This tuxedo rental startup wants to completely change the way guys dress for weddings

pulse

January 24, 2017 8:29 PM

Few wedding preparations are less glamorous than renting a tux for the big day.

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The fact is, most tuxedo and rental suits just don't look great. They're poorly tailored and usually made from low-quality fabric by manufacturers that also pump out uniforms for service staff. In a word, they look bad.

When Andrew Blackmon got married, he figured there had to be a better way. That's why in 2013, he and started The Black Tux, an ecommerce-based formalwear rental startup. Blackmon and Coyne serve as co-CEOs.

The Los Angeles-based company has raised $30 million in venture capital, and it now does $2 million a month in sales with a 2x increase year over year, Blackmon told Business Insider. But the way the company approaches the rental business is fundamentally different from the strategy behind traditional brick-and-mortar options like Tailored Brands' rental giant Men's Wearhouse, which has seen falling sales since 2015.

The Black Tux takes a different approach to the rental garment, creating one made from higher-quality fabrics that are sourced from Italian mills, and that is designed to be worn fewer times than a traditional rental. Suit rentals start at $95, and tuxedos start at $110.