Weston Jon Bouchér is a California-based menswear model and the identify of its founder. He launched the corporate in 2019 after a decade as a full-time attire and life-style mannequin.
He initially sought a white-label provider with like-minded high quality requirements. Unsuccessful, he opted as a substitute for “cut-and-sew manufacturing.” The result’s a community of world producers, all producing attire to Weston’s designs and specs, and offered completely from his Shopify web site.
In our current dialog, he addressed the model’s launch, manufacturing challenges, advertising ways, and extra.
Our total audio is embedded beneath. The transcript is edited for readability and size.
Eric Bandholz: Who’re you?
Weston Jon Bouchér: I’m a menswear designer primarily based in San Diego. My background spans music and pictures, however for the previous six years, I’ve labored full-time on my self-named menswear line. I additionally run a YouTube channel centered on self-improvement, type, and grooming, drawing on my 10 years as a full-time mannequin.
That modeling expertise uncovered me to a variety of designer manufacturers and materials, which sparked the thought to create my very own line. I wished to supply staple silhouettes — evergreen items that really feel fashionable yr after yr, not simply fashionable. I couldn’t discover a white-label provider that totally aligned with my requirements, so I opted for cut-and-sew manufacturing as a substitute.
If I might return, I’d simplify issues. However my perfectionism and need to fill a niche out there — high quality luxurious fundamentals at a good value — pushed me to construct one thing distinctive. I launched with simply 5 core kinds impressed by items in my wardrobe, every thoughtfully refined for match, cloth, and longevity.
Bandholz: What’s your strategy to design?
Bouchér: Initially, I used to be fixing my very own drawback. I wished a one-stop store for staple items, however I discovered most manufacturers lacked constant match, typically chasing traits. Outsized kinds are huge now, however I’ve all the time most popular a slimmer, extra timeless European look. It fits me higher, so I grew to become the match mannequin for my model. I work intently with my developer, adjusting each pattern all the way down to the millimeter.
Being a slim-fit model will increase return charges since individuals fall between sizes. Synthetic intelligence might assist sooner or later, however for now, I continuously analyze critiques and return knowledge to refine the suits. It’s one of the crucial complicated facets of working a life-style attire model, particularly when working with producers worldwide. Each cloth, each manufacturing facility requires exact tech packs to make sure consistency. I’m obsessive about high quality. Even essentially the most minor difficulty drives me to tweak endlessly.
That’s why beginning with one thing easier, resembling hats or underwear, may need made sense. However I’m in it now. I purpose to simplify the shopper expertise: fewer choices, higher cloth, timeless silhouettes — polos, crewnecks, cardigans, denim, swim trunks — garments guys can depend on, with out sacrificing consolation or type.
Bandholz: Inform us about your group.
Bouchér: Within the first couple of years, it was primarily me. Because the funds allowed, I step by step added to the group. At the moment, I work with 11 contractors, most of them fractional. The one close to full-time workers are at our San Diego warehouse, the place two to 3 individuals deal with pick-and-pack and stock administration.
My aim is to remain lean and maintain as a lot as I can below one roof, so when it’s time to scale, it’s nearly including capital and increasing distribution.
On the manufacturing aspect, I now work with 10 to 12 companions globally — two in Los Angeles, and others in Bangladesh, Thailand, and China. I used to work with a manufacturing facility in Colombia, however that relationship ended. Manufacturing within the U.S. was all the time my aim, however the improvement prices made it practically unattainable early on. Now that I’ve grown, I’m revisiting that.
Margins are tough with abroad manufacturing because of continuously altering tariffs and delivery prices. I began the model in 2019 after attending the Sourcing at Magic textile present in Las Vegas, the place I met producers face-to-face. That have gave me the arrogance to go all in. Most factories require a minimal order of two,000 to 4,000 items per type or coloration, which is hard if you’re beginning. I received fortunate. One producer agreed to work with me on simply 300 to 600 items. That deal is what made the model potential.
Bandholz: What’s the long-term imaginative and prescient for the model?
Bouchér: For me, it’s about constructing the approach to life I’ve all the time wished — extra time with family and friends, journey, and a snug way of life. That’s not simple in Southern California with the excessive value of dwelling and the tax burden of working a enterprise.
I need the model’s legacy and mission to remain intact. I’ll by no means money out and stroll away — my identify is on it, and I take delight in that. When clients go away constructive critiques and share their love for the product, that’s essentially the most rewarding half for me. I wish to maintain delivering that feeling of high quality and care.
Ideally, I’ll stay self-funded. That manner, I maintain full management, particularly in relation to product integrity. I genuinely imagine the explanation we’ve grown so strongly is that I’ve paid shut consideration to the main points. Good advertising can promote something as soon as, however getting somebody to come back again as a result of they belief the product is the place it issues.
Lengthy-term, I hope to step again from day-to-day duties and transition right into a extra visionary and inventive oversight function — nonetheless concerned in design, however with a better give attention to the model’s picture. Proper now, my largest motivation isn’t cash — it’s high quality of life. So I’m continuously enthusiastic about who I can usher in to assist me reclaim extra of my time, whereas holding the model aligned with what made it particular within the first place.
Bandholz: Is YouTube your main advertising channel?
Bouchér: We’re not in bodily shops. We promote straight from our Shopify-powered web site. Within the first yr, YouTube was key. I used it to check the waters, and my male viewers have been continuously asking style-related questions, which sparked the thought for the model. I launched and received nice suggestions rapidly, because of that viewers. However because the model grew, I had much less time to make movies. I ended posting repeatedly for over a yr, and although I’ve picked it again up, it’s been a missed alternative, primarily because of an absence of time.
After that first yr, we pivoted to Meta advertisements. That’s now our main driver for visitors and gross sales. I’m not utilizing an company. We’re working lean, and the numbers have been substantial, particularly in comparison with what I hear from different manufacturers. I’ve taken out a number of loans for stock, however we’ve managed to make it work with out traders.
TikTok shifted the panorama. Folks need content material that feels actual, not overly produced. A few of our best-performing advertisements characteristic me in my bed room, speaking by way of totally different appears to be like. The conversions have been nice, and we’ve realized that straightforward, genuine content material outperforms polished productions.
Bandholz: Have tariffs taken a toll?
Bouchér: I’ve realized to not be reactive, whether or not it’s private challenges or enterprise volatility like tariffs. I give attention to what I can do every day. When the tariff state of affairs heated up, I didn’t panic — I’ve been getting ready for this. Even earlier than it began, I instructed my developer we couldn’t rely too closely on China. I had a intestine feeling that this could grow to be a difficulty, and I want I had diversified much more again then.
A few of our manufacturing companions have had so as to add surcharges because of duties, which is hard. I worth these relationships and gained’t abandon them over short-term strain — we’re all navigating this collectively. That mentioned, I do have a backup plan. I’m taking a look at producing top-selling kinds elsewhere if wanted. However for now, I’m ready, watching, and staying prepared. Commerce dynamics change each day. The very best transfer is to stay versatile and strategic, not reactive.
Bandholz: The place can people purchase your garments or attain out?
Bouchér: Our web site is WestonJonBoucher.com. I’m @WestonBoucher on YouTube and LinkedIn.
