No one does DIY quite like Brit + Co. Whether it’s friendship bracelets, a trendy up-do or the classic summer beach wrap, they have you covered. But, if you’re like me, you probably throw your favorite DIY ideas on a Pinterest board and end up saving them for a rainy day.
1. Bow & Drape: I wish I could have a seamstress as adorable as Bow & Drape, a Boston and New York-based company that uses technology to help you create your very own tailored closet. Customers perusing the site can shop silhouettes and then refine each garment by personalizing its color, fit and embellishments. In two weeks, the garment (and you have to love that they call the pieces “garments” – so Marie Antoinette) will arrive at the customer’s doorstep after being made-to-order in New York. (Image via Style Within Reach)
2. J. Hilburn: These guys have established themselves as the custom luxury menswear company, offering everything from custom-made suits to dress shirts to knits. Even better, your experience with J. Hilburn doesn’t exist entirely online. Before you start designing your perfect dress shirt, you’ll meet with a style adviser who will take your measurements and show off fabric swatches and samples before your first purchase. (Image via Suit Urself)
3. den.m bar: Does anything say LA more than a bespoke denim bar that only uses locally sourced materials? Well, maybe celebrities drinking Jamba Juice after a SoulCycle class… but den.m bar is certainly up there. Customers can stroll into the downtown LA store and be fitted for jeans on the spot. Or you can DIY online, picking a style, type of denim, putting in your measurements and then customizing everything from stitching, zipper color, vintage buttons and pocket lining. (I went a little crazy with mine, choosing turquoise Japanese Bull Denim, pink stitching, green zippers and buttons detailed with unicorns.) And there you have it – your perfect, designer DIY jeans. (Images via Anything and Everything LA)
4. Shoes of Prey: Can’t find the perfect pair of pumps for next weekend? Easy, then: design your own! Shoes of Prey offers 12 essential shoe shapes and 170 fabrics to do just that. Using their 3D shoe designer, you can create custom ballet flats, stilettos, sandals, oxfords and wedges, adding your own detailing to the toe, heel and body. And – get this – if your custom kicks aren’t quite right you can return within 365 days.
5. Milk and Honey: If Shoes of Prey doesn’t do it for you, there’s Milk and Honey, a Selena Gomez and Ginnifer Goodwin-endorsed custom online shoe shop founded by sisters Dorian and Ilissa Howard. I’m guessing the idea came from the two of them fighting over the perfect pair of heels. Whatever their inspiration may have been, with Milk and Honey you can find your own shoe muse and start creating. (Image via The New York Times)
6. Proper Cloth: Proper Cloth is all about designing a custom men’s shirt with ease. Starting with a fabric and moving to the collar, cuff, pocket, buttons and even monograms, with Proper Cloth you can design a custom shirt in just minutes. Easy might be an understatement.
7. Ratio Clothing: Like Proper Cloth, Ratio Clothing specializes in custom men’s shirts. What’s awesome about Ratio is that their shirts are 100% made in the glamorous USA so you can feel a little bit of patriotism when inputting your measurements and ordering your new shirt.
8. eShakti: If it seems like men are the only ones benefiting from the explosion of custom clothing companies, think again. eShakti offers both style and fit customization for women size 0 to 36 by providing a selection of standard silhouettes, which you can shape to your measurements and further adjust details like the neckline, hemline and sleeves. No more wearing out those fitting rooms until you find the perfect fit – it’s all here.
9. Tailor Store: Finding a custom clothing company that offers bespoke options for both men and women is slightly more difficult. UK-based Tailor Store is that rare find. The “online tailor” specializes in made-to-measure ladies’ and men’s dress shirts and polos from your individual measurements and choice of fabric, color, pattern, collar and cuffs.
10. BeltCraft: Time to accessorize. Beltcraft is the go-to place to custom design belts, from the material to the stitch right to the buckle. What’s really awesome is that the belts you design can help others in need. For each of your designs that another customer purchases, you earn $2 for yourself and another $2 for a different charity every month. (Image via Well Spent)
11. Drake’s London: And for you more elegantly dressed men, Drake’s London offers custom ties. The international menswear company, which has stores in New York, Vienna, London, Paris and Tokyo, makes their bespoke neckwear from your measurements and choice of material, all of which can be selected online. Personally, I’d go for the cashmere. (Image via Me-Me)
12. Indochino: If you’re in need of a custom suit for your original tie, Indochino could be the custom shop for you. The company, based in Vancouver and Shanghai, offers a bespoke suit for the modern gentleman, promising high quality and perfect fit. Once you’ve completed their 10-minute measurement process and ordered your Indochino suit, it will be hand tailored and delivered to any part of the world within four weeks. (Image via Inspired By This)
13. Black Lapel: Black Lapel is another custom suit option for the dapper gentleman. The e-tailor asks for around a dozen self-measurements, such as neck, chest, shoulders, bicep, wrist and more, all of which, like Indochino, can be done in the comfort of your home with your own tape measure. Black Lapel also offers a “flawless fit promise” – if your suit doesn’t fit perfectly, they’ll give you up to $75 in alterations credit. (Image via The Compass)
14. True & Co.: Ladies, I promise we’re not done yet. Ever wish you never had to be awkwardly sized for a bra again? Your wish is my command. Or maybe it’s really True & Co’s command. The online bra shop has its customers take an in-depth quiz online, creates a bra shop customized for you, has you select three bras (while a stylist selects two more) and, voila! There’s five custom-selected bras in your mailbox. (Images via Harper’s Happenings and SheFinds)
15. BodyRock Sport: Still not done! There’s even a company that lets you customize your sports bras. BodyRock Bespoke, a company all about fashion, fitness and individualism, helps you design your own sports bra from beginning to end. With options like pink zebra print and Swarovski crystal embellishments, you can’t really go wrong.
Have any favorite custom shops we missed? Let us know in the comments.
