Friar Tux Shop, an Anaheim-based family business, on Monday is launching Stitch & Tie, an online site dedicated to suit and tuxedo rentals.
Friar Tux was founded in 1974 with one store in Lakewood. It now has more than 30 locations.
The company has been working on the site for two years.
“It’s unlikely that a wedding party is only in one city anymore. We need a bigger footprint and a bigger reach and we’re launching under a new brand, Stitch and Tie, which will offer premiere products,” said Lauren Dorta, vice president of marketing and the founder’s daughter.
“Customers want to be served differently and were adapting. It’s not just style changing but the way that they’re served and this is necessary to keep pace with the customers that want to order online,” Jake Reinig, the company’s vice president of Information Systems, added.
Customers (men and women) can choose a style and submit their measurements through the website, then get a suit or tuxedo shipped to them seven days ahead of an event. If it does not fit, a replacement will be sent for free. Shipping will cost $7 each way.
Shoppers can stick to the old-fashioned method and do this at a Friar Tux store if they prefer.
“It’s an inevitable step for someone in our industry,” Dorta said. “We would have loved to have launched it earlier, but we’ve been refining it and making it better. When you start on a website it’s common to have an initial plan and then that plan grows.”
Dorta and Reinig both said men’s taste in clothing has changed in recent years. Men use fashion to set themselves apart, which has helped the industry become a more vibrant marketplace.
“Men do care more about the way they look and the way they are dressing and it’s amazing to see the fun patterns in stores now,” Dorta said. “Guys have taken an interest in dressing better and wearing fitted clothes. We always change our industry based on what is happening with style more than our competitors.”
Some grooms have specific designs they want their wedding party to rent now, making tuxedo rentals a cost efficient option.
Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans
