough color on its own, but not so strong that it can't work against just about any skin tone. Me too. And for shoes, I think all men should have a dark brown Oxford at the least. I got away with a dark brown shoe for a long time because I think it's the most versatile shoe to own personally.
00:20:03
Speaker
And then I would also say that you should have maybe one or two suede pairs of shoes because they're a lot softer, real very breathable and they're very beatable. So they, if you buy a good suede shoe, they don't stain as easily as people like to think. So it's a great comfortable shoe. Like I have a pair of suede loafers. I've really beat up by now, but I just wear them when I don't want to either put socks on and I'm being lazy or just won't drop a pair of shoes on and just go out the door rather than lacing something.
00:20:31
Speaker
I've always been afraid of having suede, mostly because I didn't want to emulate Elvis, but also just the waterproof nature of it that that I felt like it would discolor. Is that not, am I am i wrong in it?
00:20:43
Speaker
So a suede can discolor. It absolutely can. And it depends a little bit on what color of the suede it is. Like a dark brown suede. It's harder to discolor that because it's already so dark, similarly with a black. If you're having like a light tan suede, it's a lot easier to stain that, of course. But I have a camel suede jacket I just wore recently and got a little bit wet. But as long as you allow the jacket to dry out naturally,
00:21:05
Speaker
it should work out fine. Now, I'm not saying you should soak your clothing through. I'm certainly not saying you should try to get your suede wet, but a little bit of water typically doesn't ruin your suede.
00:21:17
Speaker
try As long as it's a quality piece, I will say that cheaper clothing, of course, doesn't always last as well as a little bit more costly stuff does. And I want to spend a good amount of time talking about how to tell about quality, but I i have ah stupid questions to ask first from our our listeners. Andy W. from Oshkosh, Wisconsin asks, what's the deal with cashmere and should I invest? Sure. So cashmere is something I've gone a little bit more into recently.
00:21:45
Speaker
Cashmere comes from a specific type of goat that's native to Mongolia. Now, cashmere is also raised in China and India currently. And what makes it so special is that it's very soft and it is luxury because it has a certain amount of exclusivity to it, at least originally. Now, that's starting to become less and less true as cashmere is becoming a huge industry across multiple different countries.
00:22:10
Speaker
And it's actually gotten to the point now where it's become almost a problem to a lot of these countries because Kashmir, if you know what a goat is, they tend to tear up everything as they go by. And so because of that, there's a lot of environments across multiple different countries that are getting absolutely ravaged, causing huge ecological problems because we're breeding these cashmere goats to supply the luxury industry. And cashmere is a great fabric. There's nothing necessarily wrong with the fabric, but we're starting to overuse it. So I do love cashmere and I think it's a great fiber.
00:22:40
Speaker
I just don't necessarily think it's as necessary as people like to think it is. It's a great staple for luxury. It is very soft. It's very warm. But I think just regular wools can achieve a really similar effect as long as you're just willing to look into it.
00:22:55
Speaker
That's not to say you shouldn't buy cashmere, but I do think it just needs some thought because you need to make sure you're buying from a reputable person who is sustainably gathering what they're making versus just building out a huge flock causing rampant destruction across other people's places.
00:23:13
Speaker
I have so many my Mongolian goat questions now that I want to ask. So it is is that kind of like how like champagne is like when is so that the real cashmere comes from Mongolia, but there's fake cashmere that comes from Mexico or something like that. It's just somebody with a goat and a pasture and It's not necessarily that it's fake if it's not from Mongolia. It's more so, are you responsibly raising your goats and not overusing the land you're on? Because like I said, Kashmir is just a breed of goat. It's not necessarily a region. oh yeah and Real Champagne is only from one particular region in France. Everything else is just considered sparkling white. Correct. that so There's not the case where you have to get the Mongolian stuff.
00:23:58
Speaker
No, it's not that's not certainly the case. Now, it might be more and might be nicer just to support the people in Mongolia if you want to try and not be supporting like China or India who are already in huge countries on their own. You're trying to support necessarily a more like close to home artisan. But I don't think it's necessarily wrong to go from China or India. I just think it's worth making sure the supply that you're getting is done in an ethical way.
00:24:23
Speaker
It's just so utterly surprising that you talk about Mongolia, because one of the things that I'm famous for that Andy always rolls as I, it's about where where we're building websites is when we're talking about like a Minnesota based business, I usually recommend the Mongolian domain name. So you get a Canadian domain name, it's dot .ca. If you get one from the UK, it's that .uk. But if you get one from Mongolia, it's .mn. So if it's a Minnesota based business, you can have a ostensibly a Minnesota address, but and people always... I lose people when I start talking about Mongolia. Okay, cool. to Back to Agme and back to why somebody would come to you as opposed to go to the men's warehouse. So what are some of the fundamental differences but between buying off the rack and getting a custom made piece?
00:25:08
Speaker
Sure, I think the first biggest difference is your comfort. When you do something custom, you can just do so much more with the pattern and by the pattern to fit than you can off the rack. because When you do something off the rack, you have to cut the garment down or let it out to fit you.
00:25:24
Speaker
And there's only so much you can do with that, especially if you're very tall, or you're stout, or you're short. There's only so much you can get away with, and there's nothing necessarily wrong with the person. It's just the limits of clothing. Because Off the Rack is designed for the average person, or the average American currently, which is a different cut from Asia average to Britain average, etc.
00:25:46
Speaker
Whereas custom, it is altered and cut to you from the start. So instead of having a pattern and a suit that you then adjust down to fit you, it's already cut from the cloth to fit you, or at least a lot closer to fitting you if there's needing extra alterations on top of the first fitting.
00:26:06
Speaker
And then the next part of custom is it allows you to do whatever you want with making clothing. Because when you're doing something off the rack, you're beholden to what the mass is like, not necessarily what you like. And so it allows you to have something more unique that serves your goals more accurately.
00:26:24
Speaker
I have always wanted a pinstripe suit, but because I'm such a big guy, I feel like I'd look like Babe Ruth or and like an actual jail sale walking around, but I've always thought about that. Okay. So following up, so let's talk about me for a second. In the last 18 months, I've lost close to 60 pounds of investing in a suit.
00:26:45
Speaker
at a certain weight, what are my options if I suddenly drop a lot of weight? Does that mean that I have to buy or is it still something that can be tailored, work with my body as my body changes? Sure. so it's a big It's dependent on how much weight and where do you lose the weight from. For instance, I've gained probably 15 pounds in muscle mass from when I started two years ago in menswear. My first suit I made six months into working at High Amaze and I still own that suit now.
00:27:15
Speaker
With that said, that blue suit I made at first is a little tight now because I gained 15 pounds. The rule of thumb is 10 pounds is typically an inch change all around in your sizing.
00:27:27
Speaker
So if you go and lose 20 pounds on me, 20 pounds is the size because menswear in America is measured off of your chest size here and inches. So for instance, I'm a 42 here and I started as a 40. That then means that my original cut is probably a little bit too tight for me to want to cut that now. Now that's not to say you can't let it out because with custom because it starts so much closer to where you need it to be.
00:27:52
Speaker
You typically get a little bit more room to let out and you get a little bit more play in the fitting because it's started closer and it gives you more chance to let it out as you gain. Now conversely, if you're losing weight, if you're losing it all, excuse me, out of the waist here, you can cut the waist in more aggressively than you can any other part of a jacket up to a point though, because if you cut it in so far that you're really making the jacket look disproportionate, then you're stuck. Because what will happen a lot of times, especially on dudes who lost a ton of weight, is your shoulders start to look like this big Tostitos Dorito chip.
00:28:26
Speaker
don't want at either because when you lose weight, not only do you lose it from your waist, typically your shoulders start to shrink as well. Your point to point as we would call it from shoulder bone to shoulder. to the people at home. Can you give a couple definitions? What is taking in and cutting out? Sure. So when you take in the waste of a jacket, all that means is if you imagine where the buttoning point is on a coat, you are shrinking that down. You're making the waist thinner. Whereas letting it out is you pop open the seam and typically a jacket has another half an inch in the sides to let and add to the waist of a coat.
00:29:01
Speaker
Not how much you can take it in or let it out varies from brand to brand based on how much allowance they give you inside the jacket. Gotcha. Okay. So does that go for the lining as well as the jackets then too? Did they give you a proportional amount on the lining? Typically your lining is also added in when they give you that extra on the inside for fabric. Interesting. Okay.
00:29:24
Speaker
theres there's clearly a a big difference between off the rack and custom. Certainly there's, if it's done, it can, to a certain extent, it can grow with you because you give a very, and one of the reasons why we had you on is your level intimacy and customer service and the unique experience you offer is so different than just going to men's warehouse or even to a higher end place in town.
ACME Clothiers Consultation Process
00:29:47
Speaker
So if somebody reaches out through your websites is yes, I'd like a consultation to walk us through what happens.
00:29:53
Speaker
sure. So to walk through the full process, the first thing I have as an offer is I have a 30 minute free phone call with me, a video call where I give you what I would do differently if I was restarting from total zero. That's a state blanket document that anyone and everyone can get if they want a phone call with me. Next thing from there, of course, if you want to work with me is the hour appointment in person. So I'll meet you at your office, your home, your favorite golf club, if you'd like, and we'll sit down, have a conversation about what you want to make and I'll size you and go from there. Now,
00:30:23
Speaker
After that, you'll also receive within a week the guide I'll personally write for you on how to wear the clothes, what I would recommend as next steps, and what's next we should design for you with your goals and mind. And I also tend to give just a fun definition. So for a client I'm hoping to get here soon. I designed their wardrobe as naturally elegant or something similar to that because he's from the green industry. So he was a landscaper and now he works in software. So I want to try and maybe imbue some brown tones, some greens, but still maintain the gray and blues that software is known for. So there's, that's the first step is design fit. Make you feel like you're truly being taken care of at a level that shows you that I care because I really do. I want to make more clothes and I can only make more clothes if I have more people that like me.
00:31:10
Speaker
Next step, it all comes in from Italy or New Jersey, and I fit it to you, and I make sure it's exactly where I need it to be, and if it isn't, I'll either have it altered, I'll pin it, I do all that, I'm very experienced in the pinning after doing it for two years, I'll have a tailor alter it for me, or if it needs to be, I can totally remake a garment, and I will never charge a customer for a remake. Of course, that's not the gold remake of garment.
00:31:34
Speaker
but just shows the dedication that I'm willing to entirely make a second garment, ruin my profits, just that person can have the garment they deserve. So when you go in for the initial interview and that, how do you determine what that so what that look is for that person? What does that process look like?
00:31:55
Speaker
Sure, so it all starts with the question, what is your goal, right? What are you looking to look like? Are you looking to be feeling more confident? Are you trying to feel more open and relaxed to people? What is the aesthetic you're going for? And I think that's probably one of the most important questions because I can't infer who you are just by meeting you in a five minute conversation. It's up to the client to tell me. Now, I can, of course, give recommendations like you don't have this already, you should have XYZ.
00:32:24
Speaker
after doing this for a few years and being a fan for eight, I like to think I understand what most men at least should have, and then we build from there. How long does the ah long does the whole process take from when you come over and start fitting me to when does my new suit arrive?
00:32:39
Speaker
Sure. So first appointment, one hour. The shirts tend to come back anywhere between four to six weeks. And then the suits tend to come back six to eight weeks at the very latest, depending on what we are doing. I have my platinum level, which goes all the way up to 10,000. If you really want to have a beautiful luxury handmade suit entirely. Do you get to keep the goat at that level?
00:33:01
Speaker
yeah No, you don't get to keep a gulp. You do you get to keep one of Italy's finest fabrics, which is Lotta Piana, and they were just bought by Ludi Vaton Group, so it really shows that they are a proper luxury house. And then you get to have a suit entirely hand-sewn for you by a few individuals in Italy. And I'm meeting all these people too, so I know them personally.
00:33:23
Speaker
And then the next level down would be what I call the gold level, where it has some machine work done, but a few more hand details like handmade buttonholes, hand sewn collars, and armholes. It just creates more softness. The more handwork you have, the more softer your garment is because your human hand knows when to stop pulling on a thread, whereas a machine doesn't know when to stop pulling as easily. So your machine-made garments are stiffer.
00:33:49
Speaker
And then in my entry level is the silver, and that tends to be more around like that 2,200. And we go anywhere from 22 to 10, of course. So the silver level at the bare minimum, it's still fully canvassed, hand-sewn collars, hand-sewn armholes, and still the same quality of fabric. I don't outsource fabrics to China or anywhere that isn't EU because I want my fabrics coming from either Britain or Italy because they are simply, in my opinion, some of the best in the world. And I trust them.
00:34:19
Speaker
yeah yeah the that there's There's always a tipping point in any investment strategy, and especially if you're doubling down in your own personal brand, like ah investing in a higher level of clothing. What are some of the indicators that people should really start thinking about a higher level of clothing experience?
00:34:39
Speaker
If you feel like you don't fit in your clothes ever, you probably need custom. If you're six foot five, you just feel like you never have been taken care of the way you need it, that's a great sign. And then secondly, a very common male archetype is that 40, that 50 year old who's dressed kind of so their entire life.
00:35:02
Speaker
And it's just gotten to the point where maybe they've lost a ton of weight and they're like, Hey, I feel really good. Why don't I change how I look now too? Because their body has now become something totally different. They feel so much more confident, but then their clothing and isn't supporting them in that same way. So if you're feeling super confident in yourself and you've just gone through something big, maybe it's then time to change your look and to upgrade that as well. yeah That's a really good question though. I need to come up with something better than that.
00:35:28
Speaker
I, I'll give you an example. like I struggle a lot with wearing colored shirts because I have a 21 inch. I had a medical catastrophe 18 years ago, where I was in, I was in the waking coma basically for a week. And ever since then, I've never, I've had a.
00:35:47
Speaker
neck of a New Jersey leg breaker since then. and so Finding things that I can actually close, put a tight put a necktie on. I used to love wearing neckties. I love i have an extensive collection of gorgeous neckties, but I've never been able to really do that since then. so that's that That's always been an indicator for me. it's just even because the the The problem is when in order to fit, I have just such an incredible amount of fabric around my neck. It's disproportionate with the rest of the shirt.
00:36:14
Speaker
because it it ah looks like almost like an Elizabethan color just because it's there's so much around my neck trying trying to get around so it. and Certainly the value of having that, it's the quality and the craftsmanship lasts considerably longer. by I typically buy Ralph Lauren shirts because they last longer than something that you get at Kohl's or something like that. I would expect that a custom-made shirt would last you 10 years. right Correct. Yeah, absolutely. And custom shirts, mine are specifically, I have the ability to hand sew them, which can give you the most quality, the most durability and the most comfort and softness. But the bare minimum, the collars are all sewn in by hand, shoulders are all attached by hand as well. And that just gives you a lot more flexibility. It gives you more comfort at the end user.
00:36:59
Speaker
And like you said, with custom, then you can have the collar that's proportional to your face, and you can adjust how tall that collar is, what style collar it is, and then have the body of the jacket fit you like it's supposed to. Because often guys like you who have that bigger neck feel like they're wearing a tent when they're wearing the shirt yeah because that big collar is made to fit due to our meeting that big tent.
00:37:21
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. And I don't have ah nearly the gut that I used to, so that means that I don't trust it nearly as much. Also, it's it it does you don't tend to have more of a boogie future with clothes. I want to ask Adam, you, and Andy the exact same question because you are both artists in your own right and have to deal with customer needs all at the same right. I think this is something that I'm fascinated to see the juxtaposition between the two of you so that my question is this.
00:37:49
Speaker
as somebody who makes things for a living and is trying to get a client to help a client achieve their goals. How do you balance artistry, utility, and growth?
Balancing Artistry with Customer Needs
00:38:06
Speaker
I'll let Andy go first.
00:38:10
Speaker
I think it goes back to something that Adam said earlier. you You thought I just wanted to have you on to make fun of what you wear. I don't need you to come on the podcast to do that. I can do that all them ah normally. Sure. It's really asking the questions upfront on what the client wants, making sure that you find out what those goals are, not only now, but in the future so that you can future-proof. So,
00:38:36
Speaker
Adam had said, what is the goal? Where do you want to go as a human being? On the digital side, I think it's equally as valuable to ask, where do you want to go as an organization? Are you looking to grow? Are you looking to stay the same size? Are you looking to do work to eventually sell the business? All of those are important to understand what you're going to start with and where you eventually want to end up as a as an organization with whatever work we're designing for you. All right, Adam, you're up.
00:39:07
Speaker
I agree with a lot of that. Like you said, it came ah comes down to what are your goals? What are you trying to end up with? Now, the nuances with suiting is most people aren't as educated as I am on it, and I think that's with any artist or any person trying to give a service that they know more than the customer does of the product itself, but they can't know what the customer wants at the end of the day unless they're asking the right questions.
00:39:29
Speaker
I can only advise somebody as to what I think they want and show them the way forward, but I can't make the decisions for them because at the end of the day, it is still up to them to have a suit made the way they want it to be. I have a house style that I go by and when you work with a tailor, I think it's important to consider the style that they have and to not disrespect that by going for something that's antithetical to what they have. But at the end of the day, of course, they're a paying customer and what they pay for is what they're going to get.
00:39:59
Speaker
got yeah and Yeah. I think both of you probably experienced that person who wants something wildly clashing, but they want it. So it's your job to give it to them. And it hurts a little to look at, but there it is. Yeah, but mine's a little bit easier. I don't have to put my name at the bottom of the website if I don't like it. If Adam's creating something, he's got to make sure that his name stands behind it. Certainly. I would imagine the craftsmanship isn't an issue. and Putting orange and purple together makes you look more like the Joker than it does somebody who's in high fashion.
00:40:28
Speaker
Okay, Adam, you're starting on your business journey, which is great. We're really excited that you're here today. What do you see in 2025? What are some fashion trends that you're expecting to see when you go to Italy that but we can take advantage of?
00:40:42
Speaker
A lot of what I've seen in my industry is beiges and browns are coming in. And I think that's been a trend for a while now. Those warmer, earthier tones are, they've always been okay to wear, but they're becoming more and more the norm because I think a lot of people got tired of wearing just black and gray so much, as well as we've been stuck inside so much in the last few years. I think people want to get outside and feel like they're more connected to the earth with those warmer, earthier tones.
00:41:09
Speaker
As far as what people are wearing wise, I think there's going to be more shirt jackets coming in, more sort of vintage style coming in, ah because vintage has just continually started exploding over the last few years. And I think that's not for poor reason.
00:41:24
Speaker
And lastly, I think the custom industry is experiencing a big boom because more and more people are realizing how much fun it is to make amazing clothes and to have stuff truly great for you, as well as the internet is making everybody more and more aware of it. So that's part of why I'm so excited for my social media to grow and to continue to see it have some fun because social media will only ever get bigger until everybody has it in the world. So there's so much opportunity out there for so many people to show their unique look.
00:41:53
Speaker
So with that, real quick, how do you fight against those other organizations out there like a stately or something like that has a personal shopper and is all over social media? How are you battling that with your marketing?
00:42:06
Speaker
Sure. So everyone loves the undergog. So I'll start with that. Having a small business, I think inherently gives you a little bit of an advantage because what do I have that the big organization doesn't have is I'm more flexible. I'm more invested in the individual because I am more reliant on my income to the individual person than necessarily your personal shopper is to you.
00:42:28
Speaker
as well as your personal shopper has been hired for that job and you don't necessarily know how well vetted they are. Whereas with me, it's very clear and obvious you can look me up on Instagram, on my website, on my LinkedIn. You can see the history if you want to from the beginning of my style and become more invested in knowing that you're dealing with somebody who's passionate about what they're talking oh What I think the other thing to keep in mind is if you're buying a brand brands fit differently, their idea of sizing is always completely different. And so having a personal shopper that, or or one of those companies that like bespoke box that'll send you an outfit every month.
00:43:06
Speaker
Yeah, as somebody with an unusual body type that keep it's continually getting smaller It's harder and harder for me to find clothes that I like but I feel good in and and so I'm so averse to doing That as much as I'd really like to look great all the time and this is where you guys chime in and say but you do trick
00:43:27
Speaker
Yes, absolutely. trick v All the time you look phenomenal. right We're going to have to work on our cues for the next episode. I apologize for the Friday because I forgot. Usually you're looking high and tight. Thank you. Thank you. was that So first of all, was that so hard? Second of all, I wouldn't, those kinds of things just don't appeal. I would go directly to custom because if I'm going to invest in those, I'm going to absolutely get something that works just for me. And I think the same thing holds true with websites is You can buy off the rack websites and they're going to be about 60% of what you really want. But at the end of the day, is it really going to do what you need it to do? Is it going to achieve your goals? And often the oftentime the answer is no. And that there's so much to be had in that 40% that I don't think people realize. Adam, thank you for joining us. We'd like to end each episode by giving people naked self-promotion. This is ironic considering you're a clothing expert, but where can people find you online?
Where to Find Adam Grow Online
00:44:25
Speaker
So the best place to follow me personally is mn underscore gent. That's my personal Instagram and I've had a lot of fun growing that. Otherwise you can find acmeclotheers.com, the business I've been talking about this whole time. The Instagram is acmeclotheers and then you can find me on LinkedIn as well, just adamgrow. That's the best ways to follow me. I really try to focus in on my content and to keep the channels as limited as I can to get as good as I can at creating good stuff for all of you.
00:44:52
Speaker
I thought that this is just a fascinating episode and I learned so much. Now I'm going to have to talk to my goat guy to make sure that he's being appropriately self-sustaining. So that's just wonderful. Thank you so much, Adam. Yep. nop Thanks, Adam. This has been another episode of Dial It In. I'm Trigby. Dave will be back hopefully for the next episode, but we are produced by Nicole Fairclough and Andy Wachowski. And with apologies to Tony Kornheiser, we will also try to do better the next time.