Aldon Lamb
MAR 100- B051
Dapper Boi
This essay choice was an easy one for me. As a queer person who doesn’t fit a ‘normal’ body type, I immediately connected with Vicky and the pitch for their brand, “Dapper Boi.” Vicky and Charisse Pasche began their brand for the simple reason that Vicky wasn’t comfortable in typical men or women’s clothing. I loved the enthusiasm of the wife team and the models they brought with them. The couple really cares about their brand and their inclusivity and that’s why I chose them.
The product that they presented is their “Dapper Boi” brand with its gender and size inclusive jeans, tops, and outerwear. The pair came in hot and started presenting their original dilemma which was that Vicky couldn’t find women’s clothes that fit her style or men’s clothes that fit her body type. They wanted to create a brand that she felt comfortable in as a queer person of a larger body type with “a booty”. They work to create a brand that reaches people of all shapes, sizes, and origins so that they can feel comfortable in their clothing without having to shop in a section that may make them uncomfortable.
Vicky and Charisse are hoping to use their brand as a way to bridge the gap between the two mainstream genders with an androgynous style for people who don’t necessarily subscribe to our society’s gender norms. A ’genderless’ clothing brand is a great concept in today’s push for breaking gender roles and understanding that we are all much more than what gender we are assigned at birth. I do believe in what they are trying to put forward and that they have done a great job thus far with the exception of a few marketing mistakes.
As far as branding and packaging goes, I think they have some room for improvement. To begin with, I think the name is a little… divisive even if the intent is to bridge a gap. They are trying to become more mainstream and appeal to more audiences, but their brand has a gendered term in it, even if the term is spelled in playful way. I think this creates a subconscious pause in a lot of female-identifying humans. A change of brand title may draw the eye of a broader audience.
The pair do however seem to be in the best position as far as having their online store as opposed to brick and mortar. I think that unless they built their own brick and mortar stores, they don’t make a ton of sense in a department store. The idea that they would create a “middle area” just isn’t practical for 90% of stores selling clothing and would cost the company a substantial amount of money up front. In my opinion, they could do more business by taking the “bespoke box” approach. This would give them the money to purchase the garments before they’re made and have a better idea of how many to order. They would be able to send out a monthly box that has all the right sizes for the consumer and that consumer can purchase what they like and return the remaining items. The leftover garments that aren’t purchased by the original recipient can then be sold as individual items on their store as a limited supply.
When it comes to the question of, “Do I need this?” and “Does this fill a hole that I have in my everyday life?”. I think the answer is yes. To the right individuals, something as small as pants that are the correct fit and style or a shirt that fits and hides the parts of themselves, they don’t identify with, can be life changing. While this may not be a need for everyone, it is a need for a growing number of human beings who are struggling to find a place where they are comfortable and feel beautiful in their own skin. As a person that wears clothes that don’t always identify with my gender, I really think Dapper Boi is doing a beautiful thing.
Work Cited
“Shark Tank .” Season 14, episode 20.
Dapper Boi, https://www.dapperboi.com/.
