Since I started my Menswear Insider series, I have enjoyed interviewing several entrepreneurs that have launched either a menswear clothing brand, or online retailer. While it is fun, interesting, and inspiring to hear their stories, I am equally excited to branch out a little with today’s interview feature. Today I am interviewing one of the most notorious thrifter in the country, Guiseppe Timore, founder of An Affordable Wardrobe. For the past several years he has shared his passion for finding bargain deals on elegant, high-end clothing pieces via his blog, and later on also opened a brick-and-mortar thrift shop in Massachusets.

Tie-a-Tie: Hi Giuseppe, thanks for joining me on my Menswear Insider column. You have a very Italian name. Tell me about your heritage?

Giuseppe: I come from a 100% Italian family. I used to joke with my friends about being a “pure bred”. Both my mother’s parents and my father’s father were born there. Growing, we lived with my mother’s parents, and the neighborhood was full of native Italians. We all attended Catholic schools and went to church, and heard as much Italian spoken as we did English. I think my mother, though born here, may have spoken Italian before she spoke English.

Tie-a-Tie: Now, Italians are often stereotyped as being stylish and well dressed. You being a well dressed man of Italian decent, do you think that being stylish is nature or nurture?

Giuseppe: I think that having style is somewhat inherent in one’s personality, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to learn. Style is an ever evolving thing, and the most truly stylish among us never stop learning and changing. I don’t think being Italian necessarily guarantees that one is stylish, though I suppose it can’t does’t hurt.

Tie-a-Tie: Have you always cared about dressing well? What inspired you to start your An Affordable Wardrobe?

Giuseppe: I guess I have. From a very young age, I was always interested in “dressing up”. I liked to wear jacket and tie, and would relish any excuse to do so. The older I got, the less I cared what people thought of it.

I started an Affordable Wardrobe to fill what I saw as a gap at the time in menswear writing and commentary. Being interested in clothing, I had always read the magazines, and later the blogs. While many of them served as a source of ideas and inspiration, none of them showed anything but very expensive stuff at full price, stuff that was way out of my reach.

Over the years, I had developed quite a knack for sourcing those very same things on nearly no money. I knew it could be done, and I wanted to be a voice for all the elegant, stylish men who just might not have that much money.

Tie-a-Tie: You are infamous for being a savvy thrift shop buyer. Tell me about your most memorable thrift shop experience.

Giuseppe: I get that question a lot, but it’s not an easy one to answer. One of the things about thrift shopping is that you come across so many great things that picking a “favorite” can be impossible. There’s always something new, and the element of surprise keeps it fresh. I once found a Barbour jacket new with tags for $10. Just recently I picked up a bespoke Chesterfield coat made in Boston in 1935. Even as we speak, I’m wearing a handmade flannel suit from the Andover Shop and an Italian tie from Barney’s New York. All great finds, but who knows what I might run into tomorrow?

Tie-a-Tie: How do you find these kind of pieces, and what tips do you have for our readers interested in finding great deals on designer menswear items?

Giuseppe: Firstly, you really have to know what the good stuff is. Educate yourself about quality, fabric and construction. Knowing good labels helps, but learning to recognize quality itself, regardless of brand, is infinitely more helpful It like the proverb giving a man a fish or teaching him to fish.

Secondly, be persistent, and don’t get discouraged when you strike out. Truthfully, when you shop this way, constantly hunting for bargains or digging in thrift shops, you’re ten times more likely to walk away empty handed as you are to “score”. You can’t let it discourage you, you just have to keep coming back.

Tie-a-Tie: Now, if there was no budget, what designer/brand do you value most and why?

Giuseppe: My own personal style derives mostly from a traditional East Coast look, so I like Brooks Brothers and J. Press quite a lot. Polo is a favorite too. But if I could only wear one “brand” and had unlimited money, I would get everything at the Andover Shop in Harvard Square. Not only is the place steeped in “cool” history as a result of its endless list of storied customers, but it’s distinctive in just the right way. Mostly, they do East Coast traditional, with its attendant “go to hell” pants and ribbon belts. But there is an extra level of quality and taste to everything there. Fabrics are gorgeous, and the house style combines just the right British details into the mix in a way that no other shop or “brand” does. It’s perfect.

Tie-a-Tie: Speaking of “no budget”, what is your most expensive clothing piece that you didn’t buy at a thrift shop? Was it worth the price?

Giuseppe: I think the Brabour jacket I have now might be the most expensive single piece of clothing I ever bought new, but I even got that o deep sale at an outlet store for $150. It was worth it, though. I wear that jacket to death, sometimes to shovel snow, and sometimes over coat and tie.

Tie-a-Tie: You have since opened your own thrift store. What do you like more, buying or selling menswear pieces?

Giuseppe: The hunt can be the most fun part of all this once you get into it, and obviously selling things and making money is nice too. But the best part about doing this kind of work is how happy you can make people by helping them get something top quality that they never thought they would be able to own. It’s really gratifying.

Tie-a-Tie: As someone owning your own men’s clothing business, what advice would you give someone interested in opening a brick and mortar store in the menswear industry?

Giuseppe: You have to be willing to work crazy hours for terrible pay, but I guess that’s true for any dedicated small business owner these days. If you don’t love what you’re doing, it’s not going to work, simple as that.

Tie-a-Tie: What are your plans and goals for your business in 2014?

Giuseppe: To stay in business! (joking, kind of…). Seriously, though, I would love to get to the point with my own business where I could quit the other job I have and do this full time.

Tie-a-Tie: The word about your business is certainly spreading… Now, where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

Giuseppe: In a thrift shop, pulling a bespoke suit out of a dirty bin from under a heap of old sweatpants and tee shirts.

Tie-a-Tie: Great answer. You certainly love what you do and turned your passion into your every day job. Thanks for meeting with me today.

Giuseppe: Thanks you as well.

Interviewed by tie aficionado and Tie-a-Tie founder Hendrik.

The last two weeks I interviewed the founders of two different necktie companies, SkinnyFatTies as well as Tie Society. While I am always fascinated with ties, I am excited to be featuring a slightly different niche retailer for this week’s Menswear Insider Interview. This week I was able to meet with Dan Soha, a serial entrepreneur who lives right here in San Francisco. Dan has founded several companies in a wide range of industries, one of which is called Argoz – a stylish high-end sock brand featuring a signature Argyle pattern.

Tie-a-Tie: Hi Dan, thanks for joining me here for my new Menswear Insider series. You are a true entrepreneur, and have started several companies, one of which is Argoz, an online retailer selling socks. Running several businesses made me wonder how you manage your time? What is a normal weekday like for Dan Soha?

Dan:On the surface, managing several businesses sounds insane, but it’s really not quite as bad as it seems. I essentially work “The 4-Hour Workweek” ten times a week. Though the specifics of my day are never the same, my work days all look fairly similar. I wake up around 7 am and start handling important emails immediately. I workout from home and then get to my office by 9:30. Rather than go through a list of tasks, I keep my mind focused on end goals and my brain will keep me focused on whatever the most important task is – this took years to perfect because I feel that we naturally get compelled to what we enjoy doing rather than what is best for one’s business. I work until 6:30 pm with a 15 minute break for lunch. I then go out to meet up with friends, go to a show or anything fairly active. It’s hard for me to keep working hard if I’m not playing hard. I get home around 11:30 and work until 2am or sometimes as late as 4am, go to sleep and then repeat. I am most productive very late at night and so those are the work hours I cherish the most.

Tie-a-Tie: So what time did you go to bed last night?

Dan: I went to bed at 1:28am and woke up at 6:57am — I have a think for numbers and, for some reason, they get stuck in my memory… in this case, the time I went to sleep and woke up.

Tie-a-Tie: What makes Argoz different from your other businesses?

Dan: Almost every business I’ve launched is very different. I’ve started a service business, a SAAS product, a subscription product, and others. I’m more compelled by the type of the business, rather than the product itself. Argoz is a fashion product and sells physical goods… two things I’ve wanted to do. Beyond that, how I operate the business is very similar.

Tie-a-Tie: It was interesting to read that you actually have a background in Computer Science, what inspired the idea of starting a sock business?

Dan: I tried buying some argyle socks online and all the ones I found were terrible. I analyzed the market with some tools and algorithms that I built and that there was a growing market in terms of people looking for argyle and socks. So, it was a product that I enjoyed and there was a large opportunity, so I went for it. If anything I do is properly “calculated”, it never feels like a “risk.”

Tie-a-Tie: You decided to raise money for Argoz using Kickstarter, and you successfully raised over $20,000. What advice would you give an aspiring entrepreneur wanting to launch a campaign via a crowdsourcing platform? From your point of view, what are the biggest Dos and Don’ts for raising money this way?

Dan: Kickstarter should be used for very unique products where crowdfunding is necessary for its success. The only recommendation I would give is that it is necessary to get traction and traction is made by getting a lot of customers in a short time period. At that point, it’s all about word of mouth, press, and what other products are being features on the site. In other words, there’s a fair amount of luck involved and I don’t recommend crowdfunding unless you have no other options. I don’t regret doing it and we found a large market by doing so, but, if I could go back in time, I would have focused my efforts elsewhere.

Tie-a-Tie: Let’s assume you can indeed go back in time. How would you have spent your efforts and time instead then?

Dan: I would have maintained our focus on the product and marketing. I couldn’t have predicted that the Kickstarter campaign would coincide with such a heavy growth period for Argoz and managing the Kickstarter campaign was a “time suck.”

Tie-a-Tie: Over the years we have seen many other niche sites emerge that design and sell socks, what makes Argoz different?

Dan: The sock brands that we get compared against are often referred to as “novelty socks.” They are fun and often times funny. Our goal has been to make extremely high quality socks that take a “heritage” pattern, with a bold twist. It has always been absolutely necessary that we manufacture the highest quality sock on the market. In addition, they are the type of socks that you can wear with a suit and look like a fashion statement rather than a novelty statement.

Tie-a-Tie: You name your company Argoz and most of your designs feature the classic Argyle pattern. I assume this is not a co-incidence. What is it about the Argyle pattern for you? Are you planning to branch out into other patterns, or will the argyle always be your signature?

Dan: I just really like argyle and there was/is a great market. I really like the idea of taking an old pattern and giving it a modern twist. Sometimes I feel like an old man trapped in a 32 year old body. Argyle epitomizes that “heritage” style. We have recently branched out to modern twists on classic stripes, polka dots and paisley. We will have many more styles coming, but elements of argyle will always be around.

Tie-a-Tie: Your company has been growing steadily. How do you plan to continue this growth rate?

Dan: There really aren’t any clever tricks or marketing strategies. We’ve found that focusing on high quality socks with fresh new patterns keeps the business growing and our customers keep coming back. We will continue to make new patterns and refine our manufacturing. In doing so, I’m confident we will continue to grow. At this point, though not astronomical, growth has been steady and consistent and we expect it to continue to do so.

Tie-a-Tie: What was your biggest success with Argoz to date?

Dan: On paper, it would probably be appearing in GQ only a few months after we launch or WSJ more recently. Though to me, they don’t feel like successes. Every time we launch a new styles of socks, it feels like a bigger success. After we launch new styles, we email our customers, and they immediately buy our new styles. It really is the greatest compliment. It feels great to have customers that appreciate how much effort we make in creating quality socks and jump on buying them once they are available.

Tie-a-Tie: Congrats on landing the GQ and WSJ features. It would seem that those are hard to land placings. You must be doing something right. What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs in the menswear industry that are looking to get such placements? Got any tips to share?

Dan: Develop something unique that has a great story and make sure that you contact them when the time is right to display them. Often times, you only get one chance, so the first impression could, literally, be everything.

Tie-a-Tie: How about the biggest downfall or failure, and what did you learn from it?

Dan: From Kickstarter to Press Releases to testing new Marketing channels, we’ve seemed to try it all. I can’t pinpoint which was the greatest failure. But, if there’s anything I’ve learned is to focus on the core business. If anything feels like a “stunt” it’s probably a waste of time.

Tie-a-Tie: Finally, I often ask successful entrepreneurs for a final piece of advice to give to an aspiring entrepreneur. What does it take to be successful?

Dan: When people tell me that they are an aspiring entrepreneur, I always respond the same way “don’t do it.”. Being an entrepreneur shouldn’t be because you want to do it, it must be because you need to do it. If you look at the cost-benefit and the rewards from being an entrepreneur, it’s really not a rational decision. I love being an entrepreneur, but in many ways it’s not what I’ve chosen to be, it’s what I am. When I meet anyone who has started several businesses like I have, I always find that they agree with me on one major point: being an entrepreneur feels like an illness Being an entrepreneur is difficult in ways that are hard to imagine and I don’t recommend it to anyway, but I also would never consider doing anything else with my life. If watching The Social Network, made you want to be an entrepreneur, then you are probably doing it for the wrong reasons.

Tie-a-Tie: Interesting answer. This is actually not the first time I have heard entrepreneur say this. Thanks again for meeting with me and best of luck to you and Argoz.

Dan: Thank you. It was my pleasure.

Interviewed on Jan 17th, 2014 by Hendrik Pohl, founder of Tie-a-Tie.net

This week’s menswear insider interview features yet another necktie company, one that has created quite the excitement amoung necktie aficionados and menswear enterpreneurs over the past year. I am referring to a necktie subscription service called Tie Society, a Washington DC based start up that has become known as the “Netflix of Ties”. Today I am interviewing Tie Society’s co-founder Jake Kuczeruk:

Tie-a-Tie: Hi Jake, thank for meeting with me today. You started Tie Society together with Zachary Gittens. Chances are that many of our readers already know about your business, but for those who are not familiar with it yet, please explain to them in one sentence what you guys do.

Jake: Hey Hendrik, happy to be here! Needless to say, I’m a big fan of what you’ve been doing with the Menswear Insider series and am honored to be featured on behalf of Tie Society. Tie Society is a monthly subscription service, similar to Netflix, that gives guys the opportunity to rent ties and other menswear accessories from our growing collection. Bow ties, cufflinks, pocket squares, tie bars- there has never been an easier and more affordable way to do accessories.

Tie-a-Tie: As a tie aficionado myself, I love the idea. What inspired this?

Jake: Alcohol. Just kidding- though we did actually conceive the original concept for Tie Society while at bar.

In the early days, we were just a couple of recent college graduates looking to dress to impress around the office and in our everyday lives. Ties, as you certainly know, can get to be very expensive. When you’re primarily eating ramen for most of your meals, you can’t really afford to drop $60 on a new Brooks Brothers tie every few weeks. Then, on one fateful Sunday afternoon (over beers and football), inspiration hit. We could trade our ties amongst each other to keep our collections fresh. Zac Gittens, Tie Society Co-Founder and CEO, would bring his J.Crew ties to the bar and trade for another friend’s Original Penguin. As more and more began to steadily take notice of what we were doing, we decided to take our service online to address the demand.

Tie-a-Tie: Talking to you makes it quite clear that you love men’s neckwear. Have you always been a tie aficionado or did this evolve through the launch of Tie Society?

Jake: Yes, I’ve spoken with my mother about this and she distinctly remembers me emerging from the womb sporting a double windsor. Ties are an essential part of life. Even when I was first getting into menswear, it was clear that the tie is really the main thing people tend to notice when you’re well dressed. You can wear the same two suits everyday of the week- it’s the tie that gets all the compliments.

Tie-a-Tie: What is your role with the company and what is Zach’s?

Jake: I am our CMO and Co-Founder. I primarily handle our marketing efforts, fundraising and investment outreach, style advice, intern coordination, social, events, press, B2B partnerships, and international expansion (we’ve now taken Tie Society to Japan).

Zac, our CEO and Co-Founder, works from our Washington DC base of operations and is responsible for the branding and logistics behind our service. All elements of the process- from shipping, packaging, cleaning, and inventory acquisition, are overseen by Zac. In addition to this, we work closely together on strategic planning, fundraising, and customer service.

Tie-a-Tie: If you two ever disagree on a certain business aspect. How do you come to an agreement? Are there any tips you could give to other aspiring entrepreneur teams regarding internal communication between the founders?

Jake: Since Zac and I are located on opposite sides of the country, keeping a steady flow of communication flowing has been essential to our success. Since we are both well keyed-in on what the other is doing, disagreement tends to be rare. If ever we do share opposing viewpoints, we take the classic strategy and both present a list of pros and cons to support our case. If that doesn’t work, I’ll play him for it on Call of Duty.

Tie-a-Tie: Sounds like you guys are working well together. That is great to hear. You guys have received lots of press including features on NPR, USA Today, Thrillist.com and more. Besides having an interesting business idea, what do you contribute to your publicity success? What advise would you give young entrepreneurs in the menswear industry, that are looking to spread the word about their idea?

Jake: Hard work from each and every member of our team and the efforts of a few select PR specialists that we’ve worked with in the past (shoutout to Suzie Chase of Orca PR).

We’ve become experts at getting our name out there because that’s what it takes to survive in the competitive E-Commerce space. We’re the guys at each event walking around and connecting with everyone else in the room. A lot of our wins have come in through friendships we’ve made with others in the industry. For instance, I often discuss style and new music recommendations with Adam Lehman, a Chicago-based blogger for his site Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets. Our friendship began before he started his blog, and as he’s continued to expand, he was able to help us out by getting our Black Friday offer mentioned on the front page of the Details Network this season.

Tie-a-Tie: What has your biggest success been to date?

Jake: While we have seen our fair share of wins (acceptance into our 500 Startups batch, the Japanese expansion, and achieving profitability), the biggest success for Tie Society has been the reward of running a business that we’re proud of. Zac and I both wake up thankful each morning that we’re able to do something that we truly love.

Tie-a-Tie: How about the biggest failure or downfall, and what did you learn from it?

Jake: Hmm, that would certainly be the service issues we experienced this last Spring when our postal carrier neglected to inform us that our PO Box was full and started storing our member’s return orders in a locked back room. When we repeatedly attempted to track down these packages, no one at the shipping office was able to locate them. The manager who had stored them back there left for a new job, and didn’t tell his replacement about the hundreds of ties he had locked in the back. Understandably so, we witnessed a high level of frustration amongst our members until we were able to fully resolve the issue. Fortunately, this helped us to practice and improve our customer service abilities. We became better at communicating with our members and those who we do business with.

Tie-a-Tie: What plans do you have for Tie Society in 2014?

Jake: Total world domination. In the mean time, 2014 will bring a dedicated store for the direct sale of items that aren’t as well suited for the rental model. This will include vintage ties and items we maintain limited quantities of, along with venturing into new territory by offering high-end leather goods. You can also expect a crop of around 100-150 new ties to arrive on Tie Society within the next month, with regular updates to our collection added each Friday. We’ve stepped our game up this year.

Tie-a-Tie: Last but not least, where do you see Tie Society in 10 years from now?

Jake: In ten years, I see a Tie Society operating in every country that has a demand for it. The online rental model just makes more sense financially and in terms of convenience to the user. Hopefully, we will have made first contact by then and I will have the opportunity to bring our service to Martian civilizations…assuming they have necks.

Tie-a-Tie: Who knows, maybe they even have two, three, or a dozen necks. Thanks for joining me here today.

Jake: Thanks for having me.

Other Recent “Menswear Insider Interviews:
SkinnyFatTies.com Founder Joshua