This startup wants to solve the most annoying part of being a groomsman - and it just raised $25 million

Renting a tuxedo for a wedding or special event should be easy, but more often than not, the process is pretty awful.

You're dealing with terrible fit, poor-quality garments akin to what a service professional would wear, and multiple trips to the shop.

Even then, you only get your rental the day before the big day. If it doesn't fit, you're pretty much screwed.

After he experienced this terrible process before his own wedding, Andrew Blackmon decided to do something about it: along with one of his groomsman, Patrick Coyne, he founded The Black Tux, a digital tuxedo rental service.

"We saw this interesting market with a lousy customer experience across the board and thought we would do something different," Blackmon told Business Insider.

This new service changes the entire process of renting a tuxedo by focusing on three core issues:

• Quality: Instead of hard-wearing (and ugly) service-style garments, Black Tux offers high-quality, Italian merino wool tuxedos (from $95 and up) made in the same factories as labels like Ralph Lauren and Burberry. Every piece of clothing they rent is designed and manufactured exclusively for The Black Tux.
• Fit: The company uses an algorithm to suggest exact sizes based on measurements provided by the customer. They'll also send you a tape measure so you can measure yourself, or reimburse you for the cost of going to a tailor and getting professional measurements.
• Convenience: The tuxedo is sent to you a week before your big day. If it doesn't fit, they'll overnight the right size for free. After the event, simply return the clothing by mail.

So far, this new model of tuxedo rental seems to be working. Blackmon and Coyne have enjoyed double digit growth month over month since the company's inception in 2013.

At times in its short history, it's been completely sold out of its tuxedo inventory and instituted a waiting list for customers. The Black Tux has also expanded into shirts, shoes, and accessories such as cufflinks, all of which are custom-made for the brand.

The founders currently estimate their share of the $1.2 billion men's formal rental market at around 2%, but are now gearing up to claim a much larger piece of the pie. To that end, they are looking to expand rapidly, doubling their employees with the help of a newly secured series B round of funding to the tune of $25 million. The Black Tux had previously raised $15 million.

"Over the past two years we've grown our inventory, added new styles, and invested in a larger warehouse, all in an effort to provide an exceptional customer experience online and off. This round of funding will allow us to expand the team and scale even further to reach a larger customer base," said Coyne. "We're excited for what's ahead."