Dive Brief:

• Expanding the reach of its made-to-wear apparel, custom clothing company Knot Standard has introduced a Custom OnDemand platform, according to a Thursday press release. The platform is now available at Brooks Brothers, Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom. 
• The tool, which uses artificial intelligence measurement technology, will be used to craft tailored menswear at 21 Brooks Brothers stores. The service will offer shirts to start, then add suits, jackets and pants, according to the announcement. 
• Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's plan to expand Knot Standard's technology at their stores soon, per the announcement. 

Dive Insight:

In addition to expanding the reach of its own custom clothing, Knot Standard is now selling its technology to retailers to create their own custom clothing offering.

With the collaboration, Brooks Brothers, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's now stand alongside other retailers in enhancing their custom apparel offerings with technology. In December 2020, Amazon debuted a "Made for You" feature via the Amazon app, letting users create custom T-shirts using virtual fitting technology. In July, Tailored Brands integrated Bold Metrics' Contactless Fit tool into more than 650 Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank stores. 

Nordstrom's use of Knot Standard tech also comes after a June announcement that it plans to open 21 Indochino custom apparel shop-in-shops in stores across the country.

"Knot Standard's Custom OnDemand platform is a first for retail – never before has custom clothing been possible for anyone, anywhere, without any special training, inventory, or infrastructure," President and co-founder of Knot Standard Matthew Mueller said in a statement. "The Virtual Styling tools we have built over the last 10 years, combined with our successful AI-powered Fit App and digital Style Wall, let any retailer offer Knot Standard custom clothing with minimal training and zero inventory."

It's a model similar to what ThredUp is pursuing with its resale as a service platform, which helps retailers set up their own resale programs. Wells Fargo analysts recently said that side of the business could be more lucrative than its core secondhand clothing sales.

Knot Standard is also expanding in other ways. According to Knot Standard's press release, the company has recently added womenswear to its product assortment. The offering includes business, leisure and events attire and was launched earlier last week, Women's Wear Daily reports.