The Shirt Dandy

The Shirt Dandy (TSD) is a direct-to-consumer apparel company that operates in the custom-made menswear market, with dual headquarters in Vienna, Austria, and New Delhi, India. Founded in 2022 by Austrian entrepreneur Thomas Hebenstreit and Aayush Sharma, the company aims to merge European technology with Indian craftsmanship. Hebenstreit, the CEO, initially focused on serving Austrian clients with shirts produced in India before officially launching in the Indian market. The partnership with Sharma, an NMIMS alumnus with a background in investment banking at Bank of America who now serves as COO, was formed after Hebenstreit's original co-founder, a master tailor, departed. The Shirt Dandy is positioned as part of Sartorial Collective, a Europe-based 'House of Brands' also founded by Hebenstreit.

The company's business model centers on providing a high-degree of personalization for men's shirts through an online platform. Its core offering is an AI-powered 3D configurator, which utilizes Italian technology to allow customers to design their own shirts by choosing fabrics, styles, and other details. This technology is enhanced by a strategic partnership with Tailoor, the software division of the historic Italian textile company Successori Reda S.p.A. Revenue is generated directly from the sale of these custom garments, with prices for shirts ranging from approximately INR 3,000 to INR 12,000. While primarily an e-commerce brand, the company provides home appointment services in the Delhi NCR region and has a studio in Vienna for in-person measurements.

The Shirt Dandy targets aspirational individuals seeking personalized and high-quality clothing. Its product line includes custom-made shirts crafted from materials like 100% cotton, linen, bamboo, and Tencel. The business emphasizes what it calls its four core pillars: affordability, rapid lead times, sustainability, and an omnichannel experience. The company operates on a 'No-Stock-No-Waste-Policy' by avoiding mass production in favor of custom creation, aligning with slow fashion principles. Services such as lifelong free alterations and a future buy-back program are planned to enhance customer retention. Looking forward, the company has expressed intentions to expand its product categories to include suits, chinos, and polos and is seeking seed funding to support growth initiatives, including establishing a physical store and expanding its team.

Keywords: custom menswear, made-to-measure shirts, D2C fashion, apparel e-commerce, 3D shirt configurator, personalized clothing, men's fashion startup, Austrian-Indian venture, Sartorial Collective, Thomas Hebenstreit, Aayush Sharma, Tailoor partnership, slow fashion, sustainable apparel, online tailoring, bespoke shirts, Indian apparel market, European craftsmanship, AI in fashion, custom clothing online, premium fabrics