Last Wednesday we chatted with several local boutique owners to find out what was hot for the ladies this spring, and now it’s the guys’ turn. There are plenty of male fashionistas in this town to give us the lowdown, so read up.
Tyler Reiter
Owner, Moxy
2219 N. Farwell Ave., (414) 220-9910
What they carry
Basics for the guy wardrobe: Dependable jeans, T-shirts and jackets, all in a reasonable price range. Customers are college students and older, so Reiter says he keeps that in mind. "We try to keep a mix of prices; not every shirt in here is $100 or $200."
Reiter also says Moxy's customer service sets them apart. "We've actually won an award in Lucky magazine for our service. Customer service has always been our anchor."
Spring forecast
Graphic T-shirts. "Graphic tees are always popular," notes Reiter. Check out the brand Howe or a new line the shop is carrying called Jedidiah. A socially responsible company, five dollars from certain Jedidiah shirts goes to various charities and one percent of the company's revenue goes to humanitarian groups and social aid programs.
Denim. Reiter says any fit other than skinny does well in the shop: "We don't do a lot of the skinny fit." What they will have: straight leg, relaxed, boot cut and slouchy styles by True Religion and Seven, two best-selling brands. A hybrid of the slouchy/boot cut silhouette, Reiter likes a relaxed, comfortable fit that's not too wide on the bottom.
Woven shirts. A carryover from fall, button down shirts are still strong. "We have a lot of plaid and western-y plaid coming in all different colors by Howe and Ben Sherman."
What he's picking up
Button down shirts. $49-$129.
Howe hooded sweater. "It's a cardigan hooded sweater in Merino wool. Anything from Howe, I get. I like the styling of it." $110.
Seven "Slouchy" jean. "It's my new favorite jean. It has a narrower bottom but a relaxed fit." $150-200.
Jason Meyer
Co-owner, Detour
1300 E. Brady St. (414) 273-5156
What they carry
Known not only for the store's longevity (it's been open 11 years) but its impeccable and well-edited selection of menswear (and women's apparel too), brothers Jason and Jesse Meyer know what their customers like.
Detour's also got exclusivity on hot brands like rag & bone and A.P.C. "Receiving local and national awards and press we're able to carry brands other stores can't," says Meyer. "Vendors are very picky on who they pick (to carry their clothing.)" Meyer heads to market in L.A., Vegas and New York several times a year.
Spring forecast
Cool jeans. Whether it's a dark, clean, no-frills pair of boot cut denim or a slightly distressed looking jean with a dirty wash, denim has cleaned up its act. Meyer names Diesel as a big seller of this look.
"They're not tight, but they're a tailored jean," says Meyer. "These looks have really energized guys again."
Tailored button downs. Details, details, are what guys are going to find in this spring's button-down shirts. Collars have a strip of velvet sewn on the inside and shirt cuffs have a cool pattern underneath.
"(These are) trickle down features from tailored or handmade shirts," Meyer says.
Wear a smaller gingham check or plaid pattern button down alone or underneath a blazer or cool zip-up sweater.
Getting more bang for your buck. Good news: clothing lines are adding more affordable pieces. With the economy in a slump, this is definitely a good thing for the wallet. "A lot of my in-store business is in the $90-$100 range," acknowledges Meyer. "The beauty of it is we are just loving this stuff, including myself." Customers are gravitating toward shirts, blazers and jeans that are cheaper, but definitely not cheaper looking.
Another way to make your green go further? Buying organic and sustainable clothing from socially responsible companies. "It is very important for our customers to feel like they're helping out-even in a little way."
What's he's picking up
A.P.C. "New Standard" jean, $140, and Nudie gray jean. $265.
Plaid button-downs. "I will be picking up many, many of these shirts. I'm a button-down freak." $49-$99.
RVCA windbreaker. $99.
Buyer, Harley's for Men
4009 N. Oakland Ave. (414) 332-3404
What they carry
Upscale brands like Joseph Abboud and Allen Edmonds; contemporary lines Chip & Pepper and People's Liberation; and sharp tailored shirts from Tailorbyrd.
Brand says the shop is "a little more fashion forward so our buying reflects that. We carry brighter, bolder patterns." They are also the exclusive carrier in the state of luxe Italian clothier Ermenegildo Zegna.
Spring forecast
Pleatless pants and two-button suits. Guys, get with the program: nix the pleats. Pleated pants are perennially a popular look for men of a certain age (30+ years of age), but they simply add bulk to your front.
Pick up a suit coat with two buttons and side vents. Consider incorporating offbeat colors in your suiting like soft yellow stripes or subtle lavender stripes in shirting.
Paisley ties. Don't skip this paragraph just yet: we're not talking the insane '70s and '80s versions of this flashy pattern like a psychedelic nightmare. "It looks like if you put a paisley under a microscope," says Brand, who differentiates the past patterns as much smaller. "These patterns are more exploded." He likes purple, steel blue or gray versions.
Tech-y features in pants. "Manufacturers are trying to make things more interesting." High-end fabrics like wool Egyptian Giza cotton with stretch are treated with stain repellant at the yarn level-before they're woven.
What he's picking up
Zegna sport zip sweatshirt. "I'm a sucker for Zegna Sport," says Brand. $295.
Puma Black Label shoes. "It's an Italian-made sport sneaker." $160.
Robert Graham sport shirts. Brand will pick up a dark gray, yellow and burgundy stripe. $180-$228.
Robert Graham unstructured soft coat blazer. Looks exactly as it sounds: a more laid-back version of the work basic with a softer shoulder and easier fit. $600.
Mark Pasch
Owner of MP/two and Mark Pasch Ltd.
825 N. Jefferson St., (414) 272-4672
333 W. Brown Deer Rd., Bayside, (414) 351-5634
What they carry
"Basically when I go to market I'm looking for new and exciting things, and new people that have gone into business," says Pasch. "I want to give them an opportunity to showcase their merchandise in Milwaukee."
Pasch's two stores have a mix of casual sportswear like Seven for All Mankind, Tommy Bahama and English Laundry; upscale brands include Jhane Barnes and Robert Graham tailored looks.
Spring forecast
Color. "With the winter we've had, people are definitely going to be into color." Pasch says he's already seen an uptick in sales in vibrant pieces.
Performance fabrics. What guy do you know likes to iron? Luckily manufacturers have been constructing apparel out of performance fabrics with features like wrinkle-free and stain-resistant treatments.
"It's a lot more wash and wear things, but they still have a lot of style to them. Some of the shirts I have even have two or three different fabrics together. It's very cool."
Trimmer silhouettes. While Pasch acknowledges younger and/or slimmer guys will want more fitted looks, he thinks trimming it up all around is a good thing. "If you look at European things, they do very high armholes and more fitted things. American guys for the most part can't fit into that, but you still want style to it."
What he's picking up
Duchamp shirts. "They do these great shirts that you can wear as a dress shirt or a sport shirt," Pasch says of the London company. "If I have a black suit on during the day I can wear their purple paisley shirt. After work if I want to take my coat off, it's a cool look." $250.
Eton shirts. This Swedish line makes wrinkle free cotton shirts. "They're more expensive than what people spend, but you can wear it with a suit during the day or put a cool pair of jeans on with a belt and cool shoes at night. It's a great look." $175-195.
Tommy Bahama and Ballin patterned shorts. He'll be sporting the ubiquitous plaid look, along with a prep-ified seersucker short. $85-$135.
