Friday Afternoon Recon: Epaulet

After all the times I've recommended goods from Epaulet's online shop, I was finally able to head out to their physical location and do a little recon.  Black Friday probably wasn't the ideal time to head on over, but luckily for myself and my brother the throngs of middle America consumers were busy tearing apart the Walmarts and Kohls of the world.

Right down the street from another great shop, Smith + Butler, Epaulet is an expertly curated men's and women's clothing store in Brooklyn, NY.  They carry their own brand as well as some top-notch quality goods from Gant, Alden, Mark McNairy, etc.  I was lucky enough to chat with Mike, the shop's owner, for quite some time about the Pop-up Flea, their current selection of goods and the new stuff they have coming up.  He's an extremely nice and knowledgeable guy who is enthusiastic about his brand.  I highly recommend stopping by the shop even if just to chat.

Epaulet's footwear selection is second to none as far as independent establishments are concerned.  Not only are they the only current Mark McNairy account of a store their size, but they have a some really cool collaborations with Alden and Thorogood on sale.  I want to specifically highlight the new Alden Indy Boot the shop is currently offereing.  Dubbed "The Officer's Boot" (see below) this may be the classiest Indy Boot I've ever seen.  For anyone who likes the boot, but wants something a little less rugged I highly recommend asking Santa for this badboy.

[Pictured: Alden x Epaulet Officer Boot.  Picture courtesy of Dan from Disaffected Prep.]

The apparel, much like the footwear, is solid and I was really blown away with the quality of Epaulet's own shirting line.  The Epaulet x Mark McNairy oxfords are wishlist worthy and their flannels, made from 100% Pima cotton straight form Portugal, are the softest flannels I have ever felt, hands down.  Their neckwear is equally as impressive and I made it a priority to pick up their blackwatch plaid bowtie which was featured over at Inventory Updates a little while back.

Overall, I had an extremely enjoyable afternoon shopping, chatting and hanging out over at Epaulet.  It's great to finally get to know some of the people behind a shop I've been championing for a while.  Epaulet's products should continue to pop up over here as some of the stuff they have coming up is going to be pretty awesome (suit separates, new boots, etc) .  Head over to their webstite to do some holiday shopping or if you have the time, stop by the shop and chat with Mike about all the cool stuff they have going on.  Thanks to Epaulet for being gracious hosts and continuing to put out fantastic stuff.

p.s. Check back for a post regarding my own purchases from Epaulet: A pair of Mark McNairy Red Brick Soul Chukkas and the blackwatch bowtie.

-L.A.S

Friday Afternoon Recon: Brooks Brothers

[Pictured: Brooks Brothers extra-slim fit sport shirts.  Courtesy of Brooks Brothers.]

One of the good things about getting out of work early is the ability to have some energy left to get some stuff done.  This was exactly the case today, so with the afternoon ahead of me I journeyed to the local Brooks Brothers.   The reason behind this excursion was my curiosity regarding their new, much ballyhooed extra slim fit shirts.  Everyone from wannabe tastemakers like myself to the big dogs, such as GQ, have covered this new fit since its announcement.  I was really interested in how these shirts panned out and since I could find no hands on reviews, I decided to do a little recon of my own.

My issue (and I'm not the only one) with Brooks Brothers has always been fit.  The brand makes classic, traditional pieces that look great, but just don't sit well on those looking for an updated, trim cut.  In an attempt to keep up with the times and their competitors (i.e. Gitman Vintage, Hamilton 1883, etc.) Brooks Brothers created their extra slim fit collection of shirts.

Upon entering the store the extra slim fit collection was displayed prominently up front.  Every shirt available was both oxford cloth and two tone (white collars).  I grabbed a lovely yellow one and made my way to the dressing room.  My expectations were pretty low considering how ill fitting Brooks Brothers usually is on me.  I assumed that while the shirts would definitely be slim relative to Brooks Brothers, they would still be too big for me.  Surprisingly, the shirts fit great.  With perfectly raised arm holes, a slim sleeve and a trim body the shirt surpassed my wildest expectations.  It looked fine untucked, and even better tucked in.  I wear a size medium across the board and the Brook's shirt fit true to size.  The new extra slim fit Brooks Brothers shirts are as good as advertised and get the Sartorially Inclined cosign.  I ended up buying that very same yellow oxford as well as a set of three cotton hankerchiefs before leaving completely satisfied.  Pick your own extra slim fit shirt online for $79.50.

Next time you are in Charlotte head by the Brooks Brothers in the South Park Mall.  I read a lot of stuff online bashing the current Brooks Brothers for losing touch with their customers and being generally not very knowledgeable about their product.  This couldn't be farther from the truth at the South Park Brooks Brothers.  They are extremely helpful and know their stuff, especially Doug who is one of the head tailors.  Today we chatted for a while about pocket squares, the difference between university and club ties and the direction Brooks is headed.  He is a great guy and will help you out with whatever you need.

Me: Are you guys ever going to get your hands on some of that Black Fleece?
Doug: (Laughing) Does this look like Madison Avenue, kid?

[update: Looks like I beat Valet Mag to the punch.]

-L.A.S