DTC brand Birdy Grey bets on menswear to grow beyond $100M in sales

“A lot of DTC brands grow, and they start running out of runway and have to set new targets or launch really different categories,” Ashauer said in a group interview with Birdy Grey’s other co-founder Grace Lee and its new CEO Jill Layfield. “But from all the data we’ve seen, there’s plenty of room to just keep on selling in this specific but tasty niche, which is group dressing with the bride as our VIP.”

Birdy Grey launched in 2017 with the goal of making affordable and customizable bridesmaid dresses. It then expanded into men’s accessories such as pocket squares and bowties in the same color swatches as the dresses. Eight years in, the majority of Birdy Grey’s business comes from bridesmaid dresses and accessories. Men’s accessories make up less than 5% of revenue, the brand estimated, but Birdy Grey aims to bring this up to at least 10% with the addition of the suit and tuxedo.

Birdy Grey hopes that expanding into menswear will help it achieve double-digit growth in 2025. Still, even as it caters more to groomsmen, Birdy Grey wants to remain focused on its core customer: the bridal party. Birdy Grey views the bride as the decision-maker in the wedding-wear process and thus created suits that coordinate with dresses she may want for her bridesmaids.

Birdy Grey’s marketing strategy for its menswear reflects this. Months ago, it started sending out color swatches of its suits to customers looking at dresses. “We’re not going to necessarily go out and target grooms on their own,” Ashauer said. “They would always be attached to the Birdy Grey bride as our strategy, at least for launch.”

Layfield, who joined Birdy Grey last month, told Modern Retail “it would be amazing” if Birdy Grey could “own the aisle” but said the brand is trying to be careful about taking on too much. “There’s no question [men’s] could be a very sizable part of our revenue,” she said. “But as with every part of the business, we want to build it intentionally.”

Birdy Grey has been profitable every year since its launch (with the exception of 2020) and wants to keep up with customers’ expectations as it grows. As such, Birdy Grey vetted suppliers to make sure they could create menswear that was well-constructed but also breathable and comfortable, Ashauer said. The suit, for instance, has a flexible waistband, Lee pointed out.

Even though the suit and tuxedo aren’t out yet, demand is high. A waitlist Birdy Grey launched for its menswear in January received thousands of sign-ups, double the brand’s original goal. “We have a very captive audience patiently and excitedly waiting for launch,” Layfield said. “Customers are writing us, just checking in.”

Brian Ehrig, a partner in the consumer practice at Kearney, told Modern Retail that expanding into groomsmen outfits “could be a good move” for Birdy Grey, considering that wedding parties typically have equal numbers of bridesmaids and groomsmen. Revelry, another bridesmaid dress brand, launched suits in December 2024. Its two-piece suits sell for $248. (Across the board, renting a suit typically averages $200.)

“The wedding-party category is growing, and slightly faster than the overall apparel market, so it is an attractive place to invest,” Ehrig said. He also pointed out that while bridesmaids tend not to repeat dresses, “a men’s suit or even a tuxedo has the prospect of getting multiple wears” and may be more attractive for that reason.

Outside of menswear, more change is afoot at Birdy Grey. The brand recently expanded its manufacturing to a new market — India — as it works to keep its supply chain nimble. In addition, while Birdy Grey is still online-only, it’s exploring having some sort of physical presence in 2026 and beyond.

“While clearly the digital experience is in our DNA and our No. 1 priority, we know our bride wants to experience Birdy Grey in real life,” Layfield said. “We’re at the stage now where we’re fielding inbound requests to partner, and we’re thinking about what our bride isn’t getting right now offline.”