Believe it or not, Washington, DC has become a destination for professional men’s clothing in recent years, from high-profile retailers Bonobos and Dutch-based Suit Supply (and the HMX Group’s regrettably short-lived Streets of Georgetown) to custom tailors Alton Lane and Knot Standard.
Add to that home-grown talent from the likes of Hugh & Crye, and you have an emerging community catering to modern professional men.
This new energy builds on a rich history of style in the District, including tailors and retail professionals such as Geoffrey Lewis who have been in the business for decades and who are also well-worth getting to know better.
Knot Standard feels like a classic tailor updated for the digital age. After evolving several times since it began five years ago, founders John Ballay and Matt Mueller seem to have found their groove, offering a seamless experience and quality product online and across an expanding series of showrooms scattered throughout the United States and Dubai.
The entrepreneurs behind custom suit and shirt tailor Hall Madden (known as Proper Suit when this review was initially posted) put a premium on customer service, having evolved their business model from online made-to-measure to an in-person only approach that aims to guarantee a perfect fit and inviting experience.
Modern Fellows caught up with entrepreneur Brad Christmann, who took his Washington, DC-based sock venture Boldfoot live this week and quickly surpassed his initial fundraising target. Brad, a District-area native – he grew up in Silver Spring – has been fine-tuning the concept and construction of his line of colorful men’s socks for the past year and a half.
Collared Greens ain’t subtle. The young company is cranking out a bright and bold line of American-made neck and bow ties, polos, pocket squares, and other takes on classic menswear staples. It is also on the move, recently transferring its headquarters to up-and-coming fashion destination Richmond and expanding its presence online and through menswear shops nationally and internationally.
It has been a whirlwind couple of months for Ricky Choi and Phil Moldavski, the Living Social alumni behind the Washington, DC-based menswear staples startup Nice Laundry.
Several online retailers set up shop in Georgetown this holiday season, offering DC residents an opportunity to touch fabrics, try on clothes and get to know their brands offline. Modern Fellows toured pop ups put on by Richmond-based Ledbury and Washington, DC’s Read Wall this week and captured some photos of what’s on offer.
What better time than Cyber Monday to trot out a gift guide? From head-to-toe, below are seven ideas for stylish American-made gifts for men.
“Welcome to the hat shop!” Ben Goorin is standing at the door to his company’s new Georgetown outpost, offering a hearty greeting to a steady stream of shoppers. It has been a busy eight years for the fourth generation CEO who, since taking over the business, has opened nearly 30 retail stores selling American-made hats directly to men and women.
Northern Grade landed at Richmond’s Haxall Point September 21-22, as organizers teamed up with Need Supply Co to host a pop-up market featuring made-in-America menswear brands.
Online menswear retailer Bonobos continues to expand its brick-and-mortar presence. On July 20, the startup will open the doors of a permanent guideshop in Bethesda, Maryland, and will also launch in Austin, Texas later this summer.
While entrepreneurs often jump from business school or the corporate world to start a new business, others take a different path. This is the improbable story of two development professionals trying to change the world through men’s clothing: Introducing J&C Suiting, Georgetown’s new stealth tailors of affordable custom menswear.
Update: VM Clothiers has shuttered.
Down the street from the White House, Vishal Mirpuri is building a solid reputation in the District of Colombia for affordable custom suits and shirts. Over the past several months, Modern Fellows tried out and tested two of VM Clothiers’ custom dress shirts and, in the process, got a feel for Vishal’s approach to men’s clothing and customer service.