Words by Caleb Bushner. Photos by Gregor Hochmuth.
Like many great brands, Taylor Stitch was founded as a solution to a problem. Co-founders Mike Maher, Barrett Purdum and Mike Armenta launched the company after observing that, despite having average builds, they were unable to find quality shirts that fit. Maher explains, “Barrett’s dad would always bring custom shirts back from business trips and we became enamored by the color, pattern and the fact that they actually fit. It was a revelation: shirts that fit.” Using Barrett’s father’s revelatory shirting as their guide, the trio set out for Hong Kong in search of a shirtmaker that could produce top-notch goods that matched their high standards. “We looked around but were just …over it. The manufacturing was terrible. Conditions were awful. We simply couldn’t make our shirts there.”
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By Caleb Bushner
If there’s one thing the world doesn’t need, it’s another denim brand. And that’s precisely why Tony Patella started Tellason Denim. You see, Tony is the kind of guy who will spend twenty minutes talking about a coffee table. Not because he’s trying to impress you, but because he’s that excited by the craft and design that’s gone into it. It’s, as he would call it, “the right product.” And Tony would much rather buy the right product once, than buy (and replace) the wrong one every season. “In high school I would buy Lacoste polos. They were $60 and made in France. My friends would buy polos from The Gap for $20. But by the end of high school they’d have bought several pairs of ill-fitting, low quality shirts while my Lacoste polos were still looking great. In the long run they spent more money and didn’t have as nice of a shirt.” It’s that kind of long-term thinking that makes his denim company a little different – and a lot better – than most.
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By Caleb Bushner
If you’re into classic menswear, then do yourself the favor of getting acquainted with San Francisco’s Unionmade. Founded by Todd Barket and Carl Chiara, two apparel industry alums with nearly forty years of creative direction and design experience between them, the store harkens back to an era that predates “fast fashion,” offering garments that are simple, durable and timeless. This back-to-basics approach has lead to great fanfare, quickly earning the boutique a reputation for being one of the best in the country.
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By Caleb Bushner
Between their gushing fan mail, countless inquiries for business advice, and successfully crowdsourced funding model [ed note: that means they were able to get a bunch of complete strangers to pay for everything], it’s clear that San Francisco’s Fifth&Brannan has built a very committed following. Which is pretty remarkable, considering they don’t actually have a product to sell. At least, not yet.
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By Caleb Bushner
A well-executed wardrobe helps us look good and feel good. But, there’s more to it than that, and that’s why we’re here, right? I’d like to introduce a new boutique offering awesome garments that not only complement the wearer, but also help the wearer lead a more sustainable lifestyle. Seattle’s Aldan Shank and Juliette Delfs are a couple of my friends from Business School and they’ve started a unique shop called Hub & Bespoke. Their aim is to outfit the rainy city’s residents with cycling attire that shows you can commute by bike without having to look like a spandex jockey – clothing that encourages people to engage in a behavior that improves the environment and promotes health and sexiness (leave the oversized biceps to the Jersey Shore – chicks dig strong legs, fellas). I wanted to hear more about how the shop’s been doing, so I got in touch with Aldan and here’s the conversation that emerged.
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Sustainability Thinking in the Holiday Shopping Season
By Caleb Bushner
The holidays mean two things: jacket weather and shopping (what, am I missing something?). As a sustainable business fanboy (yes, we do exist), I think a lot about commerce, and how to make it better, so, now that the holiday season is here, it seems like a particularly good time to talk about how (and why) to take a sustainably-minded approach to gift-giving.
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by Caleb Bushner
I have a new favorite fashion accessory: my smartphone. Truth be told, I’ve begun to find myself getting itchy and uncomfortable when I’m more than about 10 feet from it, and I don’t think I’m the only one who has this problem. It’s probably unhealthy, I know, but I think it’s also indicative of how useful (and ubiquitous) these things have become. One of my favorite uses: accessing the web to resolve any nagging questions that might come up in conversation (in what year did Marcus Lepidus begin his cursus honorum? Quick, to Wikipedia! How do you circumvent the United Airlines phone menu system? Ask Get Human!) But, what does this fashion accessory have to do with sustainable fashion? It provides a powerful means of connecting the dots – or fabric pieces, as the case may be – associated with conscious consumption. Thanks to the following sites, we are now entering into an age in which we can learn, down to remarkably fine detail, just what we’re really buying.
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By Caleb Bushner
Sustainable clothing is moving beyond the barcode. Some of the best social and environmental apparel options out there are not found on the retail racks so much as they’re discovered at local fairs and passed down through word of mouth and blog. More and more people are becoming receptive to the notion of smaller wardrobes filled with classically crafted, durable products. This is great news, as goods of this sort tend to be made from better materials, last longer, and, because they are made by real crafts-people, come with a greater meaning for the purchaser.
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