The last 10 years have been transformative for shopping and retail, with the explosion of agile direct-to-consumer brands, mobile and social shopping and subscription services. But one area that has remained stubbornly unchanged is our experience of sizing. Unless you’re fortunate enough to fit comfortably into standardised size schemes, in terms of height, build and proportion, finding clothes that fit well is still a painful and demoralising experience.
Founded by Reto Peter and Patrick Jungo, Edition One is here to change all that for men. Reto and Patrick have recognised the need to make finding well-fitting clothes easy for everyone. The solution? Custom clothes on-demand, accessible via a simple-to-use online shop.
Reto Peter makes the important point that even if you’re close to a standard size, you’re still likely to be compromising on at least one area of the design. “I for example am tall with very long arms, which means that every off-the-rack shirt, T-shirt, or sweater is too short on the sleeves and the hem sits just about at my belt line, meaning that I expose my belly the minute I move”.
The effect of well-fitting clothes on self-image and body positivity also shouldn’t be understated. “Wearing your favourite clothes with a fit that is flattering makes you feel good about yourself, gives you confidence, empowers you to focus on the things that matter,” say the founders.
Edition One wants to be at the forefront of a more open and honest dialogue about body image for men, recognising that great strides have been made in this area for women, but that many men are still hiding their bodies in large and poor-fitting clothing. Edition One has pledged to work with ambassadors to open up the conversation around this topic, to use honest imagery that hasn’t been edited and to promote diversity through their model selection. Ultimately it’s here to be a fashion brand that celebrates difference and doesn’t exclude. “We’re not a big & tall store, we’re a conscious fashion brand that simply doesn’t exclude anyone from getting clothes that fit them well,” says Patrick Jungo.
The two founders have been targeting the issue of restrictive sizing and access to well-fitting clothes by founding Edit Suits Co. in 2014, which quickly evolved into one of London and Singapore’s leading made-to-measure menswear companies. More recently, a high demand for casual and business casual clothing, as well as the accelerated shift to e-commerce during the Covid pandemic, prompted them to take the concept further.
They have worked with data scientists specialising in 3D body scans to develop a fit finder based on a simple 30 second survey. The result is called Alfred, your virtual tailor and gives accurate custom size predictions. Customers can also adjust their measurements if they desire, for example if they want to copy the fit of a favourite shirt that they already own. Everything is covered by a full fit guarantee, to ensure a risk-less experience for the first timers.
Edition One offers customers the made-to-measure experience outside the vicinity of the Edit Suits Co. showrooms, allowing them to open up to entirely new audiences.
We road-tested the Edition One experience for ourselves with the navy linen shirt. We personalised it with a pocket at the chest and a button down rather than a soft spread collar (other options include monogram, placket design and cuff finish). Historically a key fit issue for us has been sleeve length, and getting that perfect position on the wrist. Our Edition One shirt solved this problem instantly thanks to its flawless fit.
Edition One has just launched in the UK and is preparing to launch in Europe and the US too, all with one centralised operation. Currently, the collection consists of a wide range of shirts made from high quality fabrics from mills in Italy, the UK, Portugal and Japan, with plans to expand their product range from shirts to sweaters, T-shirts and chinos over the coming year.
