When Jacamo sent me a beautifully pun-filled email offering me two Christmas jumpers, along with asking me to say what I think about their website whilst they rebrand a bit, I couldn't say no. I have always been intrigued by the marketing and branding of companies, so to know when one is going through rebranding is a bit of a treat for me. Jacamo is of a particular interest - they are a retailer for the stylish man of all shapes and sizes, but have this reputation of being only for the tall and the built. Size isn't an easy topic for anyone, and men don't have the benefit of the current 'curvy' movement, meaning that having such a reputation can be damaging (Johnny Vegas didn't help either).
I graciously accepted the jumpers, which I really love, and gave the extra one to my brother, Richard, as you can see above (yes, we chose the same one and yes, I believe my mum thoroughly enjoyed this). I then continued to peruse the Jacamo website to get an overall opinion of it. I attempted to forget all previous ideas of what they are about, including all brand ambassadors and adverts I have ever seen. Take fresh and look at the website as if I had stumbled upon it - that way I can give an unbiased opinion...
So far so good. There is no focus on the larger man, simply an average guy as a model, which is the perfect branding. Screw the portly fella or those above 6ft - this is for the real man, of any shape or size. Scroll further down and you'll see a phenomenal tag line, "Top menswear brands you want in the sizes you need". Fantastic! Could you ask for any more than that? Up until this point, I am entirely undeterred and quite impressed with the site.
Although not a hugely extensive collection of brands, it is more than enough. Sometimes I feel a bit daunted when looking on the brands section of other retailers, this makes having a smaller selection a bit of a treat (Quality over quantity, again). Furthermore, within each product group there is a perfectly ample selection of items, ranging from slightly more fashion-forward, to the basic, all the way through to some slightly distasteful pieces - which is a necessity in itself.
However, I am not here to simply list off the good things about Jacamo, I'm here to be honest and to help. Unfortunately, there is a flaw in the tag line that I love...
I am 6ft2 and I am not small: I have a belly, broad shoulders and what have been referred to as 'Thunder Thighs'. Richard is 6ft4 with broad shoulders and thighs grown through cycling and rowing. We are the target market that Jacamo is looking for: young, stylish (in some sense of the word) and larger than average, to the extent that we both complain about getting clothes to fit us properly. Yet we would both struggle to find trousers that would fit us on their site.
When it states "in the sizes you need", I am disappointed that their range of trousers to fit a 32" waist is minimal, whilst simultaneously saying that their waist sizes begin at 34", this is is downright confusing and contradictory. I understand that this is not actually a huge flaw and that the sizes they offer are enough for most of their shoppers. Yet if there is a quote saying "in the sizes you need" and you want to rebrand to be a shopping destination for men of all shapes and styles, the sizes need to represent that entirely, not mostly - even if in minimal quantities.
I know I am being picky, but that's how I have learnt to be within this industry. I have honestly found myself pleasantly surprised by the offering on Jacamo. It may not be the first place for me to look when shopping online, but I wouldn't have even considered it before, and now I would. Furthermore, I think that the jumper we are both wearing is one of the best Christmas jumpers I have seen in a long time. Well done them.
Cheers guys,
O&U.
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