Button Up A Month is a men's dress shirt subscription business that allows you to get your dress easily and efficiently.

Matt Carlock is the founder and president of Button Up A Month. In this interview, he shares what motivated him to start the business, the value of being a customer, his thoughts on fashion & style, and more.

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What's the story behind Button Up A Month, and what motivated you to start the business?

Matt: Although it seems obvious, I came to realize I was wearing button up shirts on a daily basis. Certainly for work, as did every one of whom I worked with, but additionally on the weekends when going out to dinner or bars. 

At work, we had frequent discussion regarding dress shirts, including pricing and style. I started to believe we could use a shirt once a month, then I started to work out the economics of Button Up A Month. 

From a macro prospective, the business of men’s dress shirts should exhibit strong growth as the US continues to expand the service sector.  

What are the major pain points that you're aiming to solve with your business?

Matt: Operationally and technologically, we are on solid ground. As with many start-ups we are challenged to identify market fit.

Although it seems obvious, men who have desk jobs, outreach and finding those who value the service can be tricky. 

What are the main benefits of being a customer?

Matt: Without a doubt, the value.

Button Up A Month is committed to produce value for our members. We offer shirts with free shipping at $16.99.

Furthermore, we provide the ability for the member to choose shirts, rather than using a model or random/adverse selection of product shipped to the customer.  

We recently released our rewards program, ButtonBuck. Rewards are given for both referrals and shirts purchased. The program has been accepted very well and is another opportunity for us to provide value to our customers.  

What makes Button Up A Month different than the other men's clothing subscription services that are out there?

Matt: Button Up A Month maintains the convenience of a subscription box, but the benefit of allowing the ability to select the product.

Alternatively, more homogeneous products, like razors and shave cream have been proven to work extremely well with a standard subscription model. Unfortunately, this may not be the case for men’s shirts, where style and pattern come into play. 

What do you think is the single biggest misconception that guys have when it comes to fashion & style?

Matt: The focus on branding and the quality implicit with brands seem to be a constant misconception in men’s fashion. The majority of clothing worn by men displays little or no recognition of the brand.

It may therefore be assumed brands are purchased for the guarantee of quality, although product quality often differs within most known clothing brands. As often seen for certain sale items and even more visible, products sold at outlet malls.              

And what is the #1 fashion & style-related issue you think guys struggle with?

Matt: Our number one issue and this will probably still be the case ten years from now, is pattern. When it comes down to it, [it's] is all about pattern and attempting to forecast demand for a patterns.               

If you could give our readers just one fashion & style tip, what would it be?

Matt: Stay fresh.

Our mission in men’s fashion is to offer an economic alternative to wearing the same shirts over and over in a short period of time.

We all know the guy who wears the same shirt twice in the same week, don’t be that guy.  

How can our readers learn more about what you're up to and connect with you online?

Matt: The email marketing channel is the primary method of connection with our membership. Otherwise, check in from time to time and see what’s new.

Step Up Your Game

Thanks to Matt for the interview! If you'd like to give Button Up A Month a try, Matt has graciously provided a discount code that will give you 400 "Button Bucks" - which amounts to roughly half a shirt.

Use this code: 400BUCKS

And if you're interested in learning about more "Doorstep Dapperness" brands that can make it easier for you to get your dapper supplies easily and efficiently, check out "Doorstep Dapperness" - which is a list of 37 ways - including Button Up A Month - to get "dapperness delivered to you.

You can also download a free copy of "Doorstep Dapperness: 37 Ways to Get Dapperness Regularly Delivered to You Door" by clicking the image below: