J. Hilburn is a custom men’s clothing company that started with dress shirts and has expanded into pants, sweaters, more casual wear and now suits. It operates as both manufacturer and retailer, cutting out middle layers of retail distribution to control quality and margins. The company’s suits will be manufactured in Portugal in the same factory used by Armani and Zegna, and a comparable J. Hilburn suit is priced at about $800 versus roughly $1,700 for a Zegna suit. J. Hilburn uses a hybrid sales model: a direct sales force of roughly 1,000 “style advisers” who visit customers for consultations and fittings, and recently launched online sales to transition relationships from offline to online. Operating metrics show rising customer spend — average sales per customer expected at $500–$600 this year (up from $400 in 2010) — and management projects revenue of $20–$25 million this year, up from $8 million last year, saying the business is running 20% ahead of plan. Management is developing an iPad point-of-sale app for style advisers and is focused on accelerating new product development and inventory support. J. Hilburn sells custom men’s shirts and other luxury men’s clothing direct to consumers, sourcing fabric directly from Italy to shorten the supply chain and lower prices. The company offers shirts at $79, $99, and $149 and reports a five-week delivery time for custom orders. It operates a network of more than 300 personal style advisers around the U.S. who take measurements, place orders, and deliver to over 7,500 customers. Customers can also buy clothing directly from the J. Hilburn website. The business emphasizes a tech-enabled approach to create a smaller, more efficient supply chain and lower retail prices. The company recently completed external fundraising, reflecting investor interest in its model.

Total raised

$9M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series C

Latest activity

Jun 2011