When it comes to Made-to-Measure clothing using quality fabrics, superb craftsmanship, delivered fast, and all at an affordable price, Hockerty remains on top.
The international brand has extensive options for custom suits, overcoats, boots, sneakers, jeans, and more.
We spoke with Founding Partner Alberto Gil to learn all about the company, their successful business model, and get sound advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Hockerty – Loro Piana 100% pure wool in dark blue

At Hockerty you will find suits are tailored entirely to your measurements. They offer a wide range of options for every season so you can be on-trend in a affordable and eco-friendly way. You can choose from more than 150 fabrics, personalize details such as lapels, pockets, lining, buttons. You can take your measurements for your suit wherever you are. You don’t need a tailor, you just need a friend and a measuring tape.

Hockerty – Loro Piana is 100% pure wool in taupe grey with an overcheck houndstooth pattern.

HOMBRE: How does Hockerty begin?
Alberto Gil: Hockerty began back in 2008. We wanted to bring to everyone the possibility of Made-to-Measure suits or shirts at affordable pricing. We started with a limited amount of fabrics just for suits and shirts. They were entry level, and we kept growing in categories, and fabric quality, to what we have today on the website.

H: Why did you launch the company?
AG: Back in the day we were young and we thought it would be fun and challenging to build a website where you could choose and customize every single detail of the garment.  Suits and shirts were expensive, so we said, ‘What if we made this at an affordable price?’
It started small and quite rapidly it began to get traction. We had to bring more resources in order to keep up with demand.

Hockerty – Unlined chocolate jacket with patches / Unbuttoned piqué polo shirt/ Chino trousers/ Grey split leather sneakers

H: What were the initial markets? 
AG: We started with all of Europe, but the second year we began to target the United States. And for many years the US has been our main market. Half of our sales are in the US.

H: To what do you attribute the success Stateside?
AG: There’s something in our proposal that resonates. The US is into trying new things, and buying online. There’s less hesitation to buy something online, even if it’s Made-to-Measure.
Here in Europe it’s easier to go to a local tailor, and there’s a longer tradition of getting a suit custom made. There’s also greater competition in Europe that doesn’t exist in the US.

H: What has been the most challenging part of running the business?
AG: At the beginning we had to learn a lot, the operations and the production, because we don’t have a fashion background. But the key was to set up operations that would allow us to make something convenient, of quality, affordable, that was delivered to you in record time, considering it was made to order.
This was the biggest challenge. Obviously the technological part; the website, where you can design everything, a system that is able to predict and correct your measurements. All these layers that make what Hockerty is today.

H: What has been the process of sourcing materials, fabrics, leathers, etc.?
AG: When you produce in an area where there’s that tradition, then you’ll find good providers for fabrics or materials.
Let’s talk about shoes. We manufacture our shoes in an area of Spain where there’s a long tradition of shoe manufacturing so there you can find lots of providers for quality leathers in order to make your shoes. And it’s exactly the same with the fabrics.
During the years we have known and bought from lots of fabric providers and we have been able to build trust relationships with many of them. You can be sure we are sourcing fabrics from the best ones. This is key. The fabric is half of the garment.

H:   What sets Hockerty apart from the competition?
AG: Every single piece we make is Made-to-Measure, and made to order. We have nothing off the rack.
Everything we manufacture has an owner already.
The second thing is the level of personalization we offer.
Eighty percent of the orders we receive are personalized items. Twenty percent of people take from a pre-designed collection. We offer collections so they can get inspired, and they take that and add it to the cart right away. But we still produce it, it’s not pre-produced.

Hockerty Custom Made Personalized Sneakers

H: What I find unique about Hockerty is that you make everything; shoes, suits, sneakers, shirts, coats, ties… I don’t know of any other company that makes every single thing Made-to-Measure.
AG: I didn’t mention that because I still want more product. There’s always more that we can offer.
But yes, we were lucky enough to invest in resources to develop those product categories. Nowadays you can almost dress up completely with Hockerty items, top to bottom.
There’s still some items that are difficult to make, or offer personalization options, those are the ones we’re working on.

H: The only thing I see you need is to offer a haircut and a shave because everything else is there.
AG: (Laughs) That could be something.

H: Do you have retail venues or is it all online?
AG: It’s all online.

H: I saw there’s a service you offer that if something doesn’t fit properly you can have it adjusted. How does that work?
AG: In the last few years we have been building our own network of vendors and you can do certain things there.
For example, if you have doubts on getting measured we provide you with a partner and you can go there, close to where you live.  Also, if you want to receive the order and get the fitting done there, or you can have it ironed because obviously it’ll have wrinkles. If there are minor adjustments they will do them and you don’t have to pay extra.
The next step will be that some of our partners can sell our products. That may come during this year.

H: How have you seen the company’s growth over the years?
AG: If there’s something that defines our business that’s sustainable growth.
It’s not only our value proposal within the fashion industry, but also from the business perspective.
We have been growing steadily. We generate revenue every year, and keep reinvesting a big chunk of it in order to keep growing.
Every year we grow, even during Covid years. As we keep offering more product categories and people keep looking into sustainable practices.

H: What are the expansion plans?
AG: Next in line is overcoats. Right now we offer wool overcoats but we are trying to broaden that category for winter wear.
Also for knits, currently we have polo shirts, in short sleeves and long sleeves but on wool knits there’s something we can do there.
On the women’s line there are several product categories we can develop.
And in terms of channels it’s obvious we can do something there. We’re quite strong online and we need to go out into the real world. We took this first step with our partner network and next is to be able to sell through those partners, and eventually open our own selling points.

Hockerty – Brown shawl collar with belt loops / Chocolate brown buttonless pique polo shirt  / Tan trousers  / Men’s loafers in brown, burgundy and black leather and split leather

H: What advice can you offer aspiring entrepreneurs?
AG: That’s a hard one.
It’s key to know if there’s demand for whatever you’re doing.
It’s so easy to convince yourself that what you’re building is going to be successful. You really need to step back to seek advice, second opinions, to do market research in order to know if that is going to work.
Another advice is to look for an uneven number of partners.
There are three of us. And I have heard that it is good to be one or three. Two is more complicated.

H: Talking about partners, what makes a good one?
AG: Someone that is not exactly like you. Someone that has a different skill set and you can complement each other.

H: What would you say is your key to success?
AG: I’m not sure if it’s part of the success but I have always liked what I do. I have always believed in what I do. I have a pinch of obsession. When I was young I could invest tons of hours, I was lucky to have invested that time at that age.