When Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. hit David Letterman’s stage in October 2013 to promote his solo album, he donned a favorite black short-sleeved shirt—a custom designed number by Sock Hop NY.
“It speaks of confidence,” says Vince Nasserbakht who is one of the owners of this family run business. “You want to feel confident with what you’re wearing. That’s where style comes from—confidence in your own clothing.
“The fact that Hammond chose to play in one of our shirts on Letterman speaks of confidence,” he says. “He wore a black short-sleeved shirt with a really short collar. He wore it closed, so the collar needed to be a perfect collar. It’s very hip and very clean looking. Our execution is as good as it gets. These are the shirts you reach for in your closet, the selection you hold as your favorites.”
The business has been in Nasserbakht’s family for four generations. Currently, he works with his dad and two of his three brothers. He says it’s his family’s attention to the finest details and quality craftsmanship that sets them apart from other shirt makers.
When customers arrive at their shop, they take more than a dozen measurements as opposed to the three measurements usually noted for a mass produced shirt. They also take into account how a person’s neck fits into his body and body shape.
Once they have the measurements to create a custom shirt, customers decide on whether they want long or short sleeves, formal or casual styling, as well as have their choice of hundreds of fabrics, different collars and cuffs.
It takes only 10 days to go from measurements to finished custom shirt. Nasserbakht says they can turn it around fast because everything is handled in house.
“Each shirt is 100% custom made. They are all cut from scratch and hand sewn,” he says. His brothers currently handle production under direction of their father while Vince serves on the front end: taking measurements, sourcing fabrics and serving as Creative Director.
While Sock Hop NY produces shirts for just about any type of occasion, Nasserbakht says they hit their sweet spot by producing hip, in between shirts for the young creative man. “These are guys who want to look good, but not super formal. “They’ll wear it all day at work and then go out in it at night. It’s really a seamless transition.”
Short sleeve shirts start at $175 and long sleeve at $200. The price depends on the fabric and quantity of shirts ordered. There is a discount for bulk purchases.
