Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Trewitt.
Justin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began Dapper Woodworks last October as a way to provide some extra income for my family when we decided for my wife to be a stay at home mom with our son. I wanted to find a way to combine my passion for menswear and my woodworking hobby. I made an Etsy store and put up a wooden pocket square organizer that I made for myself and a few tie racks made from scrap wood in my shop. It took about 1 month before I got the first order, and then I started getting requests for custom sized tie racks and had ten orders throughout the holiday season. Going into 2018, I knew I needed to refine my designs, and develop specific sizes.
In early 2018, I got connected with Kirby Allison of the Hanger Project, an online luxury menswear retailer, and we began selling our products through their site. It has been a wonderful partnership, and I have learned a lot about wholesaling products and working with retailers. From the start, my wife and I have trusted that God will use this side business for His glory. One really neat way we saw this was earlier this year on a mission trip with our Church to Tanzania, Africa. We had a lot of extra expenses related to the trip (passport renewals, shots, and Dr. visits) and everything was covered by profits from the business. Going into 2019, we hope to partner with ministries in Tanzania to give back and continue to glorify God for how He has blessed us.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Honestly, it has been a smooth road so far. I didn’t expect to be where we are at today as far as the brands I’ve worked with, and how many orders we’ve been getting. Every month is different, some months we’ll have a few orders, and other months we’ll get over 10 orders. The biggest struggle is just getting the brand out there and showing people why they need our products over cheaper options on the market.
Please tell us about Dapper Woodworks.
Dapper Woodworks specializes in bespoke wood tie racks, pocket square organizers, wall hooks, and shoe horns. All of our products are handcrafted and made to order. Clients are able to choose their specific size, wood type, and hardware finish on our website, so each one is unique. We also do custom tie rack orders up to 36″ long to fit any space in a variety of stains, paint, and hardware finish to match existing home or closet colorways. What sets us apart is that until now there have been no options for nice tie racks. People spend anywhere from $50-$250 on luxury neckties only to hang them up on a plastic hanger or cheap cedar tie rack. Our products fill that gap and provide a beautiful way to store your luxury accessories.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I probably would’ve started sooner, and offered specific sizes from the beginning. I also wish I would’ve started connecting with more people and retailers in the menswear industry sooner.
Pricing:
- Tie racks and pocket square organizers range from $100-$200 depending on options
- Wall hooks are $30
- Long handle shoe horns are $165
- Custom options are available through inquiry
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dapperwoodworks.com
- Phone: (214) 986-3550
- Email: dapperwoodworks@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Koby Dickenson, Jesse Burzminski, The Hanger Project
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