Image via Complex Original
Go West, young man. But not without aim. Instead of wasting the summer away eating corndogs in your backyard, spend this vacation cultivating your look on a cross-country trip that hits the finest locations for American menswear. Contrary to popular belief, so much of the best retail is located far from our so-called style capitals. So take our lead and venture from coast to coast, through the heartland, to experience the nation’s best curated collections, finest heritage brands and most cutting-edge designers.
L.L. Bean (Freeport, ME)
Start your voyage at a monument to American retail. L.L. Bean’s founder threw away the flagship store’s keys in 1951 and they’ve been selling Bean boots, boat totes and hunting gear 24 hours a day ever since. The classic, well-constructed pieces are as strong as ever, and this summer the campus (that’s not an exaggeration, Freeport is literally home to five separate Bean stores) will be hosting an outdoor concert series.
Address: 95 Main Street, Freeport, ME
Website: llbean.com
Bodega (Boston, MA)
Located within a fully functional convenience store, Bodega’s conceit does nothing to detract from the quality of its offerings. Collectible Vans and Nikes are showcased on gleaming wooden shelves and the racks are full of international brands like OriginalFake, Bedwin & The Heartbreakers and Marshall Artist. With sneaker releases generating lines around the block, and an affiliated art gallery down the street, Bodega has become Boston’s ultimate spot for street culture.
Address: 6 Clearway Street, Boston, MA
Website: bdgastore.com
Saturdays Surf NYC (New York, NY)
If the idea of a successful Northeast surf shop seems unlikely, then Saturdays has achieved the impossible. Originally peddling wetsuits and boards, the initial SoHo shop and a newer West Village outpost now carry their own line of clothing staples that are currently costume de rigueur for young NYC men. With artwork and books for sale, as well as a coffee bar serving a special La Colombe blend, Saturdays has become a lifestyle shop and brand that has devotees nearly living within its walls.
Address: 31 Crosby Street, New York, NY // 17 Perry Street, New York, NY
Website: saturdaysnyc.com
Hickoree's Floor Two (Brooklyn, NY)
Emil and Sandy Corsillo built a name for their online shop by stocking it with classic menswear given a Brooklyn spin. Hickoree’s rabid fan base led the Corsillos to expand into brick and mortar with their South Williamsburg store and nothing’s been lost in translation. From cardigans to Slinkies, rucksacks to candy and the beautiful items from The Hill-Side, Hickoree’s in-house brand of ties and scarves, the store combines good taste with humor and is definitely one to hit.
Address: 109 South 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY
Website: hickorees.com
Context (Madison, WI)
How can you gauge a shop owner’s total denim geekdom? Running weekend seminars that delve into the nitty-gritty of topics like Japanese sourced indigo dyes gives you a sense. The ultimate destination for the denim obsessive, Context treats selvedge jeans like a rare art form. Stocking A.P.C., Band of Outsiders, Gitman Brothers and Momotaro alongside up-and-coming lines, the store has earned its reputation as an arbiter of taste. Look for exclusive collaborations with brands like Alden, Apolis and Kenton Sorenson too.
Address: 113 King Street, Madison, WI
Website: contextclothing.com
Red Wing Shoe Factory (Red Wing, MN)
Red Wing, Minnesota takes pride in its namesake, the distinctive red leather lace up boots that last forever. Originally constructed for the roughness of mining life, their classic look is just as well-suited to urban living. Red Wing still does its manufacturing at the Minnesota factory (using leather from the nearby S.B. Foot Tanning Company), where visitors can swing through the plant and see how it all comes together.
Address: 135 Cannon River Avenue North, Red Wing, MN
Website: redwingshoes.com
Badowers (Des Moines, IA)
Talk about heritage. Badowers has been outfitting Midwestern gents for 50 years and it’s fully evident from the customer service. They’ll hand tailor your suits, create custom pieces and help you cull through your closet. The majority of labels carried, which include Aesop, Gant, Schott and Naked and Famous, aren’t available anywhere else in the region.
Address: 2817 Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines, IA
Website: badowers.com
Baldwin (Leawood, KS)
Matt Baldwin’s shop was born out of a desire for rustic, well-worn denim within his home city. His minimalist line of jeans is considered amongst the best in the country, and he’s since branched out to trousers and other basics all boasting immaculate construction. Baldwin’s status as a designer was cemented this fall when Jay-Z was spotted on numerous occasions in a pair of the camouflage Ryan Trousers, which have subsequently flown off the shelves. Act quick!
Address: 4573 West 119th Street, Leawood, KS
Website: baldwindenim.com
STAG (Austin, TX)
STAG’s moose antlers feel much more manly than their Brooklyn counterparts. With an aura of real deal, rustic chic, this is the ultimate masculine haberdashery. A keenly cultivated roster of brands ranges from Pendleton to J. Press to Saturdays Surf NYC, and makes sure all your needs are covered. Bolstering the Americana feel are the one-of-a-kind furniture pieces, vintage books and taxidermy peddled alongside jeans and sweaters.
Address: 1423 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX
Website: stagaustin.com
Confederacy (Los Angeles, CA)
It sounds like the plot of a sitcom pilot: a stylist and a TV star open a hip boutique in a forgotten neighborhood. But Ilaria Urbanati and Danny Masterson created something that works in their Los Feliz space. Functioning as an art gallery meets retail hybrid, urban chic fashion (musician Albert Hammond Jr. designs their exclusive line of suits) is sold alongside works by Julian Schnabel and photographer Alex Prager. With a courtyard café and a vintage newsstand, this is a spot to spend the day in.
Address: 4661 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
Website: shopconfederacy.com
General Quarters (Los Angeles, CA)
If you find yourself looking unkempt amongst Los Angeles’ smooth and polished set, there’s no better place to stop in for a trim. General Quarters’ barbershop sits adjacent to classics from Schott, newer pieces from life/after/denim and the store’s own brand, designed by owner Blair Lucio.
Address: 153 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
Website: generalquartersstore.com
Unionmade (San Francisco, CA)
Classic isn’t the first word that comes to mind when discussing San Francisco style, but Unionmade has made rugged feel right at home in the Bay Area. An abundance of pieces by beloved brands like Barbour, Hudson Bay, Pendleton and Margaret Howell make the space feel like a cozy general store for the modern man. For their latest exclusive collaboration, Unionmade recruited brands like Filson, Journal Standard and Gitman Vintage to create colorless versions of their signature pieces that warrant an in-person visit.
Address: 493 Sanchez Street, San Francisco, CA
Website: unionmadegoods.com
Filson (Seattle, WA)
C.C. Filson’s was founded in 1897 to outfit frontiersman setting out for the Klondike Gold Rush, so it’s likely that their pieces will hold up to whatever you put them through. The Seattle flagship store takes a page out of its founder’s book, with woody, lodge-like interiors that make Filson’s jackets, pants and luggage look even more rugged. If you want to see how real heritage pieces are constructed, the shop’s windows look out onto the company’s manufacturing facility.
Address: 1555 4th Avenue South, Seattle, WA
Website: filson.com
