If you haven’t met Jeff Grider before, you should. He is the Swiss Army Knife of presentation and professionalism. Currently, Grider is Champaign-Urbana’s premier J. Hilburn menswear personal stylist, bringing custom and luxury clothing right to your door in a unique and tailored experience. Equipped with style tips, a penchant for educating others, a Ph.D, and even singing chops, he is ready to take Champaign’s menswear scene up a notch.
Founded in 2007, J. Hilburn Custom Clothier is a rapidly growing luxury men’s brand with around 2,000 personal stylists across the country. It began with two guys who swapped their Wall Street jobs to pursue their passion for custom, great-fitting clothes at a more affordable rate. They loved the experience of customized apparel, but the traditional distribution model made pricing steep. They kept the high quality materials and cut out the retailer, taking the clothes direct to consumer with a concierge-type service. J. Hilburn offers three different areas of menswear: custom shirts, personalized suits, and luxury ready-to-wear, like overcoats, sweaters and ties. The J. Hilburn mission, simply put is, “we bring personal style, character, and class back to men.”
Smile Politely: Tell me about yourself. What led you to J. Hilburn?
Jeff Grider: I’ve taken an unorthodox path to get to where I’m at now. You can say I’m a citizen of the world and that’s what I bring to my interactions with people. Through my travels, I’ve noticed that Americans have a more relaxed approach to clothing. It’s kind of a chicken and egg scenario. Did traveling give me more interest in fashion? Or did I have the interest already and it was reinforced through travel? In any case, that’s how I find myself here.
I became familiar with custom menswear from singing on cruise ships; I had to dress up every night of the week. As performers, we were the face of the ship. Whether on stage, or interacting with customers, I had to look my best.
I wanted clothes that fit well, not something right off the rack, so I went to Chicago to get two custom suits. The first was a great experience – top notch from start to finish. The second, a place advertised in a Groupon for 50% off, was not. There are drastic differences between “price” and “quality.” The terms are complementary, but not synonymous. I may have paid more for my first suit, but I received high quality in both the product and the service. That is something that stuck with me.
Last June, a buddy of mine called me up and asked if I had heard anything about J. Hilburn. He told me, “If you sign on as a consultant, I’ll be your first client.” And he was true to his word. I just started out by dabbling and enhancing my own wardrobe. Then I sensed a pulse in Champaign. There are people here looking for ways to dress better, but not knowing where to start. That’s the niche.
SP: So, you now act as a personal clothing consultant. How does it work?
Grider: I find a gentleman who has an interest in style. The first meeting is complimentary and informational. We can discuss what his place in life is at this point, why I was recommended or why he reached out, discuss clothing options, take ten complete measurements that help me better understand size and shape (beyond your average, large/medium/small), then finally take a look at
fabrics.
The fabrics are something special. J. Hilburn uses some of the finest Italian fabrics in the world. We get a direct source from the same mills that supply materials to brands like Armani and Versace.
We can talk about expectations, ideas, and elements of personality and style, from cuff, to color, to fit. At this point in time, there is no one else in Champaign that can offer the same services or level of customization.
SP: After the first complimentary session, what happens if someone wants to order?
Grider: We start with the item they’re looking to create. Then we go through all of the fabric swatches, and then discuss every element of the individualized design. Moving forward on any custom piece, we only order one at the outset. This is a process. I want them to put it on and have it fit and feel better than any shirt or suit they’ve ever had. If it’s not, I fix it. If that means we get the piece slightly altered, or remake, we do it. It’s all about making the best possible experience and a happy customer.
SP: Why would someone pick your local services over going straight to a store?
Grider: There is something about Champaign. If you find a niche and you do it well, you can thrive in this type of town. I don’t know if it’s being by the University, or just the people here. As to why I decided to represent J. Hilburn here, I am from here. Champaign is my home base with my well-established network. What a great catapult to start.
As far as going to a mall, gentlemen don’t usually enjoy that process of having to look through all of their options. This is a stereotype that rings somewhat true: Men are impulsive. We don’t want to think. We want to pick it out and be on our way. Efficiency is key. I provide efficiency, quality, and value. I provide concierge service right to you. I can meet at an office, home, or wherever the gentleman is most comfortable. Once I have measurements down, communicating with me about options and orders is as simple as a text message.
SP: What is the timeline for a custom piece?
Grider: The perfect time to buy is when you don’t have to. Most often, a gentleman is going to have one suit. He usually buys this with two weeks to go before a wedding and finds the first thing that sort of fits. Off the rack, there is a specific formula that most suits comply to: chest and hips measurements. If someone has a unique body type, there is a high chance that that suit will be ill fitting on at least one part of the body. This perpetuates the idea that, “I don’t look good,” or, “dress clothes don’t fit me right.”
For custom shirts: 7-10 business days
For custom suits: 3-4 weeks
I order six weeks out for an event to be safe. I can, however, cater to a gentleman that needs something on a shorter notice. It won’t be as customized, certainly, but I can help in a pinch.
SP: I know you have strong ties to the community. Are you doing any type of outreach or educational programs other than your work with J. Hilburn?
Grider: My background is education. I received all of my degrees here at the University of Illinois. My first degree was a Bachelor’s in Speech Communication with a focus on non-verbal communication and body language. My Master’s and Ph.D were both in Human Resource Education, which is essentially a program in training and development. It is that background that plays into my larger goal of getting in front of groups of people and motivating them.
I’m very excited about my new educational effort, “School of Style.” It’s a 3-module course I’m piloting with a few fraternities at both University of Illinois and Eastern Illinois University this Fall.
SP: “School of Style”? That sounds awesome. What does it entail?
Grider: The first module explains how a shirt or suit is supposed to fit. Pretty consistently, someone shopping off the rack is wearing a suit that is too big. This is something I can spot a mile away. Most retailers are only offering even numbered sizes. If you are an odd numbered size, like a 39, then you’re probably wearing a size 40 jacket that is boxy with extra fabric. I want to teach a gentleman to look good with whatever his body is. It is remarkable to see the impact a suit or shirt that actually fits has on confidence, attitude, and success.
The second module addresses workplace attire. I want to educate on the difference between business formal, business standard, business casual, and casual Friday. Most people have the mindset that a suit automatically covers business formal, for example. There are “rules” and I want to provide context and understanding.
The third module is the essence of details. These are the little elements to add into appearance or style that really push it over the edge. This includes the different ways to tie a tie, folding a pocket square, placing a tie bar, or rolling sleeves. Gentlemen don’t know what they don’t know, and I want to give awareness of what the options are out there.
Why Champaign? I’m feeling more settled now than I can remember. I’ve lived a transient life for the past ten years, spending time on and off ships from 2007-2014. I’m more established and I’m here now, so I’ve got this urge to give back to the community. I have a clear path to be a value in a different way that I can see a need for in this town. My goal is when people think, “I’ve got a question about fashion or style,” or want to know how to tie a tie, or which tie goes with which shirt, they will think to come to me.
SP: What is the best part of your job?
Grider: It’s working with a hard-to-fit body type, with the gentleman who has never felt good in his attire. For someone who has never felt confidence in front of the mirror, I want him to feel like a million bucks. It’s working with the gentleman that has the attitude, “I don’t like to dress up. I don’t look good,” and showing him something he’s never seen before. I want them to make that immediate switch from, “Eh, I don’t know” to, “I can’t wait to go out.”
Upcoming Specials and Events
While all first fitting sessions are complimentary, there is currently some J. Hilburn Fall promotional pricing available. Contact Grider for details.
Stay tuned for a Champaign trunk show to be scheduled this Fall.
To contact Jeff Grider for a complimentary fitting, with questions about his style outreach, or even for a little advice on where the heck you place that tie bar, visit drjeff.jhilburn.com, email dr.jeff@jhilburnpartner.com, or call 217-390-4701.