Bonobos

Ed’s been at this for a long time.

The first machine he worked on was a Commodore 64 and he built his first website on Geocities in 1995 (back when you were lucky to get a single megabyte of storage).

Flash forward: a computer engineering degree from Georgia Tech, five years as senior developer for a web firm in Atlanta, a relocation to New York City, and Ed Samour is the new Director of Technology for Bonobos!

Ed and I ducked out of the HQ trouser tempest for a quick coffee break yesterday, and I got to find out a little more about his plans to take Bonobos.com to awesome new heights.

Q: Overall, what excites you about technology?

A: How fast it’s changing. What’s new and popular today will be outdated tomorrow, and it requires new, specific skill sets. The challenge of keeping up makes it exciting.

Q: What are your goals for Bonobos?

A: Providing a great customer experience! Specifically, we’ve got to unify what’s happening online with the offline world, build an infrastructure that integrates all systems–the website, our order fulfillment system, the customer service platform–they all have to be in sync. When we take that to the next level it’ll really set us apart.

Q: I know from experience that streamlining customer service processes makes everyone’s life easier.

A: Yes. Ultimately technology should improve our lives and the user experience. It should make it easier to buy our products, or exchange them. Soon all the ninjas will have instant, coordinated access to customer correspondence and order history, so customer service issues can be addressed and resolved even quicker.

Q: How do you feel about robots?

A: I love robots. I look forward to the day when everyone gets to have their own.

Q: Like Bicentennial Man?

A: More like WALL·E. Robin Williams was kind of in the uncanny valley in that one.

Q: The what?

[At this point in our conversation my curiosity got the better of my note-taking as Ed and I took a hard digression into a discussion of the uncanny valley. It involved several detailed napkin-drawn diagrams and quizzical looks from our neighboring Starbucks-goers.] One thing’s for sure–we’re psyched to have Ed on the team. His first order of business is giving our website a major upgrade with respect to user interface and design. At Bonobos.com 2.0, we’re going to do an even better job of anticipating your questions and taking care of your needs! Want a sneak peek? Check it out! (NOTE: We know that the labels and prices are all incorrect–this is just a mock-up for design purposes.)Anything in particular you’d like to see on Bonobos.com? Let us know–we’ve got the man for the job.

I am a licensed clinical social worker at a community health center in southwest Idaho. I provide mental health services to patients without insurance or with low incomes. Fortunately, our non-profit agency is able to provide counseling services at a nominal fee and, therefore, bringing services to people who need them the most. Therapy is not something that only the affluent or privileged should be able to afford. Like medical services, it is something that we should all have access to. It is wonderful working for any agency that cares for the less fortunate and providing health care services to everyone.

Being a social worker means being “in the trenches” sometimes. Therefore, wearing durable, comfortable, yet classy clothing is essential. That is where Bonobos comes in.

I also value fashion, quality clothing, and looking professional. Being a social worker means being “in the trenches” sometimes. Therefore, wearing durable, comfortable, yet classy clothing is essential. That is where Bonobos comes in.

I have been a social worker for more than 10 years. I love working in a helping profession. I have worked as a school social worker, deputy probation officer, child abuse investigator, and now as a clinical social worker providing therapy to people whom couldn’t otherwise afford it and/or don’t have health insurance. I guess I could get another job to afford more expensive clothing, but instead, I would rather spend my spare time as a volunteer in my community: I am a mentor for an elementary school child and I have taken various humanitarian trips to help orphaned children abroad. For example, I went to Sri Lanka after the tsunami and provided psychological first aid to children whose parents died. Last year I went to Peru to help at an orphanage for street children.

I love what I do. If I didn’t, I would have changed careers and found a different job a long time ago. But life is not about making millions of dollars and buying expensive toys. Life is about enjoying what you do and making a difference in the world.

Michael Benjamin, MSW, LCSW, RPT
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Registered Play Therapist

The brothers Grinna (Brent, Brad, and Blaine) are three members of a special group whom we’ve named trousers after. This all-star team includes the likes of Bryan Wolff (the first ever Bonobos customer), Senator John McCain and President-elect Barack Obama (no explanation needed there) and James McCullen Destro XXIV (fictional miscellaneous antagonist).

We just received this update from Brad Grinna, shown below in a Bonobos t-shirt and the Sheftanas:

Historically, wearing Bonobos might have indicated that you fit into one of two general categories of men. Perhaps you work in a stable industry, shave daily, read GQ, drive a nice car and have a solid 5-year plan. Or, you are an elite soldier in the Band of Brothers, and you’ve chosen the road less traveled in your professional life.

I used to be the first kind of guy. I worked for Countrywide in the commercial mortgaged back securities division. Nothing to do with home loans, just commercial property loans. It didn’t matter–-in the midst of a Black Swan (a.k.a. credit crisis), my reign of supremacy among Countrywide analysts came to a screeching halt when Bank of America swallowed us whole in July.

So, I was faced with a dilemma. Should I a) fight for a job in the worst industry in the worst market of my lifetime, or b) do something awesome? I chose b.

I have been a student, a volunteer, a mountain climber and an aspiring dancer in the three months since I left the United States. I am no longer tied down by Monday Morning Meetings or nuisances like shaving.
I reside in the jungles of Costa Rica, the slums of Nicaragua and the mountains of Peru. I smoke the cigars of Cuba while savoring the cachaça of Brazil after I finish my tango class in Buenos Aires. My 5-year plan is to make it to 30.

I will not be confined by arbitrary borders drawn on maps determined by ancient wars. I will not succumb to communication barriers. I am learning to speak the language of mankind (and womankind, more importantly), and it’s working just fine so far. Armed with my passport, my Peruvian hat, my joie de vivre and a wardrobe of Bonobos, I am committed to exploring the unknown and testing my limits. Call me rough around the edges, call me primitive, call me Bonobos.

Gentlemen, I humbly accept your appointment as the inaugural member of the Registry of Champions. I will continue to provide updates as my journey continues-–and I hope my newfound freedom might inspire others to follow.

We have a squad of customer service ninjas, accurate and stealthy as a shuriken whizzing foe-bound in the night, we have a Band of Brothers proving that doing good and looking good aren’t mutually exclusive, but the time has come to institute a Bonobos Registry of Champions. Enjoying the fruits of the world, building a wealth of experiences, is a core philosophy of Bonobos, and we’re psyched to share them with you in words, pictures, and soon video.

Put on your bonobos and show us your championship moments.

Some things are better the old-fashioned way.

I say this with a measure of irony–I work, after all, for a fashion company staffed with ninjas, run by MBAs, and missing a store. The truth is, though, that while our tools of doing business have radically changed, our attitude with respect to things like customer service and quality control is straight-up old-school. Certain things will just never go out of style.

Add to that list: the thoughtfulness of a handwritten note. Michael M. ordered two sizes of the same trouser (which, given our awesome returns policy, we encourage customers to do) and when he sent the larger size back, he wrote to let us know he’s digging his obamas, and is interested in the touchstones, too.

We certainly hope so!

We love it when women give bonobos to their husbands/boyfriends/fathers/sons/brothers/friends. We find that they often feel just as enthusiastically as we do that guys should dress well, or even on occasion–dare I say it–vibrantly. (We often hear variations on the following: “You know, I only owned jeans and khakis, but then my wife/girlfriend/sister/gal-pal bought me the turqs/limelights/orange crush and I am hooked.”)

And while we don’t have a women’s line, we’re continuously working to satisfy our female customers–like Sarah B., whose boyfriend rocks his black flags:

Thanks for your support, Sarah! We sent you a Bonobos t-shirt as a thank-you for your kind words and support–we hope to be your go-to trouser store for years to come, too.

I recently started a new job as a Match Advocate at Big Brothers Big Sisters. My job is to help out volunteer mentors, kids, and their families to ensure that the mentoring relationships get the support they need to thrive.

This job requires a new level of fashion classiness for me–my previous employment has been as a mentor to first graders (jeans and sneakers for the playground) and as a AmeriCorps volunteer at a community center (shorts for the basketball court). So for the first time I need to build a business wardrobe–and that can be pretty pricey. I hate the pleats I find at the thrift store, the pants at H&M are too tight for me and fall apart too quickly, and the pants at the department stores are usually too baggy.

Can you help me fill the pants void in my wardrobe? I am looking to invest in a few pairs of well-fitting, well-made pants that will last longer than one season. I learned long ago that investing in good shoes is cheaper than buying crappy shoes over and over. I have looked over your website and am coveting a few pairs, but the initial investment is difficult for me to make right now. I’m making an entry level salary in a non-profit and coming out of some debt producing years of volunteering and college–I’d like to start getting myself ready for a meteoric rise to a mid-level salary in a non-profit, and maybe even starting my own someday. Can you help a brother get some nice pants?

It would be our pleasure, Lucas! Thank you for your great support and even greater work at Big Brothers Big Sisters!

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Trouser Revolution:

Lately our inboxes have been flooded with customer testimonials, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. We’ve begun uploading your sentiments here on our blog, and even sending out a few free t-shirts in appreciation.

Time to up the ante.

We want to see and hear why you love your bonobos. We’re holding a video testimonial contest via our Facebook fan page, and we’re putting up some serious swag. To the grand prize winner: a wardrobe of Bonobos products (5 trousers plus an extra pair for a friend, a t-shirt, and one of the very first, hot-off-the-sewing-machine Bonobos dress shirts). First runner up wins a pair of pluperfects. All qualifying entrants will receive a special gift.

Yeah. We are serious about this.

Here’s how to enter:
1. Become fan of Bonobos on Facebook.
2. Upload a video between 30 seconds and 3 minutes long, expressing (in whatever way you choose) your love for Bonobos.
3. Post a sentence from your video on the Bonobos Wall, and also e-mail it to us at ninjas@bonobos.com.

Put your creativity into overdrive. Dress to impress. Press record. Cross your fingers. It’s go time, gents.

We had a classic pair of navy twill shorts; M. Dugan made them the navy bleus. Our stone-colored organic cotton twills were versatile but nameless; Robin Testa made them the touchstones. We crafted a trouser of no-holds-barred luxury in 100% black cashmere; Dalyn made them the destros.

We turn to you once again.

Today we launch two outstanding new wools: the g6, a charcoal-hued successor to the g5 and g4; and a silver stretch wool (a cousin of the jive cats and jackson brownes). To the man, woman, or child that christens these latter lovelies, we will send a free pair and our eternal thanks. Study them and choose wisely–entrants may only submit once. Make your submission as a comment on this blog post

To win, you don’t have to submit a name and a description, but feel free to include one if the mood strikes. And don’t be afraid to think way outside the box. Many thought our jet-black cashmere would be libidinously dubbed–some subtly (”midnight trains”), others not so much (”sex panthers”). We ended up naming them after a G.I. Joe antagonist.

There’s no formula beyond creativity and charisma. Let’s see what you’ve got.

I’m a recent first time customer and I just wanted to let you know how much I’ve enjoyed my new Bonobos so far. The fit, cut, and quality is better than most of the pants I find in stores. I was actually kind of upset having to “lend” them to my tailor for a few days to have them hemmed. I’ve had many long conversations with colleagues about our inability to find dress pants that fit so I’ll definitely be spreading the good word.

On a side note: I was in Cannes for a few weeks this summer and I tried to find the perfect pair of white pants. All the Europeans have them, and Americans… well, we have khakis I guess. Since I don’t like khakis, I was on a mission. Sadly, I came up short on my search over there because I just couldn’t find anything that fit right or looked cool (or was less than 250 euros). Enter the leblons. Thanks to you I’ll be partying with Saudi oil heirs and the women who love them/gold-dig from them in style next summer. Many thanks.

Brian M.

My name is Jake Hart, I am 25 years old, and I’m from the Black Hills of South Dakota. I was recruited as a college quarterback at Cornell University, and played for two years before realizing the NFL wasn’t in my future. In my senior year, I made the decision to serve our country in the military. I knew my salary would be nowhere near what my friends would pull in, but I am also a huge believer in the old cliché that money can’t buy happiness. When I joined, I knew I would have the opportunity to protect our nation and carry on the awesome tradition of military service no matter what my job, but I was really hoping to become a jet pilot… I guess Top Gun made a quite an impression on me in my formative years.

I started out in the Air Force, but wasn’t initially chosen to fly. I ended up as a Maintenance Officer working with over 250 enlisted troops on F-16s in Idaho. I didn’t really know what to think when I first showed up on the job, but the experience of working with and leading such extremely bright, motivated, and generally awesome troops was incredible. I was constantly amazed by their level of professionalism and sacrifice, and that was when I knew that the military was right for me. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade that assignment for the world.

However, seeing jets fly overhead every day did nothing to reduce my itch to fly, so I applied for an Inter-Service Transfer into the Navy. Well, to make a long story not quite so long, it’s a couple years later and I am currently in the last phase of Navy Jet Training and hopefully will be flying F-18s off aircraft carriers within the next year.

I was searching for a good pair of pants that would flatter my 6′4″ 225 lb. frame, and that’s when I came across your website, which claimed “If you’ve ever been told you carry a little extra junk in your trunk, then we have the pants for you.” I was hooked on the slacks, and had dreams of clothing items that could take the attention from my rapidly receding hairline. However, with my current monetary situation, dropping $120-$200 on a pair of pants just seemed like it would be a little irresponsible (although I must admit I was tempted to swipe the old credit card for those custom pants until I saw the Band of Brothers link). That is, unless they were guaranteed to make my hot female flight instructors fall in love with me and invite me back for dinner after a sweaty game of beach volleyball… I just hope you’ve seen Top Gun or that last sentence will seem really awkward.

Anyway, that’s about it for me. I really like what you guys have done with your company. It’s an awesome and long overdue idea, and your fresh approach seems to be getting you a ton of positive press and turning the male fashion world upside down. Just like Hansel from Zoolander: “Bonobos… so hot right now… Bonobos.” Hope this gives you a better insight into me and my desire to be a part of what you guys are doing. I look forward to helping in any way I can and getting into some some sweet bonobos in the very near future.

Jake