Need a better fit? Check out Under 5-10

Cedarhurst business aims to dress shorter men

Posted

Roughly 32 million men across the United States that stand 5 feet 8-inches and under and the average height of an American man is 5 feet 9.5 inches (investing.calsci.com), and Under 5-10, a relative newcomer to the world of men’s fashion, wants to dress them all with properly fitted shirts, pants, belts and ties.

Since August of last year, Chief Executive Officer Elie Robinson, Vice President of Product Development Jonathan Glaubach and chief marketing officer Greg Grinman have been selling men clothes that according to them fit perfectly because they are tailored to the smaller body sizes.

While a majority of the sales occurs online, Five Towns residents Glaubach (Woodmere) and Robinson (Cedarhurst), along with Grinman opened the Cedarhurst shop at 536 Central Ave. to help introduce their upscale merchandise.

With a background in finance, sales and operations, Robinson was blogging about his clothes conundrum, when he meet a person who works for a name brand in men’s fashion (he declined to identify him) who pushed him to pursue his concept. “For short guys, off the rack clothes are not fitted,” said Robinson, who is 5-7, “our clothing actually fits you properly and is made to fit properly.”

Planning began in 2017, as a manufacturer was sought. One was found in Honduras, where Robinson said, “no child labor laws were being broken, “it’s a great work environment” and the owner “loved the mission.”

In May of 2018, the company announced that it purchased Fittery, an e-commerce fit technology company, to use data to help perfect the fitting process and launched a Kickstarter campaign for funding. The $15,000 goal was exceeded by $831.

“We want to make it fun for guys under 5-10, help them feel comfortable and sexy,” Robinson said, noting that the store is built for shorter men, including the dressing stalls walls that are 5-10 high.

Glaubach, who like the author stands 5-3 on a good day, pointed to his tapered jeans that fit just right and a shirt that was not baggy and drooping extra material. “I replaced my whole wardrobe and I had custom made clothes,” he said, adding that the company’s first iteration of jeans has been completely sold.

The Cedarhurst store is made for customers to try on the clothes in a relaxed atmosphere that includes a living room-like setting in the middle of the Central Avenue space. Men are more likely to shop in a store, while women appear more focused with online shopping, according to Robinson. Mothers have come in with their teenage sons growing out of boys’ sizes.

“Our fit store has helped tremendously to get the word out about our brand in ways we never expected,” Grinman said. He’s the group’s outlier, standing 6-2. “People that don’t fit our demographic stop to take pictures of our displays and send them to their friends that are under 5-10.

One of those displays is the height ruler attached to the store’s front window. A hot spot for photos that are posted on several social media platforms, the images have generated business, Glaubach and Robinson said.

Where most clothing stores carry 70 sizes of shirts, Robinson said, Under 5-10 uses six sizes — XS, S, M, L, XL and XXL — with the accompanying chest size, sleeve length, neck size and body length to help ensure the desired fit. “Men do want clothes that fit and what looks good on them,” Glaubach said.

For more on Under 5-10 go to www.under510.com.

Updated to correct name to Under 5-10.