Dobell is a menswear brand built on the belief that great style should be accessible to everyone. What began as a small idea in founder Mike Dobell’s basement, selling affordable suits online to fellow students, has since grown into a leading brand for men’s formalwear and smart-casual attire. Today, Dobell offers a wide range of styles, sizes, and price points designed to help men feel confident, whether they’re dressing for a wedding, a job interview, or simply elevating their day-to-day look.
At the heart of Dobell’s success is a commitment to innovation, creativity, and a personal approach to fashion. Brand Lead Suzie Patrick, who also served as Creative Producer and Art Director on the brand’s “Summer Suited” campaign, believes in pushing boundaries while staying true to what customers want. With a team dedicated to making stylish suits affordable without compromising quality, Dobell continues to stand out in a competitive menswear market, proving that good style doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag.
How was your company born and where are you based?
Dobell was born out of an idea and a basement. Our founder Mike Dobell was an early adopter of eCommerce, and after struggling to find a fashionable, affordable suit for a university formal, he saw a gap in the market. So, he took a chance online, selling nice suits at affordable prices online to fellow students, and over time that simple idea grew into something much bigger.
What started as a solution for students has evolved into a full range of formalwear and smart-casual, designed to suit all price points, sizes, and style preferences. We’re based down on the south coast in Eastbourne, and we’re all about making men feel confident in what they wear, whether that’s for a job interview, a big event, or just wanting to feel a bit more put together on a day-to-day basis. At Dobell, we believe good style should be accessible to everyone, and our goal is to make that feel-good formalwear experience available to every man no matter their size or price range.
What was the biggest challenge to the growth of your company?
Dobell was an early player to the online market, but competition followed in the form of much bigger players – we’re always having to innovate to try to keep fresh whilst staying true to our customer base. Another challenge was COVID, which had a huge effect on the formalwear market. Right now, as head of brand, I want to really get to know our customers and speak a language that resonates with them – we know that we’re not going to be Moss Bros but we’re not trying to be – knowing what makes our customers special is what makes us tick.
Can you explain your team’s creative process? What makes it unique?
We’re not afraid to try and think outside of the box and push our boundaries within small budgets – you don’t need huge budgets to be creative but you do need a supportive team behind you. I’m lucky that when I joined the team at Dobell they were open to trying new things – now they’re pretty used to me walking in with strange props – there’s a little corner of our office that’s nicknamed “Suzie’s apartment” full of things I’ve sourced from charity shops, bits of random furniture and fabric off cuts we’ve found. For each shoot you’ll usually be able to spot something that’s been brought in from one of our homes – our finance manager’s pot plant, team member’s telephone and our head of ecommerce’s suitcase are some that come to mind. One of our models even brought in a surfboard once.
How do you balance maintaining your company's unique creative voice while meeting the diverse needs of clients?
By speaking to them! It’s early days in terms of our brand strategy but we’re looking to reach out to our customers more, both bringing them inside the workings of our design process and inside the office to meet the team, and also to champion our customers more by featuring them on our channels – watch this space! We’ve also got a fantastic head designer who has a real gift for getting inside the heads of our customers – he’s got a real eye for keeping things eye-catching and unique – with classic lines as the foundation but with unique details like tan trims or patch pockets that make the designs pop and make them much more than just a classic blue check suit.
Can you share a memorable client success story that exemplifies your company's approach and impact?
We received an incredibly touching testimonial from a groom on his wedding day – the groom had felt let down by another traditional menswear retailer – he felt that they were being sarcastic about his size (not at all how you want to feel on your big day) but when our suit arrived with him it “made me feel really good about myself … I tried it on and knew it was the one. I automatically felt good, felt like me and felt like I was ready to get married” It was a great reminder of the impact we can have when it matters most, especially after a disappointing experience elsewhere.
Summary
We’re really proud of where Dobell started – it was built with heart, and it’s always been about helping people feel their best without spending a fortune. That’s still at the core of what we do, but we’re also excited about where we’re heading. We’re beginning to find a new voice and a stronger sense of who we are, both visually and creatively. There’s a long way to go, and we’re not pretending we’ve got it all figured out – but we’re starting to have a bit more fun with it, trying new things, and building a brand that feels a bit more human. We’re not here to be like anyone else, just to be the best version of Dobell – and that’s something we’re really looking forward to shaping.