MBiz

C a p i ta l Clothes Call Well-tailored trio have made-to-measure suit trade all sewn up by David Schmeichel Photos courtesy of Eph Apparel As corporate wisdom goes, it's still pretty sound: Dress for the job you want, not the one you have. And thanks to Eph Apparel, a Winnipeg company specializing in made-to-measure menswear, it just got a whole lot easier to afford. With today's workplace culture skewing ever more fashion-savvy, an expertly tailored suit is one of the best ways to telegraph one's career aspirations. But what of those whose current salary won't allow a wardrobe upgrade? Well, that's the clientele Eph hopes to attract. After graduating from the Asper School of Business, friends Alex Ethans, Andrew Parkes and Maciek Hunek saw the need for a "middle ground" option. Two years later, in 2010, they launched Eph to fill the void. The guys host public fitting parties every two weeks at the Winnipeg Winter Club, but they'll also set up shop at private residences and even workplaces. At all three, they aim to strike a fairly casual tone, bringing their expertise to bear on a demographic that's not known for being fond of shopping. "We offer every customer the ability and the resources to be their own fashion designer," Parkes says. "We empower them with the latest trends, all the different styles, and lapels, cuts, fabric patterns — whatever's in this season, we can offer." "Our target demographic is your young professional, your university-aged student, and your guy who's just entering the workforce," Ethans says. "The guy who wants to achieve the look of a nice, quality fitted suit, but doesn't have the money for a high-end retailer." The garments are manufactured overseas and mailed directly to customers. When they finished university, custom suits cost upwards of $1,000, and most affordable off-the-rack options were a boxy, ill fit. Eph remedies both problems by selling custom-made suits starting at $299, and giving customers a say in everything from fabric to colour to cut. To mitigate concerns about buying clothes sight unseen, Eph offers a Flawless Fit guarantee, providing a $75 credit for alterations required post-purchase, and offering to rebuild the garment free of charge — and rush-deliver it — if customers still aren't satisfied. "We take 18 specific measurements of each individual to ensure they get a flawlessly fitting garment. Then the customer comes in themselves and selects their swatch of preference – the colour and the pattern they're after," Ethans says. "We'll walk through with them and help them decide what's best for their body shape and colouring, and also what they're looking to achieve with the outfit — selecting everything from the lapel to the vents and even the liner and monogram on the inside of the jacket." The Eph troop: Alex Ethans (left), Andrew Parkes and Maciek Hunek take suit measurements in your home or office. Suits and other pieces — everything from trousers to shirts to cufflinks — can also be ordered online. The company relies heavily on word-of-mouth promotion, so it wants all clients to look good. "No one's ever going to feel like they got something that wasn't exactly what they were looking for," Ethans says. The approach is clearly working. The Eph team has already amassed more than 4,000 customers, among them such high-profile supporters as Winnipeg Jets winger Evander Kane, who showed up to last December's New Year's Eve match in a sharp-looking metallic grey ensemble. There are plans to open a Winnipeg storefront soon, and to continue expanding into markets in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. Parkes says the company has proven particularly popular in the wedding industry, which currently accounts for 30% of sales. "We've had massive success in convincing guys who were planning to rent $200 tuxedos that buying a suit for $350, especially in your mid-twenties, is about as good an investment as you can make." www.ephapparel.com 24 MBiz November 2012

• Cover