The custom leather jacket brand offering a try-at-home service to design your own

There’s no garment cooler than the iconic, black leather jacket.

From Marlon Brando donning a personalized moto in the 1953 movie “The Wild One,” to the Ramones making the outer layer their signature punk look, the rough-and-tumble garment has always had a bad reputation in the best way possible.

Over the years, the traditional motorcycle jacket has seen little variation.  

Enter By The Namesake, founded by Rosa Halpern. The custom leather jacket brand offers a try-at-home service that aims to bring the intimate bespoke experience of visiting their Toronto atelier straight to the comfort of your living room. 

Instead of buying a generic leather jacket straight off the rack, the service allows you to customize a style that meets all of your needs, specifications and desires, without leaving the house.

Daily Mail’s Style Director, Pandora Amoratis, tested out this new way to shop. 

After looking on the By The Namesake website and debating between several jacket silhouettes, I was thrilled to learn that I would be sent a few to try on as part of the at-home service.

The box arrived with everything I would need to decide, including the jacket options made of canvas, leather swatches, lining options and step-by step video instructions.  

For the next couple of days I played dress up pairing the look-a-like leathers with various under-layers to determine which style and size I needed in my wardrobe.

I then hopped on a one-on-one digital Zoom consultation with Rosa to get her professional opinion on fit and a little guidance on the additional details. 

I selected the Petite Prince, a cropped version of their popular men’s style, The Prince.

After Rosa demonstrated her latest invention of detachable fringe, l was sold on the dramatic bohemian feature. As per the designer’s suggestion, I decided to send her one of my favorite silk scarves to use as the inside lining.

About six weeks after I sent the canvas jackets back (using a prepaid envelope provided by Namesake) I received my bada** moto. It fits my body perfectly and I absolutely love it. 

Not only did I get to choose every little detail of the jacket (i.e. inside pocket on the left side because I am a Rightie), but the experience itself was fun and unlike anything I’ve ever done.

We all have that one person on our list who’s impossible to shop for. And with physical distancing and stay-at-home orders in place, scouring the malls to find them that perfect present for the holidays is not going to happen.

Stay safe and gift that hard to impress recipient an experience they’ll never forget – designing their own leather jacket! 

The Try-At-Home kit experience costs $85 and if you choose to move forward with a jacket, the trial fee will be credited towards your purchase.

Rosa compares trying at home to shopping online with the intention of returning what doesn’t fit. 

‘Before making a big jacket purchase, you can give styles you’re interested in a test drive,’ she pointed out.

‘But when shopping for something at a luxury price-point, part of what you’re looking for is the experience. 

‘Unlike traditional retail shopping, this has more soul to it.’

The business owner explains that what her company is really selling is the ‘transformative experience of getting fitted in something and walking out with something that makes you feel like the best version of yourself.’ 

‘We make it clear that YOU are the designer. For the general population the fashion industry is this mystical, glamorous world. I give people the opportunity to be in the driver’s seat.’ 

Rosa believes that for any experience-focused luxury brand, this is the way of the future.

Rosa discovered there was a need in the market for custom jackets after getting a job as a menswear buyer at a very high end store in Toronto and noticing that the leather jackets sat on the shelf.

‘I think because everyone has a very specific idea of what a jacket should be at that price point,’ she said.

Around the same time, an athlete friend with a tiny waist and broad shoulders asked her if she could make her a jacket. 

This lead to her making jackets for several friends, all by hand in her mom’s basement.

‘I realized I was on to something that no one was doing. It was an untapped niche in the market.’

Since the coronavirus pandemic, major online retailers have seen big changes in consumers’ shopping habits.

There’s been a shift from contemporary to luxury goods and a growing demand for seasonless pieces that have longevity.    

‘The pandemic has forced people to slow down, to focus on priorities and where they want to spend their money, said Rosa.

Stay-at-home orders have inspired those with unexpected ample free time to engage in creative activities.  

So it comes as no surprise that By The Namesake’s at-home service has ‘exploded’ in the last couple of months and brands across many categories are offering similar engaging experiences.

Just like a leather jacket needs to fit perfectly, perfume needs to meld with one’s personal chemistry. 

Berlin-based luxury label Krigler now allows clients to create their own bespoke fragrances. 

‘Like any personal item, creating a fragrance is a journey with yourself,’ said the brand.

Sessions could be had at one of Krigler’s boutiques, directly at the client’s home or online through any video conference chat available.  

The bespoke experience takes several months to complete, with the final stage being the made-to-measure custom crystal bottle and the hand-made trunk that houses it. 

Like in all industries, brands are readapting and changing their strategies to the exceptional moment we are living,’ says Pronovias Group CEO, Amandine Ohayon. 

‘We need to be more digital than ever, being present through our websites and social media channels, being able to connect emotionally and interact with brides during this lockdown time.’ 

Anomalie is the only wedding dress retailer that is fully online.

Soon-to-be brides can design their dream dress on their computers with the assurance that they will receive it or their money back, and then some. 

The brand has seen a significant increase since the start of the pandemic.