Ministry of Supply, the high-tech menswear company based in Boston and founded by former MIT students, has become a model for a successful online retail platform. After their first product, the Apollo Shirt, reached its Kickstarter goal, the founders launched a full-throttle business apparel company existing only in the e-commerce sphere. But this week, that’s about to change.

The company, which uses the same temperature regulating material as NASA astronauts, is opening its first brick and mortar pop up shop this Friday at 299 Newbury Street. The shop, titled “Ministry of Supply H1,” will operate in the 1,300 foot Back Bay space through August, and, according to Boston Business Journal, it’s the first to open in the Boston area. Ministry of Supply ran a test pop up shop in New York City earlier this year.

While the company has seen success online, the in-person format will serve as a way to get potential customers to try on, get fitted, and see the quality of the shirts for themselves, rather than simply by trusting the online version of the clothing. According to BBJ, MoS Co-founder and CEO Gihan Amarasiriwardena said that the pop ups are a way to test the waters for a potential permanent store.

Co-founder Kit Hickey told BostInno in an email about the store’s purpose and inspiration:

H1 is our take on traditional retail.  We really want to provide an educational experience, and think of the space as a community space where we can get to better know our customers! We were inspired by everything from MIT architecture to science museums.

More pop ups could be in Ministry of Supply’s future, but for now, you can visit the first run starting Friday, June 6 at 299 Newbury Street.

BostInno reached out to Ministry of Supply for comment and will update the post when we hear back.

Image via Ministry of Supply/Facebook