Who says dressing professionally has to be uncomfortable? Most men hate how dress shirts bunch up under sweaters, but maintaining a professional look sometimes requires sacrifice. Unless you’re a creative entrepreneur like Justin Baer. During COVID, he decided to design a stretchy, comfortable polo with a formal collar suitable for neckties or for staying unbuttoned. It worked out better than he could have imagined.
Collars & Co. began with a test production of 300 luxury men’s shirts, and has since grown into a national phenomenon that sells 25,000 units per month. To meet the challenges of succeeding in the fashion industry, Baer has built the company slowly and strategically. He matches his creativity with a variety of unique promotional opportunities, including TikTok videos produced by his daughters and a triumphant appearance on ABC’s “Shark Tank” that resulted in Mark Cuban becoming an investor and mentor. “I don’t think you can succeed in fashion without thinking outside the box,” Baer says. He credits the success of Collars & Co. to trying things other people wouldn’t even dream of.
Baer is a Maryland native who lives in Bethesda with his wife and two daughters. He has high hopes that the company is on a path to become the next major brand in the United States. They now offer four styles of the original polo, as well as lines of sweaters, sneakers, and even shirts for women. “All the professionals I work with love that they can seamlessly transition from the workday to a soccer game and then go on to a night out to dinner,” Baer says. Collars & Co. now has three physical locations around the country, and Justin has big plans to build on its success. “I see Collars & Co. changing the way we think about clothing,” he says.
I don’t think you can succeed in fashion without thinking outside the box.