San Francisco Leads Trend in Men’s Boutique Retail

When my book, Branding the Man: Why Men Are the Next Frontier in Fashion Retail came out in the fall of 2009, the first question that was usually asked was: Why – why men? Even then, few really believed that the men’s market would become what it is — and still becoming — today, a whirlwind of new contemporary designers, bolder category offers, and rebranded retail concepts. In just the past year, San Francisco market alone has become a mecca for men’s shops, essentially creating the prototype for what brands like J. Crew have been plotting for several years.

“I think men have been spoken down to in the past,” says Todd Barket, owner of Union Made (493 Sanchez Street, San Francisco, www.unionmadegoods.com), a store that has become a benchmark for new men’s retail. “Mass retailers are finally realizing that guys are smarter than ever before and care about what they look like. Social networking has much to do with it as well as a revolt to all the poor mass quality that exists in the world. I credit big players like J. Crew and Ralph Lauren for bringing it to the masses.”

While some might want to give thanks to the gay demographic for what’s happened, it’s been the “urban hipster” who should probably get the lion’s share. You know: the guys in their skinny dark denims, one leg rolled up, keys dangling on his belt loop, some facial scruff, Wayfarers, and maybe a stingy brimmed fedora. He scoots around town on a fixed-gear bike and has the insouciance to suggest “what? I’ve always dressed this way.”

Well, not really. The fact is, a whole new generation is feeling comfortable enough with their masculinity that they’re influencing the mainstream and experimenting in sometimes contrived but always a bit tongue-in-cheek dress-up. Boys to men, by way of their father’s (and grandfather’s) closet.

Union Made’s Todd Barket, who hails from various stints at Levi’s, Banana Republic, and Gap, has created a distinctive environment, using such humble materials as unfinished plywood, bolts and dowels, and other manly materials. Tables and racks are merchandised like a general store, with stacks of shirts, French Breton striped pullovers, and the “best of the best” from Levi’s, J. Crew, Pendleton, and Patagonia.

“We focus on Made in America products as our base and add European heritage items,” says Barket, speaking to us from Los Angeles where he’s recently opened a second store in Santa Monica. “But we don’t want to get type-cast as a ‘vintage inspired’ store, so we’ll be adding more utilitarian ready to wear lines to the store such as Beams Plus from Japan and Margaret Howell from England. Again, all under the filter of being the best quality.”

Less than a mile away from Union Made is MAAS & Stacks (2128 Market Street, San Francisco, www.maasandstacks.com) which offers a small but potent collection of designers including Patrick Ervell, Band of Outsiders (who isn’t carrying them these days?), Norse Projects, and Rachel Comey. More fashion forward than the others, MAAS & Stacks is geared towards the fashion hipster, one with perhaps a bit more polish (and shampoo) than those that shop at the other stores.

New York’s Freeman’s Sporting Club has arguably, been one of the leaders in the “authentic” movement of men’s merchandise. Their New York store was the first to capitalize on Pendleton, Quoddy Trail, vintage LL Bean, and all that other prep school, Connecticut Yankee paraphanalia.

Oddly, F.S.C.’s new San Francisco store, called F.S.C. Barber (696 Valencia Street, www.fscbarber.com) devotes three-quarters of the approximately 1000 square foot space to the brand’s barbering concept, while a back corner acts as the retail. That’s a lot of haircuts for what they are allegedly paying in rent.

More importantly, it is a peculiar strategy for introducing the brand to the West Coast — does F.S.C. really want to be known as a barbershop? Considering Freeman’s solid reputation for having forged important partnerships with brands like Quoddy Trail and PF Flyers, and forecasting the “Made in America” trend, you’d think they might have hung their hat on something other than haircuts.

The company’s key tenet, “Made Local Buy Local,” requires that all of their products be manufactured within ten miles of their shop. A great idea except it doesn’t really apply to the San Francisco store (all of the products we saw were made within ten miles of the New York store, so: hello! carbon footprint.)

Further north on Valencia Street is The Common (383 Valencia Street, www.thecommonsf.com), a store opened by the founders of Taylor Stitch (we featured TS in a post about Man Up, an event they created under their organization, The Durable Goods Concern.) “We wanted a place to physically show off our product as well as the products of our friends,” says Michael Maher, one of three partners, along with Michael Armenta and Barrett Purdum. “It also gives us a platform to create and test product and interact with our customer on a much more personal basis.”

While The Common does offer Taylor Stitch’s wonderfully classic and sturdy shirts (both ready made and bespoke), a larger part of the real estate is devoted to other brands, including Tellason Denim, Archival Clothing, and Red Wing Heritage. Do they worry about too much overlap in the market?

“We try not to pay attention to what other people are doing and focus on creating our community around the products we offer and the care we put into creating those products. We also try not to pin ourselves into the workwear area. We focus on creating staples and classic pieces with slight modern twists or things that make them distinctively ours,” says Maher.

In a relatively short time — a little more than a year — what was once relatively exclusive (handmade jeans from North Carolina) or so cool it hurts ( dead-stock Levi’s) or dead-on “authentic” (Red Wing boots) is now ubiquitous. Hayes Valley’s Welcome Stranger not only offers some of the same brands as Union Made or The Common, but its rough-hewn environment isn’t far off from that of FSC or the lower-Haight vintage chic of Revolver (136 Fillmore Street, www.revolversf.com.)

So how can they differentiate themselves to the customer, and most importantly, build loyalty?

Service, Service, Service. All too often, such retailers of this genre overlook the Customer Service 101 rules: greet, get to know the customer, and walk them through the store offer.

Be Ahead of the Curve. A modern men’s store needs to be able to forecast beyond the youth trend, and in this case, customers rely on a great merchant to tell them about the future, not just about the past. When the skinny jeans, vintage-style button down shirts, plaids, and boat shoes are no longer in favor, how will the store still be relevant?

Build a Community. This was a central tenet of my book and it continues to be one of the weaknesses of most retailers of all kinds. Just because you are a retailer doesn’t mean you have to behave like one. Engage your customer so that there is an added-value to the experience of visiting the store. Host discussions and workshops. Partner with like-minded merchants who offer lifestyle products that enhance yours.

Tell a Great Story. Most importantly, tell a story that is compelling and makes the brand and the products come alive for the customer. As a homegrown brand, the Common is more likely to do that than say F.S.C., but that doesn’t stop them from creating a product mix and messaging that resonates with a local customer.

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