Snap a selfie, and this startup will make a custom shirt that fits perfectly

Experts say men with high-pressure jobs need to look their best if they want to get ahead. But they also say those same professionals should expect to work long hours.

That leads to a problem: How can men find the time to look great in well-fitting clothes when they're sometimes working up to 100-hour weeks?

Busy guys can buy off-the-rack and hope for the best. Or they can burn away their Sundays - often their only day off - getting the right look for work.

But custom-made shirts have a drawback: They can require in-person fittings - or your learning how to measure yourself correctly. That means they can take more time (and money) than you might expect.

It's time to change your shirt

To fix this problem, Matt Harpalani, a tailor who's fitted 10,000 customers, joined forces with long-time customer Gage Mersereau, a Wall Street pro formerly of Deutsche Bank, to form ShirtCycle.

ShirtCycle is a subscription service that quickly gets its customers the best custom-fitted shirts at the best possible price. Because ShirtCycle is a service for men who don't have much time - but still want high-quality dress shirts - Harpalani and Mersereau decided to keep things simple.

Customers only have to take out their phones and enter some basic information on the ShirtCycle site. Then, for a personal touch, they're asked to include a selfie. ShirtCycle then uses your picture and your off-the-rack shirt size - so there's no measuring involved.

Here's how the process works: Once ShirtCycle receives your order, Harpalani uses the data, but also takes advantage of his long experience in the field to assess your photo. His professional eye takes into account your shoulder slope and body shape. Your skin color and jawline also helps him to curate fabrics and styles that look best on you.

Soon, ShirtCycle sends you a free custom shirt. If the shirt fits you just the way you like it (and it does 75% of the time, which is the same average as going to a tailor the old-fashioned way), ShirtCycle will curate three shirts based on your look, lifestyle, and workplace for $250 ($83 per shirt).

You can confirm or swap their recommendations. But if your free shirt doesn't fit, use the prepaid label on your box to send it back and get it altered, for free. And they won't stop altering until the fit is perfect.

Harpalani and Mersereau say the service has zero returns because they only send you shirts in the fit, fabric, and style you want. There aren't any surprises. And because of that, ShirtCycle also has a high customer-retention rate. ShirtCycle will also include a prepaid label so you can send your old shirts to Career Gear; your tax-deductible donation will help someone less fortunate interview in style.

Why you need to go custom

We went through a trial run with ShirtCycle, sending them only our pictures and off-the-rack sizes - and they nailed the fit. We also found the fabrics and construction to be of very high quality.

We decided to learn more. When we met with them, they explained that they streamlined the fit process and isolated alterations to the first shirt. That meant they've eliminated the need for returns - which allows ShirtCycle to sell $100-125 shirts for $83.

As Harpalani and Mersereau see it, most guys don't have time to get measured at the tailor. And they don't want to try to figure out how to measure themselves in the proper way. Even if they do go through the process, they may still end up needing alterations.

So ShirtCycle focuses on making alterations easy and getting that problem out of the way. They personally handle alterations for free and verify your fit before curating your shirt styles.

ShirtCycle uses the finest sea island and non-iron fabrics. Its Black Label line tailors shirts using fabric from Thomas Mason, the English mill that has outfitted aristocrats since 1796.

ShirtCycle seams are tight "French seams," the best kind of stitching. Buttons are shell mother of pearl. The shirts are made to last.

According to Harpalani and Mersereau, cutting friction out of the process and switching to a subscription has allowed them to lower their price while maintaining the same high level of quality. Men no longer have to feel like they're swimming in their clothes, or strangled by their ties, or cinched in the waist by too-tight shirts. That is, not when they have the right fitting shirts.

And more: pants, ties, and socks

Harpalani and Mersereau are adding more services for regular customers. They can now get custom-made pants, ones more comfortable than anything off the rack. These pants have details not usually found, like latex grippers to keep your shirt tucked in. They cost $175 and use the finest Italian wools. The $295 Black Label line use fabrics from Vitale Barberis Canonico.

You can add a matching tie and socks to any shirt. Their ties are 100% silk with a wool interlining that releases wrinkles and holds it shape. Each tie and sock set includes a metal clip that attaches to your shirt hanger and preps your look in advance.

ShirtCycle gets it. We all want to look better, but late nights and early flights can make that easier said than done. Their matching sets provide seamless style and leave you with one less thing to think about in the morning.

Focus on what's important

ShirtCycle offers the personal touch of a stylist and the convenience of a subscription service. Harpalani, who still outfits much of the financial world, knows what styles are in play in the professional fields. He also knows which collars and colors are going to look best on his customers.

Busy men no longer have to spend their weekends focusing on fashion. Instead. they can take the time off, or focus on their careers. ShirtCycle takes the guesswork out of getting dressed.

Stop shopping and start living: sign up for ShirtCycle on their website.

Now watch how ShirtCycle works:

This post is sponsored by ShirtCycle

Find out more about Sponsored Content.

Follow BI Studios on Twitter and Facebook.