"Yeah, I'm not a very stylish guy myself."
That was the first thing out of Dan Scudder's mouth when we met for coffee a couple days back. Not a shocking statement for many guys in Boston. But not, perhaps, what you'd expect to hear from a guy making a run at the bespoke neckwear business, either.
Here's the thing, though: That actually might be the edge for local tie-of-the-month club, Root Bizzle.
"It's not necessarily for the fashionisto," Scudder said of the now six-month-old company he heads with two other founders, Sabrina Chau and Jeff Richman. "Our users tend to be people right out of college who need to wear ties regularly."
Think entry-level finance gents and you're on the right track. It's not that they don't know how to buy clothes or tie a tie. (Not all of them, anyway.) But days when a tie is necessary in college are few and far between; to go from that to suiting up five times per week is a major adjustment. An adjustment that can often result in buying sub-par neckwear or wearing the same go-to's more than you should.
Before we get in to Root Bizzle's business model, we must first address the name. It's the first question I asked Scudder. "It doesn't have anything to do with anything," he told me. Essentially, it's some off-the-cuff derivative of "root beer." "But it gets people talking, and that's the goal."
Not for nothing, apples and technology aren't natural companions. Neither are Reebok and fitness apparel. You see where I'm going.
Root Bizzle sends you a new silk tie on the same day every month for the flat fee of $25. Operations are out of Framingham; the ties are made in China. Choose "Business Ties," "Skinny Ties" or "Whimsical Ties," select your color and pattern preferences from dozens of options, and the system will curate a selection going forward based on your likes.
The goal: Take the guesswork out of your neck-work. Because really, you can never have too many nice ties.
With menswear booming in Boston and elsewhere, subscription models like this are coming more into focus. Many current options for guys focus on full, fashion-heavy outfits, like the Trunk Club or Frank & Oak. That, or underwear and socks, such as MeUndies or Nice Laundry – daily staples to be sure, but not accessories the majority of dudes feel compelled to show off.
Ties are different. In a business-casual environment pushing black or blue suits and white shirts, they're often the sole statement item of any outfit.
Now, with the help of Root Bizzle, you won't need to make that statement alone.
