Hi guys, I’m so excited about what I have to share with you guys today. Through the magic of the internet, I randomly met Pete Mayhak, who just so happened to live in the next town over. He had this truly great and overdue idea to make custom knit t-shirts to fit any body shape. We all know that nobody is shaped the same, but it’s pretty crazy how just about no man fits perfectly in a regular store-bought knit t-shirt. My husband is tall and fairly narrow, but he has wider shoulders. Shirts either fit in length (XL) but look giant and boxy, or fit in the body (M) but only go down to his belly button and have capped sleeves. It’s a constant source of complaining for him (and let’s face it, boys do not need more to complain about!).
I don’t know if Pete can help stop the complaints about too many leftovers in the fridge or bras always hanging to dry in the bathroom, but he’s come up with a very creative solution to the ill-fitting t-shirt. Because this is America, dang it, and our t-shirts should fit. Enter NativSoul.
Pete deconstructed the basic t-shirt pattern block into several sections, such as shoulder seam, hem length, sleeve length, etc. He then custom built a sliding wooden guide for each individual piece. Based on several individual-specific measurements that you enter when purchasing, Pete then arranges the guides to adhere to your body shape and builds you the perfect shirt from scratch.
I had the opportunity to go over and make my husband a shirt while Pete was still in testing mode, and the results were amazing. As someone who uses and makes patterns, the shirt pattern that we made from my husband’s measurements looked pretty weird to me. I didn’t know if it would work, but it fits like a glove. My husband wears it whenever it’s clean. I shared a little collage of my experience on instagram:
After you enter your measurements, you can also choose how much ease you want in your shirt. So you can have a very fitted shirt or a looser shirt, all made to your specifications. The NativSoul Flagship Tee currently comes in 5 colors and two sleeve lengths for men and women. Pete has plans to add v-neck shirts and more colors, so stay tuned!
As a special gift just for Crafterhours readers, the first 50 customers can take 25% off a custom made shirt from NativSoul using code “Crafterhours25” at checkout, now through June 6!
Thanks for the discount and for solving the shirt-fitting woes of men across the world, Pete!
Pete looks pretty hot
Is there a link to the website? I read the whole thing and didnt see one. Maybe i missed it.
updated! Thanks Mikea!