Post by unleashed on Oct 10, 2009 1:18:09 GMT -5
NEW YORK -
Brian Spaly's quest for the perfect pair of pants led him and former roommate Andy Dunn to start a Web-only clothing company that wants to sell men's trousers that fit — without the need for fitting rooms.
Business is good for their company, Bonobos Inc., though it's too early to tell whether the startup can achieve the heights of another online apparel store with a remarkably similar beginning.
That company is Zappos, which Amazon.com Inc. recently snapped up in a $850 million deal. A decade earlier, Nick Swinmurn spent a fateful hour schlepping around a San Francisco mall looking for the right pair of shoes. When he didn't find them, he went on to create Zappos.com Inc., a Web-only shoe retailer known for its broad selection of items, generous return policy and quirky culture.
Bonobos, named after the endangered ape, was likewise born out of a do-it-yourself project. Spaly, like many men, had a hard time finding pants that fit well despite his athletic build.
Mass-market pants, the kind you find at chain stores, are often baggy and frumpy, with lots of extra fabric around the thigh, Spaly says. He calls this "khaki diaper-butt." High-end designer pants, meanwhile, are expensive and too tight, cut for pencil-legged fashionistas and runway models.
Bonobos aims for the comfy middle ground. Its pants, most of which cost $118, have a curved waistband, less fabric in the thighs than the frumpy pants its founders frown on, and a slight boot cut. They come in classic men's colors like khaki, blue and gray, but also in orange, pale lavender and jungle green with bright flowers.
The company is so confident in its designs it accepts pants for return, free of postage for the buyer, no matter when they were bought and even if they've been washed, worn and hemmed.
That is yet another parallel with Zappos, which accepts returns, postage paid, for 365 days. Both offer free domestic shipping. Such policies, along with impeccable costumer service, are crucial for Web-only retailers looking to sell things that people are used to trying on in brick-and-mortar stores.
Code:-
Brian Spaly's quest for the perfect pair of pants led him and former roommate Andy Dunn to start a Web-only clothing company that wants to sell men's trousers that fit — without the need for fitting rooms.
Business is good for their company, Bonobos Inc., though it's too early to tell whether the startup can achieve the heights of another online apparel store with a remarkably similar beginning.
That company is Zappos, which Amazon.com Inc. recently snapped up in a $850 million deal. A decade earlier, Nick Swinmurn spent a fateful hour schlepping around a San Francisco mall looking for the right pair of shoes. When he didn't find them, he went on to create Zappos.com Inc., a Web-only shoe retailer known for its broad selection of items, generous return policy and quirky culture.
Bonobos, named after the endangered ape, was likewise born out of a do-it-yourself project. Spaly, like many men, had a hard time finding pants that fit well despite his athletic build.
Mass-market pants, the kind you find at chain stores, are often baggy and frumpy, with lots of extra fabric around the thigh, Spaly says. He calls this "khaki diaper-butt." High-end designer pants, meanwhile, are expensive and too tight, cut for pencil-legged fashionistas and runway models.
Bonobos aims for the comfy middle ground. Its pants, most of which cost $118, have a curved waistband, less fabric in the thighs than the frumpy pants its founders frown on, and a slight boot cut. They come in classic men's colors like khaki, blue and gray, but also in orange, pale lavender and jungle green with bright flowers.
The company is so confident in its designs it accepts pants for return, free of postage for the buyer, no matter when they were bought and even if they've been washed, worn and hemmed.
That is yet another parallel with Zappos, which accepts returns, postage paid, for 365 days. Both offer free domestic shipping. Such policies, along with impeccable costumer service, are crucial for Web-only retailers looking to sell things that people are used to trying on in brick-and-mortar stores.
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http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20091009/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_bonobos_pants
lol .. but an interesting site none the less 
.. lol