What if every piece of clothing you owned fit perfectly and accented your style, all without stepping foot in a department store ever again? It may seem fantastical, but J.Hilburn stylists Travis Hawley, Jodi Mayers, Christine Quandt, and Jennifer Shinners created a unique, painless shopping experience guaranteed to make you look good. Ridiculously good.
J.Hilburn provides men with custom-made clothing, overhauling closets with a tailored wardrobe that fits your body, personality, and lifestyle. “Ultimately, our goal is to help men feel great and confident in the way they look,” Jennifer tells me.
Stylists Travis, Jodi, Christine, and Jennifer used to meet clients in their home or workplace with bags and products in tow, but the four came together to transform the shopping experience further with their J.Hilburn showroom in Excelsior.
A Tailored Experience
On Water Street nestled above the shoe store Travis owns, Luya Shoes, the four transformed a former cycling studio into a one-of-a-kind showroom. Their curated fabric swatches and fashionable stylings adorn a relaxed space. “Guys traditionally shy away from malls and don’t like shopping,” Travis explains, “but our showroom is intimate. They can feel free to peruse the fabrics and ask questions they don’t want to ask in public. They feel more at home.”
The showroom feels like a cozy living room, replete with comfy chairs and beverage offerings. Clients select every detail from the fabric and colors to the cuff and stitching, creating a look they love. While the stylist is encouraged to experience the showroom, should that not be convenient, the stylist will always be happy to meet them at their home or workplace.
Jodi notes, “Guys are very visual. They see how we’re putting outfits together and often point to the mannequin and say, ‘I’ll take that whole look.’”
The Right Fit
Creating the showroom was an obvious step for these stylists. Like their clients, the four all arrived at J.Hilburn from different paths. Before J.Hilburn, Jodi owned a women’s boutique in Edina. “Many of my female clients always asked what I could do to help their husbands,” Jodi laughs. “This was an opportunity to add another tool to my toolbelt.”
Christine, a registered nurse by trade, used to join her husband Jim at his J.Hilburn appointments with Jodi, and she was impressed with the process and service. For Christine, this ignited an interest in fashion, and J.Hilburn was a natural progression.
After Jennifer’s second child was in school, she was looking to start working again and contributing to the household income. She needed something flexible while caring for her family, and J.Hilburn was the perfect opportunity to build this new career. That was over 13 years ago. It was the perfect fit thanks to her love for fashion and wanting a new career.
The youngest of three boys, Travis shares, “I was always at my mom’s hip. Out of the three sons, I’m the cook, I’m the one that dresses best, and I’ve always loved men’s fashion, but didn’t know how to make it work for myself.” He connected with Jodi, then took the next step in becoming a J.Hilburn stylist. “He’s our walking billboard,” Jodi laughs.
Custom-Made Care
“First and foremost, we want them to be comfortable,” says Jennifer. Building that relationship and trust is essential to help address insecurities and focus on features clients want to accentuate. Jodi adds, “Our clients get to a comfort level where we’ll get texts saying things like, ‘I fatted out all of my clothes and need to be re-measured.’” You know you’ve become their go-to resource for clothes when they can communicate with you in that relaxed manner.
Whether a client's weight changed, he was promoted, or perhaps is back on the dating scene, the four stylists help create that outer package to match life changes and help them feel confident in how they’re showing up in the world.
Custom is a Process
You won’t walk away with a custom garment immediately. First you’ll be measured and build a profile. With no minimum order required, you can try just one custom item out of their 11 categories to see if you like it. They don’t want you to keep any piece you don’t love so they’ll dial in the fit and style until you’re absolutely delighted.
“At J.Hilburn we say custom is a process,” explains Christine. “You’ll learn about things you didn’t know you liked and we learn with you as your style grows.”
The Price is Right
As a direct to consumer business, J.Hilburn eliminates price markups, enabling you to enjoy custom-made clothing oftentimes for less than what you find off the rack.
Jennifer adds, “We work with the finest mills and factories out there so we can offer this amazing quality product at an affordable price.”
Partnering with sustainable mills and factories is imperative for J.Hilburn. Not only to reduce their environmental footprint but because it produces natural fabrics that are made to last. When your custom shirt lasts for over a decade, you’re saving more in the long run. Now that’s amazing price per wear!
On Thursday, June 23rd from 4:00 to 7:00 P.M., please join Travis, Jodi, Christine, and Jennifer at the J.Hilburn Showroom in Excelsior for their Open House to check out the space and see what custom-made clothes can do for you.
