Dave, IT Sales Professional

Q: Why is dressing well important in your work?

A: You feel more confident in yourself when you look good and you feel good in what you wear. Even when you dress down you want to look good. 

Q: What is the dress code like at your work?

A: I’m in IT, sales. We’re not a suit and tie culture—sometimes we’re not even a dress pants culture. But most of my customers are a little more buttoned up. So I wanted a couple nice suits, then some sportcoats that I could wear with jeans.

Q: Why did you choose that sportcoat?

A: I like that it has a little bit of color that’s almost hidden, but it’s not too in-your-face. It’s different. 

Q: What does custom mean to you?

A: I really enjoy being able to customize the small things, to know that if I’m ever in a squall and have to turn the collar up I’ve got this purple lining that’s going to pop behind me—because I chose that. 

Q: How did you discover custom clothing? 

A: It’s something I’d been interested in for a while, but I was a little scared to actually do it. I’m a big guy. Sometimes shopping can be very tough, because you can’t find things in your size. You go into a store and think, “I really like this, but if it’s not in my size I can’t wear it.” I didn’t want to go into a store where someone would say “Oh yeah, we have nothing for you here.” That’s the killer.  One of my friends got a couple of shirts from Blank Label, and said he liked you guys. So I made an appointment. 

Q: What fit issues did custom solve for you?

A: It was hard to find shirts, because I’d get the right neck size and then the arms would be so big that I felt like I could go paragliding with it. if I raised my arms, the shirt would become untucked. 

Q: Do you ever wear your Blank Label clothing on weekends or in your downtime?

A: Yes, I’ve purchased a lot of casual shirts from Blank Label. It’s a crossover for me. 

Q: What was your first appointment at Blank Label like?

A: What I liked about the process was starting with a piece of clothing that’s actually close to my size, and then working from that pattern. We went through a couple alterations to get what I wanted, but after that first time it was like “Oh, this is super easy.” So I just kept coming back.

Q: Are there any customizations you prefer?

Everything is monogrammed. My initials are DAM, so I have DAM on everything—that’s fun. 

Q: How would you describe your sense of style? 

A: Evolving, but unknown. That’s one of the reasons I shop at Blank Label: they help me figure out what I want my style to be. Because when it’s hard to find clothes that work for you, it’s hard to find your style.

Q: What kind of interests and hobbies do you have?

A: Travel. I travel a lot for work, but also for fun. I didn’t get my passport until five years ago, but since then I’ve been to six of the seven continents. I’ve been all over the world. 

Q: Do you have any favorites?

A: I was just in Dublin for the third time a couple weeks ago. I love Hong Kong.

Q: How do you travel with your suits?

A: The suits travel pretty well. I’ll turn the jacket inside out, put one sleeve into the other, put it in my bag, hang it in the shower when I get there, and boom!