Brooklyn Shop Stop

I spent some time exploring Williamsburg last Friday, and my experiences in the five shops and two eateries that I visited really got me thinking about something I'll call "shop etiquette." I won't name any names here, for the sake of being diplomatic, but my advice to all small shop owners is this: you need to be friendly and welcoming to everyone and anyone who comes into your store. Do I have a lot of money to spend? Hell no. Is there a really good chance I'm only going into your store to stealthily take photos and talk about it on my blog? Absolutely. In three of the shops I went into, my companion and I were greeted immediately in a friendly way. In one shop, neither of the TWO PEOPLE working so much as looked up when we came in. We browsed for at least 15 minutes and at no point did anyone bother to acknowledge us. Am I going to spend $40 on a t-shirt in your kitschy, overpriced shop, when you can't even greet me? Nope. In shop number 5, we were greeted but it was a little forced, and there was no music playing in the shop at all, so the awkward silence made me want to leave.

I think part of the problem with shops in Williamsburg in particular is that people get a little too arrogant. The fact that your target demographic (privileged young professionals with disposable income and no ingrained sense of financial responsibility) are easily accessible and will spend money on whatever they feel they're supposed to in order to maintain their lifestyle does not excuse you from practicing good business. Good SMALL business, to be exact. Because the whole reason why I'll go into a little shop and spend at least 25% more on something I could easily get for less at a big box store is the warm fuzzy feeling I get when I know I'm helping an actual person keep their business going. It feels good to know where your money is going, know where/how the products are made, and know that if you have a problem, the person who sold them to you is likely to be the person to resolve it. What is the point of spending more, then, when I go into a small shop that occupies maybe a 20x20' space and the person doesn't even attempt to engage with me on a person-to-person level? 

To drive my point home, I'd like to give out the award for BEST BROOKLYN CUSTOMER SERVICE to the Cotton Candy Machine, a really neat art boutique on South 1st. As soon as we walked in, the guy working the shop greeted us and introduced himself as Lyejm. We chatted about the shop, about what exhibitions they had coming up, small talk, etc. He was incredibly genuine and I felt right at home poking around the awesome prints, toys, and books they had. While we were thumbing through the books he even came around and showed us his personal favorite. These are little tiny acts, gestures of humanity if you will, but they make a world of difference. If he had sat numbly behind the cashwrap looking through his Facebook and ignoring us, I would have lost interest and walked out. Instead, I plan on going back and investing in a couple of lithographs to frame, and I definitely want to go to the "A Little Knotty and Dead Inventors" exhibit they have coming up in March. 

The Cotton Candy Machine!

I was VERY excited to see the Hickorees brick and mortar for the first time. The second floor space is beautiful, with huge windows and lots of light. They have lots of product there but still manage to maintain a feeling of openness. I bought an awesome bar of soap (via my previous sensitive skin post), as part of my crusade to see how many different soaps I can try before my skin just explodes into a giant rash and then falls from my bones. Happily, the Mountain Ocean "Skin Trip" Coconut bar soap did not irritate my skin. It smells unbelievable, lathers up really nice, and doesn't dry my skin out at all. I was going to use it sparingly, but it's actually so intoxicating that I've used it every day. It's made of all natural stuff and not tested on animals! 

Wondrously merchandized goods.

Massive Hill-side assortment!

Parrott Canvas Company tote, $85

The leaf camo tote from Parrott Canvas Company is the main thing I wish I could have gotten. It's Made in USA from Japanese cotton duck and has pockets for everything you could ever carry. I did get a sweet carpenter pencil with my soap purchase though. Hickorees knows how to do it right. They definitely get my stamp of approval.

We stopped by Joinery to see what they were all about. The store is beautiful all around, and it's obvious that a lot of thought went into every aspect of their vibe/layout, which I appreciated. The main thing that caught my eye was their jewelry -- a lot of natural/uncut stones with a big vintage/handmade kind of feel.

My last stop was at one of my favorite places in the neighborhood, the Brooklyn Art Library. They feed my vintage papergoods/notebook/paper addiction in the worst way. I end up buying things for myself and buying gifts for other people because somehow it's impossible not to. It's a very inviting place and the art librarians are always happy to recommend cool sketchbooks to look at. 

Sketchbooks from all over the world!

I treated myself to this little weekly planner that stands up and has a manila folder attached. Multifunctioning for my all-encompassing obsessive compulsive tendencies.

Apart from shopping, I had breakfast for lunch at the Rabbithole. It's truly an amazing little restaurant. The second you step inside it's like entering another world... a cross between Miss Havisham's house and an abandoned Victorian country home. They manage to make dusty and old look chic. 

I'll be doing a lot more exploring in the coming months, and now that a few relatively unpleasant customer service experiences have caught my attention, I'm anxious to see how associates in other Brooklyn shops behave. If you don't have customers, you don't stay in business. Recognize and appreciate the people who are patronizing your store!

Featured:

The Cotton Candy Machine

Hickorees

Joinery NYC

The Brooklyn Art Library

Rabbithole

Spring Picks for Dandies, PLUS a San Francisco Special Feature!

I love boots and flannel as much as any red-blooded American, but winter has definitely lost its novelty for me. For weeks I've been suffering through Men's Fashion Week, demoralizing winter blowout sales full of rumpled disorganized sweaters and outerwear, and watching in agony while bloggers and storefronts alike prematurely let some bathing suits and linen shirts trickle out.

No worries, though! Spring is here (kind of)... and I'm extremely excited about all the fresh, dapper looks. American brands have really stepped up this season, and it's cause for a lot of celebration. Later in the post, I'm excited to share the launch of a new San Francisco-based women's shirt line, Tradlands, a welcome solution to the problem of finding quality, American-made buttondown shirts for gals. 

My inspiration for Spring this year is delicately executed menswear on ladies. It's a bit harder to do feminized menswear in the winter, because the weight of the fabrics and the necessity of layering for the cold tends to leave women looking shapeless. At least, that's what my problem has always been. When I saw this preview of General Knot & Co.'s Spring skinnies, though, I got a surge of inspiration. Slimmer proportions and good tailoring allows women to appropriate menswear in a way that's really empowering and creative. 

Also, for the record, the words "It will be mine... oh yes... it will be mine" left my lips as soon as I laid eyes on that little floral number. Knowing how limited the runs of General Knot's ties are, I checked every day until the new collection launched and ordered it. Only 12 of that floral tie were made. Not sure how many are left now, but please believe I got mine!

As you see above, I love it with my old reliable chambray shirt (J Crew, $70), but I look forward to pairing it with my lavender Ralph Lauren oxford shirt, and my RL Rugby sage and white stripe oxford. As soon as I get a Tradlands shirt, I'll obviously wear it with that too. 

Other ties I'd love to add to my collection:

Forage "Grey Floral" necktie,  $78

The Tie Bar "Knitted Kneats" silk knit in Mauve/Ivory, $15

The Tie Bar silk knit bow tie in Coral, $15 

the Hill-side "Modified Herringbone" in White, $90 at Hickorees

The grey floral tie from Forage is perfect. The neutral color is really versatile and allows it to be paired with almost anything, but the floral pattern is subtle and carries a strong Spring vibe. All of the neckwear from the Philadelphia-based haberdashery is made in limited runs from vintage and deadstock cotton fabrics. Ergo, the ties are a bit more pricy than the set $15 ones at The Tie Bar, but you're paying for a certain level of exclusivity and craftsmanship that's a bit more intimate. I love having a few really special pieces like my General Knot floral, but for the average person The Tie Bar is a great option because it allows you to stock up on stylish ties that are still made by hand. My message therefore, is achieving great style through budgetary balance.

As far as the Modified Herringbone tie from the Hill-side goes... all I have to say is, watch this video:

Old Virginia: The Hill-Side's "Modified Herringbone" Fabric from The Hill-Side on Vimeo.

San Francisco presents: TRADLANDS

Today, February 5th, marks the launch of Tradlands: a collection of women's shirts designed and hand-sewn in SF. For their debut line, they've paired fabrics including raw denim and fine cotton plaid with neat details like lacquered brass snaps to create a feminine silhouette that is still conscious of the needs of a rugged, on-the-go kind of gal. These shirts would be equally at home with sleeves rolled up, digging in a garden as they would paired with some great jeans and accessories to go about town. Whether you're dressing them up or down, the shirts have a distinctly American sensibility that will never appear out of place. My personal favorite is the "Hayes Valley," made of a beautiful mid-weight chambray that would go PERFECTLY with my skinny tie from General Knot (cough, cough, nudge, nudge). As these shots from their lookbook show, though, the whole collection is well thought-out and carefully designed.

Tradlands "Hayes Valley" shirt, $147

Speaking of accessories to match up with your sparkly new Tradlands shirt... my friend Victoria of San Francisco's Our House Vintage and Design has some of her signature feather bow-ties in refreshing Spring colors. To make the bow ties, she layers hand-dyed feathers on leather backing, with velvet ribbon serving as the neck strap. She also uses remnant leather in an effort to recycle, and like most handmade goods, only a limited amount of each color are made. She does custom work too, so if there's a color you don't see in her Etsy shop don't hesitate to send her a message!

It's really cool to watch San Francisco develop into a creative mecca for handmade products and innovative design. I wish Sadie and Jeremy of Tradlands the best of luck with their launch, and I thank them on behalf of women everywhere for making lovely and hardworking shirts!

Brands and shops from this post:

General Knot & Co.

the Tie-Bar

Forage

the Hill-side

Tradlands

Our House Vintage and Design

Spring Shades: SHURON Edition

Before I begin, I'm obliged to tell you that proper sunglasses are a YEAR ROUND necessity, not just for April-August. However, Spring does bring sunny days and people tend to spend more time outside, so what better time to upgrade your look? I recently got a pair of prescription Ray Ban "New Clubmaster" sunglasses (see Figure A). Shortly after picking them up, I discovered that the Clubmasters are made in China. If I had realized before, I honestly would have opted for something else. The vast majority of Ray Bans are still made in Italy, but I guess that due to the complexity of producing frames that have both metal and plastic components, it is more cost-effective to manufacture certain styles in China.

Figure A

After putting Ray Ban on blast via Twitter (they didn't care), a follower recommended Shuron to me. Since 1865, Shuron Ltd have been making eyewear in Greenville, South Carolina. Their frames are decidedly retro, because the designs literally have not changed since the time when "retro" was "modern." Honestly, some are so retro that they have not yet been recycled into what's considered hip... but I'm sure they will sooner or later. What's amazing about Shuron, and an indictment of the major eyewear corporations, is that these Made in USA frames are incredibly affordable. A pair of polarized sunglasses from Shuron runs roughly $160-185, depending on the style.

As much as I love and respect Warby Parker and Classic Specs, and I'm sure the materials they use are excellent, their frames are still manufactured in China. That's why they're less than a hundred bucks, folks. Let's use our heads. You have to take the bad with the good, for sure. WP donates glasses to people in need, and CP donates a percentage of their profits to charity. Awesome. However, in lieu of donating to charity, why not find a way to produce your glasses in the US and create actual jobs for people in this country? Personally, I'd rather pay 50 bucks more for something that's made here. That's where Shuron comes in.

Shuron "Sidewinder" in Demi Amber/Gray

Shuron "Freeway" in Black Fade w/ Green/Gray

Shuron "Freeway" in Demi Gray/Gray

Shuron "Ronsir Revelation" in Black Briar

The Freeway and the Sidewinder are both Wayfarer-type styles. The major differences between the two  would be the thicker arms and double rivet feature on the Sidewinder vs the metal bar detail on the Freeway. The Ronsir is a Clubmaster style, which they offer in a few different variations. I like the Revelation model because the lens size is a bit smaller, akin to my "New Clubmaster." 

The photos speak for themselves. There's no question that Shuron's designs can compete with the trendiest companies out there, but their humble origins have rendered them the best kept secret among retro eyewear aficionados. 

The easiest way to explore their selection is right at the source, www.shuron.com.