Nick Wheeler, Charles Tyrwhitt
Nick Wheeler of Charles Tyrwhitt Shirts has a singular vision: to be the best shirt company in the world.
Nick Wheeler set up Charles Tyrwhitt back in 1986 (his full name is Nicholas Charles Tyrwhitt Wheeler) because he thought he could make a better shirt than anybody else. Since those humble origins, they’ve made a commitment to ensure all their menswear is built to last, using only the finest materials sourced from every corner of the globe. Thirty-two years later and they sell into all countries worldwide and have over twenty-five stores in the UK, seven in America and one in Paris.
They have been selling shirts online in Ireland since 2016 and with now over 7,000 Irish customers we wanted to find out more on what makes Charles Tyrwhitt shirts a cut above the rest. Wheeler is so obsessed with his shirts he has even run a marathon wearing full business attire.
Before Charles Tyrwhitt took off, Wheeler tried his hand at other businesses including a Christmas tree delivery service, and says entrepreneurship was always the path he wanted to follow: “I always knew I wanted my own business, so tried a few things before starting Charles Tyrwhitt.
I started very small and made loads of mistakes, but had nothing to lose and had no responsibilities. It was a great time to learn as I went along. However, I wasn’t a very good Christmas tree salesman and it proved a bit too seasonal! The trick to succeeding is finding something you care passionately about and doing it better than anyone else. For me, that turned out to be shirts.”
A lucky investment using an inheritance and a bank loan to buy a rare Aston Martin turned into a windfall when he sold the car after a year for £100,000, turning a handsome profit, which he immediately spent on stock for his burgeoning shirt business.
The business began from the humble origins of a student flat when Wheeler was studying at Bristol University. “I had always loved the feel of a crisp new shirt and my friends were all scruffy as hell,“ he recalls. “I thought men needed a bit of help to look good and so started a shirt business. Armed with an Amstrad word processor (£199) and 5,000 leaflets (£99), I began to sell my shirts via mail order out of my university bedroom.”
Surviving lean times and plugging away at the business has taken Wheeler on a 30-year journey. He reflects, “Failure is a very important part of success. You need to fail and fail fast. Learn the lessons, get over it and move on.“ He maintains he always had a singular goal that has kept him moving forward: “I always wanted to be the best shirt business in the world. I looked around and thought I could make a better shirt than anyone else out there.“
Asked for his recipe for success, Wheeler says: “People often ask me what the secret is. They think there is some magic dust that you can sprinkle on a business and transform it overnight. It just doesn’t work like that. If I had to come up with a recipe for success, then I would say go back to basics. Offer better value for money than anybody else. Offer a product you are proud of and offer it with such incredible service that your customers will want to come back for more. Having said all that, I think the most important advice would be to stick at it. Keep going for 30 years, getting a little bit better every year and you will end up with a great business.“
Charles Tyrwhitt, Jermyn Street, London
Q. What makes a good shirt?
“A good shirt might seem like a simple thing, but it is incredibly complex. It starts with the cotton (but not all cotton is equal) and ends with the fit. It’s got to fit you right, otherwise it simply won’t look good. You’ve got to consider everything from the way the collar is constructed (very important!) to how the seams are stitched or the buttons fastened. On top of all that, a good shirt will always be the right weave, weight and pattern for the occasion.”
Nick suggests three must-have shirts that will see you through almost any situation in life.
“One shirt in particular outsells all others by a mile. No wardrobe is complete without one of our Non-iron Twill white shirts. It comes in an incredible 278 cut and size combinations so that every man can find one in the perfect fit. I would also choose one of our Business Casual Non-iron Button-Downs in blue. It is very easy to dress it up or down and looks great on everybody – no exceptions. And finally, I would go for a Washed Oxford from our casual range. We spent years perfecting the wash and the weight of the cotton to get it just right. We have become well known now for these wonderful Oxford shirts – every man should definitely have at least one!”
Log on to www.ctshirts.com and enter the code X6AAT at checkout to receive the “€25 off with a minimum of €50 spend”.
