About

In 2008, I set out with a simple idea: to make it easy to buy custom fit dress shirts online.

Proper Cloth wasn’t an instant success. The first two years were particularly humble. I didn’t have a background in fashion, didn’t have investors, and didn’t have any industry connections. Our original manufacturing was slow, fabric selection limited, and website confusing. And shortly after launching, there was the financial crisis.

But we stuck with it.

We immersed ourselves in the world of men’s shirting, e-commerce, and clothing manufacturing. We listened closely to our customers, fixed problems they identified, and built features they asked for. Slowly but steadily, Proper Cloth grew.

For years we focused exclusively on custom shirts and the digital experience, rethinking everything about the ordering experience. We developed Smart Sizes, our machine-learning sizing system, to make custom fit easier from home. We added new styles. We sourced fabrics from the world’s best mills, developed our own fabric designs, and built tools to help customers manage their sizes and orders better.

In 2013, we opened our first physical showroom… at the top of a sixth-floor walkup in Soho. Customers who made it past the graffiti-covered front door and rickety stairs found a single fitting station, a handful of shirts, and our four desks sharing the same space. Over time, we expanded. Eventually, we even had an elevator.

In 2019, we launched custom suits, jackets, and trousers, followed by custom chinos, 5-pockets and jeans in 2020. We applied what we learned from custom shirts to these new categories, but we still had more to learn. As before, we listened to our customers and incrementally improved these products over time.

In 2021, we opened our Fifth Avenue Manhattan showroom, and in 2025, we added locations in Washington, D.C., and Chicago. Throughout it all, our focus remained: continuously improving our products, services, and designs — always looking for ways to be better.

There’s still so much more to do. In 2026, we aim to further elevate product quality, unify and strengthen the Proper Cloth brand, deepen our high-touch experience in showrooms, continue improving standard sizing, and open two additional U.S. locations.

We’re committed to building Proper Cloth into the most loved menswear brand in America — and a true modern luxury brand — defined by exceptional quality, personalized fit, and remarkable service.

Seph Skerritt,
Founder/CEO