Designing Men’s Luxury Shirts With Intention, Why Perception Matters More Than Virality

As a menswear designer, I’ve learnt that good design is not about making something that everyone likes. It’s about making something that feels deeply right to the right man.

A Shirt That Meant Something

“Recently, I designed a men’s luxury shirt that is honestly one of my favourite pieces I’ve created. I spent a long time on the fabric, the fit, and the way it moves on the body. I wanted it to feel relaxed but not lazy. Sharp, but not stiff. Easy to wear, but still composed.”— Vaishnavi Bala, Founder

It didn’t go viral.

And instead of seeing that as a problem, we saw it as something more important.

An opportunity to understand perception.

Because in luxury menswear, perception matters more than numbers.

Men’s Fashion Is Not About Trends. It’s About Alignment.

When we create clothing for men, we’re not starting with trends or social media performance.

We start with the man.

How he lives.
How he moves.
Where he goes.
How he wants to feel in his clothes.

A good designer shirt for men should not only look good. It should make sense in someone’s real life.

Who This Shirt Was Really Made For

This shirt was created for men who like ease.

Men who don’t dress loud.
Men who want their clothes to feel natural, not forced.

That is a very specific kind of luxury.

Why We Ask “Who Is This For?” Instead of “Is This Good?”

Instead of asking people whether they like the shirt, we chose to ask a different question:

Who does this feel like it’s for?
And who does it feel like it’s not for?

This changes the entire conversation.

Because men don’t buy clothes just for design.
They buy clothes that fit into who they are.

What We Learn From Real Reactions

When someone says,
“This feels like something I’d wear to work.”
or “This feels like a performance shirt.”
or even “This is not me at all,”

We learn far more than you ever would from a simple yes or no.

We understand:

• what lifestyle they connect the shirt to
• what emotion does it give them
• what kind of man they imagine wearing it and what might be blocking the connection

This is the insight that builds better men’s luxury clothing and stronger fashion brands.

Clothing Always Communicates Something

Every garment sends a message before you speak.

This shirt might feel like an everyday piece to one man. creative work shirt to another. A stage or performance piece to someone else.

None of this is negative.

It simply tells us who the piece is aligned with.

And alignment is everything in luxury menswear.

The Question That Guides Our Design Process at Balav

We don’t start with,
“Will this go viral?”

We start with:

“What kind of man is this becoming part of?”

Because the goal is not to make noise for a moment.

The goal is to build men’s luxury clothing that stays relevant, wearable, and meaningful.

That question is what continues to guide everything we create here at Balav.