2019-10-01 Robb Report

68 OCTOBER 2019

CLUTCH

CAFE:

ALEX

NATT;

TRUNK

CLOTHIERS:

SAMUEL

ZELLER

“The larger a brand gets, the more

impersonal it inevitably feels,” says the

Armoury co-founder Mark Cho. “Men

want to shop in a place where they feel a

real connection to their environment, the

product and the people selling it.

These six stores are some of the style

destinations we admire the most, not

just for the way they champion small,

high-quality brands but because they are

run by passionate people. Check them

out on your travels, or find them online

wherever you happen to be.

1. THE ARMOURY: New York, Hong Kong
   The Armoury is the godfather of
   independent menswear stores, one of
   the first to set up shop and perhaps the
   best-known today. The brainchild of
   Mark Cho and Alan See, the boutique is
   all about their simple vision: “We aim to
   be timeless,” says Cho. “Our products are
   inspired by classic style, with extra care
   taken in design, detail and quality.” With
   the likes of Coherence coats, Carmina
   shoes, tailoring from Ring Jacket and
   Belgian loafers from Baudoin & Lange
   to choose from, we can't argue.
   thearmoury.com


2. TRUNK CLOTHIERS: London, Zurich
   Though Swedish Mats Klingberg
   of Trunk Clothiers is as compelling
   an advocate of Scandi chic as you’ll
   find anywhere, he doesn’t stock only
   Scandinavian brands. From exclusive
   Camoshita pieces (Japanese) to
   Lardini jackets (Italian), everything at
   Trunk looks cool and clean. Moreover,
   Klingberg has created a retail experience
   that takes the pain out of browsing.

“Many of our customers don’t

particularly enjoy shopping,” he explains,

“but they do enjoy well-made clothes, so

our aim is always to make your life easy.”

trunkclothiers.com

3. BRYCELAND’S: Tokyo, Hong Kong
   Bryceland’s has a deserved reputation for
   being one of the coolest menswear stores
   there is. Founded by Ethan Newton,
   formerly of the Armoury, the company’s
   two shops are packed with own-brand
   designs that range from rayon shirts to
   denim chore coats and Italian trousers.
   “We draw inspiration from the time
   periods we love, from 1940s southern-
   Italian tailoring to 1950s West Coast
   sportswear—nothing is off-limits,” says
   Newton. brycelandsco.com


4. BEIGE HABILLEUR: Paris
   Founded in 2015, Beige Habilleur has
   quickly established itself as a need-
   to-know men’s style destination. The
   co-founders, Basile Khadiry and Jean-
   Baptiste Ménétrier, set out to stock
   the best of everything, from Scottish
   knitwear to Parisian tailoring, but
   synthesize it in a contemporary way—
   as evidenced by their chic biannual
   lookbooks. “We’re not into the fantasy
   of replicating a well-dressed man
   from the ’30s wearing a tweed suit,”

The Goods | STYLE

“Many of our

customers

don't enjoy

shopping, but

they do enjoy

well-made

clothes.”

says Khadiry. “We’re about dressing for

today.” beige-habilleur.com

5. CLUTCH CAFE: London
   Clutch Cafe may have opened in
   London’s Fitzrovia last year, but the store
   is a temple to Americana. The Clutch
   team curates the very best Japanese
   clothing inspired by midcentury
   American style, and it’s worth a visit
   simply to discover new brands: Jelado,
   Calee, Soundman, Stevenson Overall and
   more. From authentic reproductions of
   printed Hawaiian shirts to outstanding
   denim jackets and horsehide coats, this
   place has the lot. There’s a great coffee
   shop, too. clutch-cafe.com


6. BROADWAY & SONS: Gothenburg
   “Vintage clothing speaks for itself. Why
   buy something modern that’s been made
   to look old, when you can own the real
   thing?” says Nathaniel Asseraf, one of
   three members of the family who, in
   Sweden, run Europe’s best military-
   surplus and vintage emporium. Along
   with his father and brother, Asseraf is
   responsible for sourcing a huge variety of
   rare vintage and ex-military menswear,
   curated with passion and flair. If you’re
   into high-quality clothes with character,
   this should be a place of pilgrimage.
   broadwayandsons.com

ABOVE: Trunk

Clothiers, in

London and Zurich,

have a clean

and spare Scandi

aesthetic. LEFT:

London's Clutch

Cafe carries unique

brands, and makes

a killer cup of

coffee.

G2G_Oct_GDS.REVp68/79.indd 68 9/4/19 10:43 AM

68 OCTOBER 2019

CLUTCH

CAFE:

ALEX

NATT;

TRUNK

CLOTHIERS:

SAMUEL

ZELLER

“Thelargerabrandgets,themore

impersonalitinevitablyfeels,”saysthe

Armouryco-founderMarkCho.“Men

wanttoshopinaplacewheretheyfeela

realconnectiontotheirenvironment,the

productandthepeoplesellingit.

Thesesixstoresaresomeofthestyle

destinationsweadmirethemost,not

justforthewaytheychampionsmall,

high-qualitybrandsbutbecausetheyare

runbypassionatepeople.Checkthem

outonyourtravels,orfindthemonline

whereveryouhappentobe.

1.THEARMOURY:NewYork,HongKong

TheArmouryisthegodfatherof

independentmenswearstores,oneof

thefirsttosetupshopandperhapsthe

best-knowntoday.Thebrainchildof

MarkChoandAlanSee,theboutiqueis

allabouttheirsimplevision:“Weaimto

betimeless,”saysCho.“Ourproductsare

inspiredbyclassicstyle,withextracare

takenindesign,detailandquality.”With

thelikesofCoherencecoats,Carmina

shoes,tailoringfromRingJacketand

BelgianloafersfromBaudoin&Lange

tochoosefrom,wecan'targue.

thearmoury.com

2.TRUNKCLOTHIERS:London,Zurich

ThoughSwedishMatsKlingberg

ofTrunkClothiersisascompelling

anadvocateofScandichicasyou’ll

findanywhere,hedoesn’tstockonly

Scandinavianbrands.Fromexclusive

Camoshitapieces(Japanese)to

Lardinijackets(Italian),everythingat

Trunklookscoolandclean.Moreover,

Klingberghascreatedaretailexperience

thattakesthepainoutofbrowsing.

“Manyofourcustomersdon’t

particularlyenjoyshopping,”heexplains,

“buttheydoenjoywell-madeclothes,so

ouraimisalwaystomakeyourlifeeasy.”

trunkclothiers.com

3.BRYCELAND’S:Tokyo,HongKong

Bryceland’shasadeservedreputationfor

beingoneofthecoolestmenswearstores

thereis.FoundedbyEthanNewton,

formerlyoftheArmoury,thecompany’s

twoshopsarepackedwithown-brand

designsthatrangefromrayonshirtsto

denimchorecoatsandItaliantrousers.

“Wedrawinspirationfromthetime

periodswelove,from1940ssouthern-

Italiantailoringto1950sWestCoast

sportswear—nothingisoff-limits,”says

Newton.brycelandsco.com

4.BEIGEHABILLEUR:Paris

Foundedin2015,BeigeHabilleurhas

quicklyestablisheditselfasaneed-

to-knowmen’sstyledestination.The

co-founders,BasileKhadiryandJean-

BaptisteMénétrier,setouttostock

thebestofeverything,fromScottish

knitweartoParisiantailoring,but

synthesizeitinacontemporaryway—

asevidencedbytheirchicbiannual

lookbooks.“We’renotintothefantasy

ofreplicatingawell-dressedman

fromthe’30swearingatweedsuit,”

The Goods | STYLE

“Many of our

customers

don't enjoy

shopping, but

they do enjoy

well-made

clothes.”

says Khadiry. “We’re about dressing for

today.” beige-habilleur.com

5. CLUTCH CAFE: London
   Clutch Cafe may have opened in
   London’s Fitzrovia last year, but the store
   is a temple to Americana. The Clutch
   team curates the very best Japanese
   clothing inspired by midcentury
   American style, and it’s worth a visit
   simply to discover new brands: Jelado,
   Calee, Soundman, Stevenson Overall and
   more. From authentic reproductions of
   printed Hawaiian shirts to outstanding
   denim jackets and horsehide coats, this
   place has the lot. There’s a great coffee
   shop, too. clutch-cafe.com


6. BROADWAY & SONS: Gothenburg
   “Vintage clothing speaks for itself. Why
   buy something modern that’s been made
   to look old, when you can own the real
   thing?” says Nathaniel Asseraf, one of
   three members of the family who, in
   Sweden, run Europe’s best military-
   surplus and vintage emporium. Along
   with his father and brother, Asseraf is
   responsible for sourcing a huge variety of
   rare vintage and ex-military menswear,
   curated with passion and flair. If you’re
   into high-quality clothes with character,
   this should be a place of pilgrimage.
   broadwayandsons.com

ABOVE: Trunk

Clothiers, in

London and Zurich,

have a clean

and spare Scandi

aesthetic. LEFT:

London's Clutch

Cafe carries unique

brands, and makes

a killer cup of

coffee.