Photos by Nathan Michael.

When I first came across the Ratio Clothing website, it seemed too good to be true. A made in USA custom shirt for under $100? How was such a thing possible? So, when the label offered to send me one of their shirts for review, I was happy to accept, if only to put my curiosities about the brand, and their product, to rest. Having had the shirt for a few weeks now, I can tell you, despite my earlier skepticism, Ratio’s shirts are actually pretty great.

Eric Powell, Ratio’s founder, explained how the co.’s pricing works to me in an email. He wrote, “the reason we are able to offer a comparatively lower mark-up than the retail standard, is because we’re not producing products until they’re ordered by a customer. One of the big reasons that the retail mark-up is so large is because the retailer and manufacturer are taking significant risk up-front producing a product that they can’t be certain will sell at full price…we’d rather just not create the extra stuff in the first place.”

Ratio’s ordering process is about as simple as it gets, thanks to the brand’s exceptionally user-friendly website. As Powell describes it, “we aim to be different by making the process really easy for our customers. 85% of our customers get a perfect fit without using a measuring tape by using our “Ratio Sizing” system – five simple variables that most people already know, like your suit jacket size. For those that don’t get a perfect fit on their first shirt, we offer a very liberal returns and alterations policy.”

My order, I’m happy to report, was part of the 85% right-the-first-time majority. The fit’s spot on, as is the quality of the construction. If I have any complaint, it’s that the fabric is a bit thin, but, then again I’m sure I’ll appreciate that this summer. Otherwise, a great product at a great price. As Powell put it in his email, “We think it’s a winning combination for everyone – customers get a great fitting shirt, we get to run a company and try to make a living doing something we love, and we get to support apparel manufacturing jobs in the US.” What more could you ask for?

A big thanks to Nathan Michael for the photo help.

For price and purchase info, visit Ratio Clothing.