Tommy John: Men#039;s Undershirts Slim Down

As contemporary suit silhouettes have become slimmer and knitfabric technology has turned to high performance, Tom Patterson observed that men’s undershirts weren’t changing with the times.

So he set out to alter that.

Patterson describes his Tommy John collection as a new and improved version of the undershirt that solves all the complaints he had with traditional undershirts. “T-shirts are like a CD Walkman. Wehave the iPod version,” Patterson said.

The Los Angeles–based entrepreneur got the idea for a new undershirt line after he stepped out of his car one day and had to readjust his undershirt, which was riding up and becoming loose.

“My frustration with the majority of undershirts on the market was they were 100 percent cotton; they were thick, which made me perspire more quickly; they would shrink 8 to 15 percent, so they wouldn’t really fit after two or three wears; they would yellow; they had tags on them,” Patterson said.

Patterson designed the “ultimate undershirt,” which addressed a number of traditional undershirt design flaws. The super-soft Micromodal/Lycra blend fabric is durable and breathable like cotton but is lighter and does not shrink. The shirt has a fitted cut to provide a smooth foundation under slim-cut dress shirts and suits. The length is extra long so the shirt remains tucked in under trousers.

The first Tommy John shirt was sewn by a seamstress at Patterson’s local dry cleaners, using a handdrawn sketch and fabric purchased in downtown Los Angeles. After sharing his samples with friends and receiving encouraging feedback, he produced hundreds of shirts in downtown Los Angeles and sold the shirts online.

In early 2009, Patterson quit his job as a salesperson in the medical-equipment industry to work on Tommy John full time. He now sources production overseas.

The shirts and underwear are sold at Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom and have a high rate of reorders. Patterson said seven out of 10 men who try on a Tommy John shirt in the dressing room purchase the shirt. Seventy-four percent of customers who buy one online come back for an average of four more, according to Patterson’s website statistics. Wholesale price points range from $10 to $19.

“Guys are unique in that if they like something, they love it,” Patterson said. “That’s the challenge—getting them to try your brand. Once they try it, you usually get a customer who becomes a very, very loyal customer.”

For more information, call (800) 708-3490. —Rhea Cortado