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Two fashion insiders walk through how a single white tee became the core of a cult basics brand that now lives in both retail and direct to consumer channels. Lindsay Pinchuk talks with perfectwhitetee co-founders Jen Menchaca and Lisa Hickey about the years they spent in showrooms and retail stores, the gap they saw for reliable year round basics and the way a partnership with a fabric expert let them obsess over fit, fabric and how their pieces actually feel on real women. They describe fit tests on bodies of different ages and sizes and they show how feedback from boutiques and customers turns each tee and sweatshirt into a staple women reorder in multiple colors.
When COVID hit, their independent retail partners served as a lifeline as supply chains stalled and boutiques turned to perfectwhitetee for product they could still put in customers’ hands. From there the direct to consumer side grew as shoppers sent DMs that asked for more colors and styles, which pushed Jen and Lisa to build a Shopify site and to treat lifestyle driven ads and email as key tools for connection and loyalty. Again and again they come back to a simple idea. Strong basics and strong businesses start with a clear customer, a clear edge and a community that trusts you in both retail and direct to consumer spaces.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 How Listening To Customers Built A Cult Basics Brand
03:12 Meet perfectwhitetee Founders Jen Menchaca And Lisa Hickey
04:22 From Showroom And Retail Stores To The Perfect White Tee Idea
06:50 Spotting A Gap In Basics And Building A Fabric First Fashion Brand
08:24 What Makes A Perfect White Tee Fit Fabric Community And Confidence
12:44 Launching Right Before COVID And Leaning On Retail Relationships
18:25 Relationships Community And A “No Asshole” Policy For Business Growth
24:23 From Wholesale To Direct To Consumer How Ads And UGC Fueled Demand
33:43 Black Friday Inventory Fail Owning Mistakes And Fixing Operations
41:37 What Is Next For perfectwhitetee Wovens Mens And Deeper Community
43:07 Three Actionable Steps For Women Starting A Product Business
Connect with Jen Menchaca and Lisa Hickey:
Follow perfectwhitetee on Instagram
Links:
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