Owner of e-commerce clothing retail company Hugh & Crye, Pranav Vora, 39, came a long way to establish himself in an industry that boasts of changing overnight. After a bachelor's degree in business from Indiana University, it was only when he shifted to London briefly to graduate at the London School of Economics, that he noticed how differently there men dress than those in the US.
"I noticed that people dress very differently than in the US. What I noticed was that men wore garments that fit their bodies, and in a much more flattering way than the average American guy," he said. After a short stint with CEB for three years, Vora pushed his focus back to men's wear when he saw that there weren't enough shirts to fit his frame. "Usually something would be wrong in the fit, and most often the shirts would just have too much room through the chest, waist, and arms," he said. This led to Georgetown-based Hugh & Crye, which aimed to "focus on the shape of the torso." Vora found out that the sizing of garments is done in a linear manner, which means all measurements are increased in a consistent way. His brand has 12 sizes for consumers to choose from, ranging from "short/skinny" to "tall/broad". Their unique sizing system is based on "body types".
"To us, apparel is intimately connected to authentic personal presence. What you wear says a lot about who you are," Vora said. Hugh & Crye also sells blazers, fitted T-shirts, pocket squares, and printed popovers. "We're excited to expand our scope into many other categories in the spirit of helping guys become the best version of themselves." Vora said that in order to grow, the company needs capital. "We have an incredible product that people love, and we want to keep building on that simple, yet perfect foundation." Vora added that Hugh & Crye is more than halfway to its $2 million funding goal. "The opportunity is enormous, and we feel we have one of the most important ingredients to break out from the pack: authenticity."
