I'd been thinking for quite some time that I wished the fit of the Mulholland could be improved. Then recently, in conversation with Simon, we found ourselves on the same page, and so we decided to begin work on refining the fit.
A Shared Vision with Simon
As we talked, it turned out Simon was already wrestling with the bigger question of how Real Simons' products should evolve. And as an extension of that thinking, he had already formed an early hypothesis about how the fit-improvement work should proceed by the time our conversation took place.
As we recently shared on our Instagram, Simon sees the direction Real Simons' jackets should aim for as one where American scale and Japanese detail coexist. Because I resonated deeply with his vision, we agreed that this direction should be realized in the new version of the Mulholland, and we set out to test an early hypothesis about how the market would respond.
Putting the Hypothesis to the Test
We decided to get started right away. Simon set about redrafting the jacket's pattern, while we took on the work of testing that hypothesis—drawing on the range of feedback being discussed about the existing product in online forums, the customer data we'd gathered through past emails and other inquiries, the in-depth feedback from various influencers who had experienced the Mulholland, and even the survey responses we collected from customers who had actually purchased and worn it.
Expanding into Big Sizes: 4XL and 5XL
Beyond that, we proposed making larger sizes such as 4XL and 5XL. Through our experience selling the J-31 in big sizes, we already knew that people of an especially large build wanted to buy and wear our products but often found it difficult to do so. We made this case to Simon proactively, and as a result we decided to take on the production of big sizes as well.
The Challenge of Fit in Bigger Sizes
With big sizes, too, there's the question of how to build the fit. Simply scaling up the width and length proportionally can produce results far removed from reality. One thing we've come to feel in running Brake House is that everyone differs in height and weight—and even people of similar height and weight have different body types—so finding the single “correct” fit is genuinely difficult. And because each person defines that “correct answer” by their own standard, satisfying everyone is harder still.
A Process, Not a Destination
But while trying to land on the perfect answer all at once would be daunting, the perspective shifts when you think of what we do as a process of moving toward that answer. Not standing still—continuing to listen to our customers' voices and to change. And holding onto the will to act on it.
It's our hope to bring you the fruits of these two efforts soon, before autumn arrives.