How a Chicago Yungerman Fits Kapotas for Shluchim Across Continents

For many Lubavitchers, buying a kapota is anything but simple. Finding the right fit and the right fabric is a challenge, and getting it right without a fitting is harder still. One Chicago entrepreneur has found a way to get a custom kapota made to exact measurements without the customer ever being measured in person.

For shluchim living far from Crown Heights, it has been a real solution, and shluchim and anash from Australia to Argentina and everywhere in between are taking notice.

Meyer Ebert, founder of Malchus Clothiers, has made over 300 custom kapotas in the two years since he launched, shipping them to customers around the world. Many are shluchim who could never easily make the trip to New York to be measured.

It began on erev Pesach more than two years ago, when Meyer took his new silk kapota off its hanger on the way to shul in Crown Heights and noticed it was already fraying. He had always been told that a silk kapota is expensive but worth the investment. This one clearly wasn’t. He decided his next kapota would be made through his own efforts, with the best fabric he could find.

He spent months researching silk and contacting manufacturers, and learned something he didn’t expect.

“We think of silk as a fragile material, but it’s actually very durable,” Meyer told Anash.org. “Most silk garments today are made from bits of the material. High-quality silk is made from long, continuous threads, and the result is light, breathable and very sturdy.” Working directly with a silk manufacturer also brought the price down considerably.

Next came the factory. Meyer reached out to dozens, and found that many wanted orders of 100 units at a time. That wasn’t what he had in mind.

“I wanted my kapotas to be custom-made to fit each client,” he said.

Over the summer, he had several factories produce samples and put them through their paces. One test involved a lint shaver.

“I turned it on and began running it over the kapota, applying more and more pressure, but nothing was happening!” Meyer recounts. It took minutes of vigorous scrubbing before the fabric showed any sign of wear.

A month before Rosh Hashanah, he began taking orders in Chicago, selling at cost to build his reputation. Word spread quickly, and that Tishrei, members of Chicago anash wore their custom kapotas to shul, each with their name embroidered inside.

Since then, orders have come in from Chicago, Crown Heights, Israel and well beyond, from anash and shluchim across the United States and around the world. The feedback has been overwhelming.

“People love it,” Meyer tells Anash.org. “It’s a completely different kind of silk than what people are used to wearing. It’s light, it’s breathable, and it doesn’t get damaged easily. The silk is even stronger than wool.”

Quite a few customers have already come back for a second silk kapota.

For Meyer, that is the real goal.

“My main goal is to further the Rebbe’s inyan that chassidim should wear silk,” he said. “Many people are afraid of silk because of their past experiences with uncomfortable, fragile kapotas. I really push people to give it another chance. There are still people who insist on wool, but I’ve gotten a lot of people who haven’t worn silk in years, or never tried it at all, to try my product, and they are very pleasantly surprised.”

For those who prefer wool, Malchus also offers a kapota made from Australian Merino, which Meyer chose after extensive research.

One of the biggest reasons for the growth of Malchus has been its remote fitting system, which has completely changed how people order a kapota. It means a custom, well-fitted kapota no longer requires an appointment in Crown Heights, and it has become a game changer for shluchim, who now make up a major part of his clientele.

“In the past, it’s been hard for shluchim to order a kapota online or over the phone, because it’s difficult to get the right size, and if it isn’t custom, you don’t know if it will fit,” Meyer explained.

“Most shluchim don’t live near New York and can’t come to Crown Heights to be fitted. This service helps people in remote places, and it isn’t only shluchim. People in Texas and Kansas and all over the world have ordered because they don’t have to come to New York to get measured.”

So how do you fit a kapota from thousands of miles away? With a mix of new technology and a simple phone call. Customers open a measurement app on Meyer’s website, which takes accurate body measurements right from their phone. Then they call Meyer, who talks them through taking a set of measurements by hand with a tape measure.

“The app is very accurate, but there’s a difference between accurate body measurements and knowing how to apply them to a garment,” he explains. By comparing the two sets of numbers, he is able to send exact specifications to the factory. “It took time to learn, but it’s become a very reliable system.”

Each kapota is made to the customer’s dimensions, and Meyer accommodates requests for different linings and reasonable modifications. He is also always refining. He has adjusted the design several times to improve how the kapota fits different body types, and he keeps working on the ordering process and his relationship with the factory.

“I’m constantly reevaluating and trying to make it better,” he said. If a customer receives a kapota that is simply wrong, he stands behind it. “I will do whatever I need to do to make it right to the customer.”

Along the way, Meyer also explored other factories to understand the options for custom production. Given the quality of materials he insists on, the quotes he received were over $1,000 per piece.

“It gave me a greater appreciation for the value we’re able to offer at our current prices,” he said. “I’ve always made it a priority to use only the finest materials on the market, while keeping our products reasonably priced. Offering that level of quality at a fraction of what other manufacturers would charge is something I take great pride in, and it’s a standard I intend to maintain.”

Looking ahead, Meyer hopes to build on what he has started, continuing to refine both the product and the experience of ordering a custom kapota.

“When I started, I was simply trying to make a better kapota for myself,” he said. “I never imagined that two years later I would be making hundreds of kapotas for Chassidim around the world. Seeing how many people have benefited from this, especially shluchim who otherwise have limited options, has been incredibly gratifying.”

For Meyer, the growth of Malchus has only strengthened his commitment to uncompromising quality, personal service, and reasonable prices.

“I believe that a beautiful, well-made kapota should be accessible to every Chossid, regardless of where he lives. I want to continue improving what we offer without ever compromising on the quality of the materials or the workmanship,” he added.

While he hopes that continued growth may eventually lead to a physical store in New York, he remains mindful of how unexpectedly the business began.

“I’ve seen tremendous Hashgacha Pratis every step of the way. The Eibershter brought me to the right people at the right time, and doors opened that I never could have anticipated. I’m excited to see where He takes it from here.”

To order a Malchus Kapota, visit MyKapota.com. The best way to reach Meyer is by WhatsApp, with a message or voice note, at 312-394-0879.