BLOG

Retail Spotlight: J. Crew Tribeca Men’s Shop

If you associate J. Crew with “that catalogue you see in your girl’s bathroom” or just straight chinos, you’re about to be surprised by how the prep-star clothing giant is stepping up. Not only have their clothes gotten more interesting, but they’ve recently opened up their first-ever men’s shop in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City.

The shop took the spot of the historic Liquor Store Bar, the only NYC landmark that served liquor. The 925 square foot space is divided into two rooms, with most of the old school bar fixtures still intact. The store will sell top-tier goods from their current men’s collection, along with limited edition products from Red Wing boots, Thomas Mason shirting, Selima eyeglasses, Alden shoes, Aesop grooming products, and Hollywood Trading Co. belts. The only downer is they don’t serve booze anymore, so you’ll have to settle for buzzin’ off the threads. Check some pics of the new store below…

Retail Spotlight: Hot Rod

The next time you’re in the city of silicone, make sure you check out Hot Rod, a skateboard and sneaker shop located on the Westside of L.A. The store is known for their large selection of Nike SB and has become a go-to spot when it comes to copping the latest skate sneakers. If you need some variety in your shoe game, they also carry adidas, Puma, Vans, and hard to come by French brands like Spring Court and Schmoove. Their selection of Nike Sportswear, Rogue Status, and Stussy apparel is top notch too.

Besides the footwear, the shop stocks decks off their in-house line called Cease & Desist Collection, which is best known for ripping graphics from industry heavyweights like World Industries and Powell and re-releasing decks in low-run quantities of 100. Pretty ballsy. Check out their gear and C&D skate decks below.

Retail Spotlight: Henry

Although Richmond, Virginia may have a case of the Delaware syndrome (booooooring) this dope little shop may help put its style on the map. Located in the burgeoning artist’s district, the store also acts as a part-time art gallery. As far as clothes, Henry has an impressive brand roster for guys and gals that ranges from streetwear standouts like (J Money, aNYthing, Pegleg, Mishka) to more low-run labels like Penfield, Ssur, Eriffs, and Keep Company shoes…

Retail Spotlight: Bblessing

Although it’s only been around a couple years, this quirky men’s boutique in the Lower East Side (pronounced “blessing”) has made its mark due to its trippy, drugged-out interior design and well-stocked selection of understated, cool clothes. The space was designed by Daniel Jackson, one of the founders of art collective Surface To Air, who was inspired by turn-of-the-century absinthe bars…

Retail Spotlight: Aloha Rag NYC

Aloha Rag—the well-respected outpost for high-minded labels once only located in inaccessible locations such as Hawaii and Japan—has finally made the move to the Big Apple. Its new Hudson Square location in downtown New York gives the unique feeling of being an art gallery, with high ceilings and minimalist design. It’s the perfect showcase for designers such as Martin Margiela, Ksubi, Common Projects, Obedient Sons, and Danish designer Henrik Vibskov.

Sure, having “Rag” in their name while carrying cleaned-up labels is a bit ironic, but when the store was founded in 1995, it was only stocked with vintage clothing. Going from used threads to Marty Margiela? Talk about stepping up. Hit up their e-store to get a jump-start on fall, and check some shots of the new space below.

Retail Spotlight: Karmaloop Flagship

Boston may get hated on a lot, but let’s be real here, it has blessed us with Conan O’Brien, New Edition and one of the most highly trafficked street wear websites, Karmaloop. The city is also home to the e-commerce monolith’s flagship store, which held a grand re-opening in June…

Retail Spotlight: Wish

Located in Atlanta’s coolest neighborhood Little Five Points (also known as L5P), Wish is a must-see if you’re traveling in the land of Luda. After a store re-design in September 2006 by New York-based architect Raphael Berkowitz and designer Sam O’Donahue, Wish’s inlaid wood interior elevates its goods to godly status.

More than just a premium sneaker and streetwear boutique, Wish carries brands like Corpus, Diesel, Gourmet, In4mation, Staple Design, and Australian label PAM. Its premium accounts with coveted brands and limited releases by MadFoot, JB Classics, Nike Quick Strike, and Alife have created long lines around the block by the local repeat customers. While you’re there, spend some time in the library-esque lower level, which if filled with dramatic glass and a wood sneaker display. See more of the store’s chic interior below.

Retail Spotlight: Azalea Boutique

Don’t be put off by the flowery name—San Francisco’s Azalea Boutique is the go-to to cop premium men’s labels. If you’re a longtime A.P.C. denim fan or just looking to step-up to your first pair of quality jeans, this chic-shop should be your first stop. Along with A.P.C., the boutique carries Cheap Monday, Creative Recreation, Acne, Spring Court shoes, and the hard-to-come-by Swedish denim line, Nudie Jeans.

Azalea was started in July 2003 by Cornell homies Cathy and Corina, who instantly bonded over a shared love of well-made clothes. They wanted to not only bring cult labels to San Fran but also provide a pleasant shopping experience and excellent customer service—without the skate shop owner douchebaggery that’s often seen at cool-guy spots. In addition to the well-stocked men’s section, there’s also a women’s department that offers a gang of brands, and an in-store nail salon that’ll make it easy to scoop up well-manicured hotties. Leaving with new clothes and a new chick? Sounds like the best of both worlds to us. Check some of our gear picks after the jump that you can cop at the store right now.

Retail Spotlight: Seven New York

It might be better known for it’s women’s apparel, but forward-thinking boutique Seven New York also has a men’s section offering hard-to-find threads by top-tier designers.

Located at 110 Mercer street in NYC’s SoHo section, Seven is ideal for fashion-boys looking for a step up from the streetwear scene by dabbling into proven upmarket pieces from Raf Simons, Jeremy Scott, Henrik Vibskov as well low-run gear from progressive label Obesity And Speed. Keep the newly-opend gem on the low—we don’t need the colored-denim clad kids getting wind of the spot just yet. View shots of the space below.

Deja Vu

Lately, here in NYC it seems like everywhere we turn, another Puma store opens. Damn, and we thought McDonald’s omnipresence was bad. But this is a good look for Puma. Their new concept shop in Union Square extends their presence in hipster neighborhoods beyond their locations on Broadway and the Meatpacking District. By the way, the Union Square one is in fact next door to McDonald’s. You want fries with them kicks?

UM by Puma is a pretty sick collapsable bike, especially for those that live in a closet-sized apartment.

Puma x Evisu. True Love Never Dies.

Puma’s in-store Mongolian BBQ. Customize your kicks right here.

These RS-100’s will never go stale.