The reasons why some companies flourished while others floundered during the lockdown and uncertainty of the pandemic are many and complex. Certain companies, such as bars and restaurants, rely heavily on the physical presence of customers; on the other hand, businesses equipped with e-commerce sites may have benefited from people feeling stir crazy and perhaps indulging in too many online purchases. Still others may have in fact had the opportunity to clean out their closets only to discover that they had too many articles of clothing that were ill-fitting and that they were in dire need of a better wardrobe. That could be the explanation for how, through the quarantine, Peter Manning NYC experienced an impressive 50% increase in sales.
Business at Peter Manning NYC has been steadily growing since it launched 10 years ago. By stroke of coincidence and some astute business foresight, the last decade has also seen a growing awareness in the fashion industry that clothing needed to accommodate a wider size range than the usual small-medium-large template. Although the “big and tall” category has been around for some time (since the 1920s for women, and the 1950s for men), there hasn’t been much traction moving in the opposite direction — to create garments that were specifically tailored for men shorter than the majority. It didn’t help that the social standards of an “ideal” man included substantial height, or that according to studies by the National Center for Health Statistic, the average American male stands at around 5’9”.
But in time, the rest of the 25% to 30% of the male population below that average height began to realize that they weren’t willing to settle for the voluminous apparel they’ve had to put up with from the major brands. Contributing to a reassessment of sizing in apparel was the boom of health and fitness that began in the late 1980s and exploded in the 1990s. Soon after, the objectification of the male form became more prevalent in pubic discourse. Those factors led to an over-all industry trend in nearly all categories of both womenswear and menswear for clothes that cut closer to the body.
As more men became more comfortable with some degree of vanity, they also became more invested in better-fitting clothes and menswear became increasingly narrower and fitted.
Through it all, Peter Manning, a New York theater producer who stands at 5’8”, was acutely aware of the situation. For years, the clothes-conscious Manning would routinely buy something he liked and then have it altered to his size by a tailor. In 2012, he started Peter Manning NYC with a pair of classic chinos that became an instant hit, and his eponymous label was up and running online.
But truth be told, early success came about more from the enthusiastic response of an unserved market. Manning had to learn the trade by trial and error. Vital help arrived several years later, when MBA graduate Jeff Hansen came onboard with business savvy earned from his experience working at J. McLaughlin, Frette and La Perla.
In the beginning, the smart move for Peter Manning NYC was to embrace the direct-to-consumer online model. During the brand’s foundational years, this strategy proved advantageous as the target market was attuned to shopping online. But the day did arrive when it was decided that opening offices in Manhattan where the brand could also set up a fit shop to welcome customers might be beneficial. In the upper floors of a Flatiron district building, samples of the line’s dress, polo, Henley and T-shirts, jeans, casual and dress pants, along with hoodies, vests, jackets and overcoats are on display. By appointment, customers may come in to select the styles and try them on to find the correct size. The garment is then shipped directly to the customer within a day or so depending on the distance — because yes, the brand does get customers from all over the globe. The brand’s prices are accessible, with shirts and pants starting at around $98, suit jackets and pants from $450 and $195 respectively and outerwear from $195 to $295.
According to the brand’s counsel and marketing strategist, Zachary Fields, the not-so-big secret is proportion. “We scale down to size. Pants inseams start at 25 inches, have a medium rise, slimmer legs with precise knee breaks and narrower ankle openings,” Fields said. “Shirts and jackets have narrower and shorter sleeves, slimmer widths and hang exactly right around the waist.”
Fields added, “We pay as much attention to important details like button stance, size and placement of pockets, as well as the right width for lapels and collars.”
All in all, Peter Manning NYC offers 12 shirt sizes and 50 pant sizes based on height, weight and body type with slim, standard and wide fits. The brand has a proprietary one-to-four sizing system as well as 2X, 4X and 4XL that covers men from 5’7” and 145 pounds to 5’10” and 200 pounds. All of the garments are designed by an in-house team while a 15,000 square foot warehouse in Brooklyn serves as storage and shipping center for the garments.
Late last year, Manning decided to step down and Hansen bought out his shares to become the sole owner and CEO. Today on its 10th anniversary, the Peter Manning NYC team is eager to expand their reach to other major U.S. cities with Los Angeles the likeliest of stops for another brick-and-mortar studio. Fields attests to the broad cross-section of clients the brand receives at the Manhattan location — and with more physical locations at diversely populated cities, the potential for new customers of “lesser” stature to discover Peter Manning NYC may indeed be limitless.
