You can have it your way

Those of you who grew up in the early and mid 90s will remember the Burger King commercials that the title of this post references.  When it comes to my clothes, I am very particular (as any adult should be).  I like my everything to fit a certain way and to go with a certain aesthetic that I have developed.  Custom or made-to-measure items, have historically cost an arm and a leg, with shirts starting in the hundreds and suits starting in the thousands.  There are some companies that are out to change that though.

There are a few companies out there that are doing reasonably priced custom garments but there is one in particular that I want to focus on: Blank Label, a custom shirt company based out of Boston and Shanghai. Fan Bi is the 22 year old master mind making me question what I have done with my life in basically the same time frame behind the company that is looking to change the way guys see custom clothing.  In a market where custom shirting can cost you well over $150 for one shirt, Blank Label starts at $45 (yes a four then a five and that’s it).  You pick the fabric, the collar style, the button color, the cuffs, even what the label says!  They have simplified the measurement process as well so you don’t even have to bust out the tape measure to place your order (but if you are a stickler for fit like me, I recommend you put your specific measurements in the measurements box).  And again, they start at $45! Come pay day, please believe I will be on their shirt creator placing my first order.  You can get you shirt in anywhere from 18-20 business days (chillin’), 12-15 business days (runnin’), or 8-10 business days (rushin’).  Unless you found a brand that makes shirts that fit you perfectly for $30, there is no reason to buy off-the-rack anymore!

I have been on the hunt for the perfect dress shirt and I thought I had found it in a very well known Americans brand’s new slimmer fit.  I am a pretty tall slim guy with broad shoulders, long slim arms, and a slim waist, so its hard for me to find a shirt that fits my neck, arms, torso, AND waist.  I really wanted a simple crisp white button-down collar shirt… so I ordered one from Blank Label.  I picked the slim fit for a skinny guy decided to also give them my neck, sleeve, and waist measurements.  I got the “runnin’” shipping option and my shirt arrived on business day 15. 

The FedEx guy damn near kicked my door down when he knocked.  I was surprised to see the shirt came in a reusable tote rather than your standard plastic bag.  Blank Label, saving the planet one shirt at a time!

The shirt also came with this handwritten note from a woman named Sarah that inspected my shirt.  If there’s one thing I love, it’s a company that takes the time to hand write you notes.  It just makes you feel like they actually care about your experience with their company.

Here is the shirt out of the package.  You can tell from the blurriness of the photo, I was excited about the package… or I’m experiencing the early stages of Parkinson’s.  I’ll let you decide.

Here is the fit pic.  Ignore the folds and super small looking cuffs (that’s just the angle).  The fit is PERFECT.  I will pretty much be ordering every dress shirt from here on out from these guys.  Honestly, unless there is a brand that makes shirts that fit you perfectly for under $40… and they have a store next door, I don’t see why every guy shouldn’t get these shirts.  The quality of the fabric and construction was very high, on par with shirts I have paid almost twice the price for.  Blank Label has the full Dapper demeanor endorsement!