About the Brand: My Visit to Poszetka

Around 2 months ago I received an invitation from Sartolane, a Polish brand specializing in premium leather goods, to attend the opening of their new workshop in Warsaw. I was very interested, not only because of their great products but also because I had never been to Poland. I started thinking about how to make the most of this trip and thought of another Polish brand whose products I really like: Poszetka. It would be great if I could visit both, and I found out that Poszetka is located in Katowice which is roughly halfway between Vienna and Warsaw. So I contacted the Poszetka team to ask if they would be interested in my visit, show me around, and allow me to carry out a short interview with the founder. Their quick response was very clear: 'Of course!' That was all I needed to plan and book the trip.

A few weeks later, I traveled to Katowice with my girlfriend, who not only accompanied me but also took all the photos during the trip. After a train ride of a little less than five hours we arrived, dropped off our luggage at the hotel, and headed straight to Poszetka’s showroom, a 15-minute walk from our hotel. The showroom is located just outside the city centre. At the entrance, one of the guys greeted us, offered us a drink and asked us to wait while he let the team know we had arrived. A few moments later, the whole team came out to greet us and introduce themselves.

I will admit I researched everything I could about Poszetka online, but I didn’t know there were two founders: Tomasz, who introduced himself as Tomek, and his wife Joanna, who introduced herself as Asia. Tomek mentioned that the whole team was there except for Paweł, their store manager, who was on parental leave after becoming a father just a few days earlier. They showed us around the showroom and explained the building was originally home to a tailor’s workshop making miners' uniforms. After they explained this, it became clear in the space itself. They started in what is now the main part of the showroom, expanded several times since and now own almost the entire ground floor of the building. After a quick tour, we sat down with the two founders and their creative director Mateusz Tryjanowski, so they could answer all my questions.

First it was a pocket square

Poszetka /pɔˈʃɛtka/ n. - (from Polish) - a pocket square

It all began in 2010 when Tomek wanted to buy a pocket square, but discovered that no one in Poland was making them. The only option was to order from abroad. So his wife Asia, who was pregnant with their first child, decided to help and made him a few. She bought some silk fabric from a local fabric store and used her grandmother’s old sewing machine to finish the edges. Since she had some leftover fabric, she decided to make a few more and sell them on the Polish menswear forum “But w Butonierce.” This is how awareness of them began to spread. They mentioned that back then, they didn’t have enough knowledge to know that quality pocket squares were handmade. After all of them sold quickly, they realized there was demand for them, that’s when they first thought maybe she could do this. The e-commerce world was starting to grow rapidly, along with social media. It was also the time when menswear blogs and forums became popular and they mentioned that it was when the first Polish menswear blogs started. Looking back now, they say it seems like it was perfect timing. For the first 3 months, Asia made the pocket squares by herself and learned that high-quality pocket squares require a hand-rolled edge. That’s when she decided to find a craftswoman with the skills to make them locally. She pointed out that finding the first person who could make the pocket squares with an invisible stitch was really challenging, as each one takes about an hour to make. Now, they have five craftswomen making only pocket squares.

It was all about accessories

As demand continued to grow, customers began requesting more accessories. The next item she learned to make was a bow tie, followed by ties and scarves. With each new product, there was a lot of learning and skill development. At that time, she was still buying all the fabric locally. The next big step came when Asia was pregnant with their second child, and she decided to take a trip to Italy to find new fabric suppliers. Both founders point out that most of these businesses didn’t have any online presence, making it almost impossible to get in touch with them. That’s why Asia decided to travel to Italy, rent a Fiat Panda at the airport, and drive from one fabric mill to the next, making contacts and seeing what was available. They proudly say they still buy most of their fabrics from the mills she connected with on that first business trip to Italy.

Then Tomek joined the brand 

After about 5 years of running the Poszetka brand on her own, Asia felt she wasn’t progressing anymore and wanted a bigger challenge. At that stage, Tomek was very successful in his marketing career, but they both agreed that if they wanted Poszetka to grow, they needed to step out of their comfort zone. So Tomek quit his stable job and joined Poszetka. At this point Asia interrupted to point out that she really dislikes marketing and social media, while Tomek is the expert in that field. After he joined the company, they doubled their revenue within the first 2-3 months.

Clothing

They grew slowly, taking each step only when they were ready without forcing anything. The next step in the brand's evolution was introducing bespoke suits for local clientele. They hired an in-house tailor to make suits, followed by adding made-to-measure (MTM) shirts in 2017. Only after that did they add MTM suits as well. At that moment, they were still only selling accessories on their website, and everything was made locally or at least in Poland. They wanted to expand into RTW, so they started looking for potential manufacturers. Due to the small quantities they wanted to produce, no one was interested in their orders. That’s when they met a professional who was working in Hong Kong at the time and had connections to a specialized factory in China that produced tailoring for many well-known brands. With his help, they negotiated smaller orders than the factory's usual minimum quantities, and this is how a new partnership was born.

The first RTW collection arrived in late 2018 and was very small - only 3 sportcoats. Soon after that they opened 3 new stores in Krakow, Wroclaw and Warsaw. With every collection the producers wanted them to increase orders and their new partner wanted to expand even more. That’s when it became clear their values and visions for the brand were different. So they split in 2023 and SS23 was the last RTW collection made in China. They explained that the split was as friendly as possible given the situation. The person they parted ways with started his own brand and took over the stores in other cities. Once again, they paused to say how lucky they were to have met this person and shared that chapter, because without it, they wouldn’t be where they are today. They had to take a step back and focus on what they really wanted this brand to be. For them this marked a return to their roots, with FW23 being their first RTW collection created as an independent, fully family-run Poszetka once again. Their tailoring is now made in EU - in Romania, but almost everything else is made in Poland. Some of the knitwear is made in Scotland and just recently, they were able to move the production of tailoring trousers to Poland as well.

Everyday Classic

They joked that Poszetka's collection evolves with Tomek’s personal style, which is one reason for the shift from exclusively tailoring to more casual clothing along with the whole world shifting to more comfortable and casual lifestyle. This is where the name 'Everyday Classic' comes from. They want to make clothes that can be worn every day but in a classic, timeless way. Imagine an OCBD shirt worn with a pair of jeans and a sports coat - that is the core of the brand right now.

Working Class 

A couple of weeks ago, they launched a new line based on traditional workwear and military clothing, called 'Working Class.' Since the 1950s, workwear and military garments have become classic pieces in menswear - clothes that were designed for heavy labor or military use and later became popular because of their practicality and durability. Since then, much has changed. Today, fewer people work in physical labor and many of us spend over 8 hours a day sitting. As they pointed out, our jobs, workplaces and even our bodies have changed - yet some clothes have remained the same. These garments are still used for work, just a different kind of work now. This collection is their take on classic menswear pieces, adjusted for today's use. In my opinion, it’s very well executed and here you can see that I used my favourite pieces in the capsule collection I created. While I was there, we discussed all these pieces and I got a preview of what's coming for spring - let's just say I’m already excited! I have to admit, it’s really great to watch Poszetka continue to evolve and grow.

The inspiration behind collections

When it’s time to sit down and start creating a new collection, they gather all their ideas and the feedback they got from their customers and debate what could work. Here Tomek showed us a photo of a colorful bird sitting on a branch, explaining that this was the inspiration for the current FW collection, with the color palette heavily reflecting the scene. They pointed out that they always offer timeless classics, or as they call them 'basics,' which are part of their permanent collection, items like classic grey and navy suits, oxford shirts, etc. The seasonal collections are where they have more freedom to experiment and show more personality. But they never stop developing, exploring new possibilities, cuts, patterns, fabrics, and listening to customers on how to improve.

What is next for Poszetka?

2025 will mark the 15th anniversary of the brand. It will also be the year when they make their biggest investment in their space with a complete renovation. While their sales continue to grow, both online and locally, the biggest change has been in their Katowice store, where they've noticed a major increase in customer visits. Previously, around 80% of sales were online, but this year, even with online growth, it’s closer to a 60-40 ratio. This means the local market is becoming a very important part of the brand, and they plan to give back, strengthen their local presence and refine the in-person retail experience. Their mindset is to improve at what they do - evolution, not revolution, as Mateusz said. To optimize what they have. A paper magazine is their latest big project. The plan is to release it once a year, or twice if possible, and the first edition just dropped.

After our interview, which felt more like a conversation about the brand, Asia excused herself to go home and take care of the kids, while Tomek shared more details about their plans for the renovation and expansion of the space next year. We walked through the Poszetka Concept – their curated space next to the showroom in Katowice – a store where you can find their selection of products made by other, often local, brands – clothes for women, jewelry, accessories, toys, ceramics and crafts. They also showed us their tailoring space, where adjustments are made by their team - two full-time employees and two experienced, part-time elderly tailors who have been with Poszetka for years. Even after retiring, they returned because they missed the work. Next, we visited their current offices, where they showed me fabric samples for the upcoming Spring-Summer collections. We also discussed the designs in more detail and how they approach creating these collections. I was also teased with some options for the next FW collection. 

Afterward, we went back to the showroom and I was joined by the rest of the team: Michał, the customer advisor and made-to-measure specialist, Beniamin, the marketing manager, and Piotr, the production specialist. Michał took over and led us through the whole collection, and we had a conversation about the pieces while I tried on some of them. I shared my favorite pieces - the Raglan coat was one of the highlights of this season for me and one of my favorites. 

I also tried on the Gamefeather Tweed Blouson, which I really liked from the teaser photos, but I wasn’t sure how versatile it would be. After the lookbook was posted, I wasn’t completely sold, but seeing it in person made a big difference. As soon as I put it on, I had no doubts. It felt like a match made in heaven, especially with the neutral outfit I wore that day. This got me thinking: they have great quality and designs, but some pieces can go unnoticed because they aren't styled to really catch your attention. Styling is subjective, of course, but I believe it's the area where they still have a lot of room for improvement. To show what I mean, I’ve attached two different outfits with this overshirt.

 I also tried on some other jackets and coats and realized I need to size up in pieces made from sturdier fabrics that aren’t as flexible to put on. I really enjoyed talking with the guys and hearing their individual perspectives, as each of them has their own style. After discussing the collection, Beniamin went to the office and came back with their new Raglan coat. He said it had just been returned in size M, but I should try it on because it fits roomier. It fit me perfectly. Unfortunately, it was immediately re-sold thanks to their e-commerce system, which notifies customers as soon as an item in their size becomes available.

Poszetka MTO and MTM programs 

Next, the guys took me to their MTM room, where Piotr measured me for my first MTM order. While MTM orders are only available in their showroom, they’ve also started a Made-to-Order program for customers who can’t make it in for measurements. With MTO, you can select any cut of their jackets, trousers, or suits in ready-to-wear sizes with length adjustments, and you can choose from hundreds of fabric options. For my first MTM jacket, I went with a very safe option: a double-breasted jacket (6x2) in navy 290gr 100% Virgin Wool from Dormeuil with mother of pearl buttons. When I was there, we also discussed the option for a future MTM suit, but we’ll have to wait until the jacket arrives to see if any changes need to be made.

This was the end of the first day at Poszetka. Two hours later, we met with Mateusz and Beniamin again, to try some proper Silesian cuisine - we tried Kulebele: a twist on Silesian „rolada” (roulade), which packs the slow-cooked beef inside the „kluska” (dumpling) and is served on two kinds of cabbage. White sausage - a pork sausage with garlic and marjoram, served with „panczkraut” which is mashed potato mixed with sauerkraut. Maczanka śląska - sandwich/burger with pork neck, covered with sauce (the bun has to be wet!). A house special - Silesian version of a beef wellington - pulled beef and bacon baked inside the puff pastry (this one doesn’t have a local name, it’s a modern invention using traditional ingredients).

Afterward, we grabbed a drink so I could share the capsule collection I’d put together from my favorite pieces of the FW24 collection, which I planned to photograph the next day.

The next day we came back to the showroom around 11(they open at 10), and there was one full rack of clothes already waiting for me. It was a great experience and everyone from the team was really helpful. Mateusz was with us all the time, making sure everything fit perfectly and making adjustments for what was necessary. The time flew by as we were shooting this for 5-6 hours straight. In between, Asia stopped by to say hello and when we were finished Tomek came over to chat and showed me all the fabrics in stock for MTM options. Choosing from these fabrics means shorter delivery times. There was one undyed herringbone wool fabric that I was really interested in but in the end we realized it only had 1.7m left, and we would need 1.8m for a jacket. Tomek quickly mentioned that something very similar is coming in Spring, so it wasn’t such a big deal. That’s how these almost 2 full days with the Poszetka team came to an end. We said our goodbyes, but I’m sure we will meet again.

From there, we took the evening train to Warsaw. During the 4.5-hour train ride, I had time to reflect on the two days I spent with the Poszetka team. I arrived with my own idea of the brand, shaped by what I had seen on their website and social media, but I didn’t really know what to expect. It’s a relatively young brand (next year they will celebrate their 15th anniversary), with a very young team - the founders are in their early 40s, and most of the team is still in their twenties. They are all really passionate about the brand and what they do, and you can tell they treat this brand like family. Now, I can see why the brand improves every season. They are all genuinely working to be better and to provide the best product they can, while also keeping production as close to home as possible. You can feel this energy if you spend time with them. I’m really happy I visited them and feel privileged that I could spend almost two full days with them.

To be clear: I really liked their products and what they were doing as a brand before my visit, but now I’m a fan. I will be rooting for them in the future, and with the energy they put into the brand, I don’t doubt they will continue to be even more successful.

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