Press
Muggsy Bogues Joins Forces With Clothing Brand for Smaller Men
Two burgeoning Detroit-based entrepreneurs stood in the showroom. Steven Mazur and Eric Huang joined forces to create Ash & Erie, a clothing brand exclusively serving men under 5’8”. “I was kind of mindblown from it,” says Bogues. “Is this real?” At 5’3”, the Hornets legend prevails as the shortest player in NBA history.
Short King Dating Aims to Connect Smaller Guys With People Who Appreciate Their Height
One of the worst-kept secrets of the online dating world is that people are more superficial online than they are in real life, and many, many shorter men have been promptly nexted when the dreaded topic of height comes up. What's a guy to do when passed off for something he has no control over?
Specialty clothier Ash & Erie shifts to casual wear, broader customer base
"COVID was ripping through the globe, so the entire world has been faced a huge supply chain dilemma," Albert said. "First it hit China, then Latin America. Shipping is more expensive. There are less people flying, which means there are less flights going out that could carry products. We're still feeling the effects of it."
30 Under 30 In Retail & Ecommerce 2019: Meet The Visionaries Reinventing How We Shop
The recent downfalls of such legendary brands as Toys “R” Us and Sears might incline one to believe that retail is, as they say, dead. But the industry isn’t dead, nor is it on the decline—it’s changing quickly, and Forbes’ 30 Under 30 class of 2019 is helping drive the disruption.
Shorter men have a huge problem. These guys want to fix it
In fact, the shorter male category is so underserved that market research firm NPD Group does not even track its size. “It’s absolutely the most ignored — absolutely the most ignored market. I’m repeating it because it’s worth repeating,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at The NPD Group.
Making Clothes for Short Men Is a Tall Order
For years, I lied about my height—I didn’t mean to, but I did. Though my medical records indicate that I come in just under 5-foot-8, I somehow spent most of my 20s convinced that I was an inch taller. Can you blame me? Shortness—as Napoleon knew too well—gets a bad rap.
New Clothing Startup Targets Short Men
Among shorter men, it’s called the “tailor tax”: the extra $15 – $25 or more required to get alterations on a new item of clothing. Why? Because for the estimated one in three American men who stand 5’8” or under, clothing typically doesn’t fit properly off the rack.
The 'Short Guy Problem' in Clothing Stores Spotlights the Limits of Big Brands
Two Venture for America Fellows, Steven Mazur and Eric Huang, struggled for years to find shirts that fit well off the rack. Every time they bought a shirt it fit funny. The sleeves were too long. The proportions were unflattering. The fronts hung too low.
What it means to be a ‘Shorter American’
Entrepreneur Steve Mazur, 5-foot-6, and partner Eric Huang, 5-foot-8, recently launched online apparel retailer Ash & Anvil with the goal of building the “ultimate off-the-rack brand for shorter guys,” based on the recognition that even small sizes of most men’s apparel lines don’t fit or hang well on guys 5-foot-8 and shorter.
Short Men In Fashion: How The Industry Fails To Recognize Smaller Men
According to Steven Mazur, co-founder of Ash & Erie (previously called Ash & Anvil), a brand that makes dress shirts for shorter men, approximately 33 per cent of the American male population is under 5′8. That’s about 40 million men, which is a lot of guys — and money. Why aren’t mainstream brands being more accommodating?
Finally, A Short-Guy Specific Clothing Line
Women aren't the only ones who sometimes find off-the-rack clothing to be a problem. Hoping to make shopping a little easier for short guys everywhere, Ash & [Erie] created clothing for shorter men. Founded by two men who know the shopping struggle is real, this line is sure to make a big different in the lives (and closets) of the under 5'8" set.
Clothing Brands for Short Men
“Clothes are generally designed for guys that are 6-foot,” says Steven Mazur, cofounder of Ash & [Erie], a brand that makes clothing designed specifically for men under 5’8”. Fitting clothing around 6-foot-tall men just doesn't make a ton of sense. In reality, the guys reaching for a small aren't beanstalks.
Quicken Loans Detroit Demo Day to award $1 million to entrepreneurs
Social Club Grooming, a barber shop in Midtown, took home the top $200,000 prize and $25,000 people's choice award in the inaugural competition in May. Detroit Training Center, Ash & Erie, RecoveryPark Farms, Eli Tea, The Farmer's Hand, Social Sushi and Good Cakes and Bakes won smaller awards.
Short men need clothes too, but retailers continue to ignore them
The body positivity movement, however, has focused far more on women and weight than on men of small stature, allowing mainstream retailers to continue to mostly ignore this segment of male shoppers. “No matter what category of shopper, people should know they’re perfect the way they are,” Mazur said.
Ash & Erie Is Changing the Fashion Industry With Stylish Clothes for Short Men
Huang and Mazur are among an estimated total of 40 million American men under 5'9". That's a large portion of the population unable to find pants or shirts that fit them correctly, with most t-shirts, shorts, pants, and button-up dress shirts being way too long, oversized, or just plain ill-fitting.
