Wear This presents a specialized personal styling and e-commerce platform designed for professional men who 'don’t know how' to look good. The deck identifies a specific psychographic: single men who previously relied on mothers or partners for clothing. The business model is multifaceted, utilizing one-off outfit purchases starting at $200, recurring premium memberships for personal styling, and add-on sales for basics and accessories. Operationally, the company plans a lean Year 1 using a mix of wholesale, dropshipping, and small-batch inventory (10 of each style). While the deck provides a…
Key takeaways
- The problem slide identifies a lack of time and fashion knowledge among single millennial professionals as the core market pain point (Slide 2).
- Target customers are surveyed to have an annual clothing budget of $2,000 (Slide 3).
- Primary product offerings are tiered into $200+ outfits, $50+ accessories, and $25+ basics (Slide 4).
- The revenue model includes a 'Recurring - Premium' membership that offers personal stylists and in-person appointments (Slide 5).
- Inventory management for the first year relies on a hybrid of dropshipping and carrying 10 units of each style (Slide 6).
- The company set a modest initial traction goal of acquiring 100 customers by December 2016 (Slide 7).
- Long-term financial targets include achieving a gross margin of 35-40% by December 2017 (Slide 7).
- The deck lists high-end retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue and Mr Porter as potential exit partners (Slide 8).
Executive Summary: The Personal Stylist for the 'Unstyled' Man
Wear This enters the competitive fashion-tech space with a very narrow focus: the single, professional millennial male who is functionally illiterate in fashion. The deck, likely produced around early 2016 based on the milestones, positions the company as a bridge between high-end personal styling and convenient e-commerce. By targeting a demographic that 'avoids shopping,' the company attempts to solve a behavioral problem rather than just a retail one.
Slide 1: Title and Tagline
The cover slide is minimalist, featuring the company name 'WEAR THIS' and the subtitle 'Curated Looks for the Young Businessman.' It immediately establishes the target audience and the core service. The branding is clean, using a dark background with a single green accent line, suggesting a professional and modern aesthetic suitable for its target market.
Slide 2: The Problem
The problem statement is direct: 'Single millennial professionals don’t have the time or the significant other to shop for them.' It further notes that they want to look good but lack the know-how. This slide uses a 10x10 grid graphic where approximately 73% of the squares are filled, though the specific data point this represents is not explicitly labeled. The focus here is on the 'pain' of the shopping experience for men who view it as a chore.
Slide 3: Our Target Psychographic
This slide provides a detailed profile of the ideal customer. Key traits include avoiding shopping, buying only when needed, and having a history of receiving clothes as gifts from family or partners. Crucially, it cites survey data stating this demographic has a $2,000 budget for clothing. This gives investors a sense of the potential Average Order Value (AOV) and Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) if the brand can capture that entire annual spend.
Slide 4: Products
Wear This breaks down its offering into three price tiers: $200+ for a full outfit , $50+ for accessories , and $25+ for basics . The 'Primary Offering' is the curated look, which suggests the company is selling a pre-packaged solution rather than individual items. This simplifies the decision-making process for a customer who 'doesn't understand fashion.'
Slide 5: Revenue Model
The revenue model is divided into three pillars: Looks , Membership , and Add-ons .
Looks: Focuses on whole-purchase outfits, with 'top only' looks available after the first five purchases. · Membership: A recurring premium subscription that includes a personal stylist, in-person appointments, and express shipping. · Add-ons: High-margin basics (shirts, socks in packets of three) and accessories (shoes, watches, scarves).
This structure shows a clear path toward both transactional and recurring revenue.
Slide 6: Inventory & Distribution: Year 1
The operational strategy for the first year is depicted as a four-way cross-functional model. It utilizes Dropshipping to reduce risk, a Wholesale Model for better margins on core items, Sample Inventory for styling sessions, and a limit of 10 of each style . This '10 of each' strategy suggests a lean approach to testing which styles resonate before committing to larger bulk orders.
Slide 7: Simplified Projected 2 Year Milestones
June 2016: Website completion. · December 2016: Target of 100 customers acquired. · August 2017: Development of office space. · December 2017: Target gross margin of 35-40% .
The goal of 100 customers in the first six months is notably conservative, suggesting either a high-touch service model or a very targeted initial launch.
Slide 8: Appendix: Potential Exit Strategies
The deck concludes with an exit slide, categorizing potential buyers into two groups. Brick & Mortar Buyout targets include Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman, with the logic that these stores need to reproduce high-end service in an online format. E-Commerce Buyout targets include Gilt and Mr Porter, focusing on customer exposure and inventory turnover. This slide serves to show that the founders are thinking about the long-term liquidity event for investors.
What Works in This Deck
The psychographic profiling on Slide 3 is the strongest element of the deck. By identifying that their target customer is someone who previously relied on a 'mother or ex-girlfriend' for clothes, they have identified a very specific behavioral niche. This allows for highly targeted marketing copy and service design. The revenue model on Slide 5 is also well-structured, showing that the company isn't just a one-off clothing store but a service-oriented platform with recurring potential.
What Is Missing from This Deck
The most glaring omission in the provided slides is the Team Slide . In early-stage startups, the founders' ability to execute is often more important than the idea itself. There is no information on who is curating the looks or managing the logistics. Additionally, there is no Ask Slide ; we do not know how much capital is being raised or how that capital will be allocated. The Competition Slide is also missing, which is a significant oversight given the existence of established players like Stitch Fix or Trunk Club that occupied this space during the same era.
Founder Takeaway: Copy the Specificity, Fix the Omissions
Founders should emulate the way Wear This defines its customer. Instead of saying 'men 25-40,' they describe a man who 'buys items when needed' and 'avoids shopping.' This level of detail makes the business case much more tangible. However, founders must ensure they include a robust team slide and a clear financial ask. Furthermore, the milestones on Slide 7 are a bit thin—aiming for only 100 customers over six months might signal a lack of scalability to a venture capitalist, even if it is a realistic goal for a bootstrapped service business.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary value proposition of Wear This?
- The company provides 'Curated Looks for the Young Businessman.' It targets men who avoid shopping and do not understand fashion, offering to replace the role previously filled by 'mothers or ex-girlfriends' by providing professional styling and ready-to-wear outfits.
- How does the company plan to generate recurring revenue?
- Beyond one-time outfit sales, Wear This proposes a 'Recurring - Premium' membership. This service includes access to a personal stylist, in-person appointments, and express shipping, aiming to move the business from transactional e-commerce to a service-based subscription model.
- What does the inventory strategy look like for the first year?
- According to Slide 6, the company uses a four-pronged approach: a wholesale model, dropshipping to minimize overhead, sample inventory for styling, and a limited stock of '10 of each style' to test market demand without significant capital risk.
- What are the projected financial milestones?
- The deck outlines a two-year roadmap (Slide 7) that includes finishing the website by June 2016, acquiring 100 customers by December 2016, developing office space by August 2017, and reaching a gross margin of 35-40% by December 2017.
- Who are the potential acquirers for this business?
- The deck identifies two types of exit partners: Brick & Mortar retailers (Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman) looking to reproduce high-end service online, and E-Commerce players (Gilt, Mr Porter) looking to increase customer exposure and move existing inventory.
