I’d like to think of myself as a fashion-conscious indie kid on a budget. Sure, I’d love to be able to afford Rhombus shirts that cost $150+, but as I’ve discovered, the world of political journalism isn’t exactly lucrative.
 not Ben |
When I first arrived in the District six months ago, I had a hard time finding decent boutique-type stores that specifically addressed guys fashion. Stores like Meeps and Mustard Seed carried pretty much all girls clothing (two racks at Mustard Seed compared to walls of shit for girls), while other stores like Circle and Redeem are simply out of my budget the majority of the time.
When I discovered Pop on U Street, it was a welcome surprise. Sure, some of the clothing lines they carried overlapped with Urban Outfitters - but the prices weren’t exorbitant, and the sales were often and plentiful. In lieu of going to a chain store, it was a great alternative. Yesterday, Pop announced it was only going to sell women’s clothing from now on, and is clearing out its men’s selection. OH GEE WHIZ WHAT A SHOCK JUST GREAT. After temperamentally e-mailing Sheila, the owner, back and forth, I discovered that her men’s line simply wasn’t selling as well as the girls stuff (although her Williamsburg, NY location is still going to sell men’s clothing). |
It was only weeks ago that we were posting articles circa Stylistics about DC’s perceived lack of fashion sense - and it’s partially true for men at least. As a whole, DC is a city of Ralph Lauren polos and Vineyard Vines khakis. Gross. Guys can go to a couple of local designers - like DURKL and Flux - but two designers does NOT make an immediate fashion impact on a city of almost a million people.
Even worse - is that DC’s lack of desirable men’s fashion only drives up New York megalomania. I’ve discovered (and I know I’m not the only one) that the only “real” solution to DC’s terrible men’s selection is to take the Chinatown bus up to New York with a couple hundred bucks in hand to scour Beacon’s Closet and Buffalo Exchange up in Brooklyn, among several other stores. Used True Religion pants for 30 bucks? YS PLZ. (Although why DC doesn’t have a good “hipster” consignment store is beyond me. And no, Annie Cream Cheese doesn’t count. Ugh. Am I missing it?)
So, help a guy out here: where else can a male buy sweet shit in DC that doesn’t come from a chain?
I picked up a sweet suit at the Goodwill for $8.10 and that included a shirt.
November 28, 2007 at 9:44 pmer, I’m not a fashion-conscious indie boy, I was just giving a suggestion. Let us not be confused.
November 28, 2007 at 9:45 pmI thought you all shop in the girls department anyways?
November 28, 2007 at 9:48 pmYay for fashion concious indie kids wearing kufiyyas!
November 28, 2007 at 10:00 pmYou won’t find a store like Beacon’s Closet in DC primarily because of the DC clientel. A store like Beacon’s relies on a constant cycle of clothing coming in and out. As a native NY’er I can safely say that the kids in Williamsburg/Greenpoint unarguably have a better sense of style then the average male in DC. With that being the case, the clothing that goes in and out of a store like Beacon’s or Buffalo Exchange (or even the Bedford Ave. Salvation Army for that matter) easily surmounts that of the typical DC thrift store. Beacon’s really can’t be emulated anywhere. It is the neighborhood that makes it what it is.
November 28, 2007 at 10:07 pmBeacon’s defintely spoiled me when I lived in Brooklyn… But in retrospect, what does Beacon’s have on rolling up your sleeves and hitting up a combo of Filene’s, TJ Maxx, your favorite thrift store, and the sale section of Urban Outfitters… I mean really, I’d wager that at least 25% of the stock at Beacon’s comes from the last of the aforementioned stores… So get out there and put your testosterone to work… Hunt, damn you, hunt.
November 28, 2007 at 10:54 pmApparently you’ve never been to Fellas Fashions in the Ballston Mall…
November 28, 2007 at 11:30 pmI get all my hipster clothes from Barneys Co-Op and tell everyone I found them in a dumpster in Shaw. Now you know my secret.
N.
P.S. - Cale’s secret: Jordache
November 29, 2007 at 12:35 amLook spend a ass load on shoes and the rest will follow….
November 29, 2007 at 1:21 amDear Ben
I think you and me need to meet up and do a special column. Boys on a Budget for BYT, nah mean? Perhaps we can work something out with Svetlana.
And as a NY transplant living in DC, I think it’s rather funny that people wanna give up so quickly. Buying clothes is like buying music: you have to keep your options open. Some from thrift, some from outlet mall, some from high end when you can afford it, cheap shit from H&M or Zara, hand me downs, Ebay, trades, etc.
As for the dude wearing a kaffiyeh, please tell him to please take that thing OFF. He is SO not down for the struggle.
November 29, 2007 at 2:11 amBoys on A Budget, eh? Tell me where and when, and we can make it happen.
November 29, 2007 at 2:45 ami’m definitely doing some kind of response write up to this. a notes about kaffiyeh scarves will be included.
November 29, 2007 at 3:20 ami need to do some kind of response write up to this. and don’t get me started on kaffiyeh scarves…
November 29, 2007 at 3:25 amok my first post didn’t show up before. weird, i should really go to bed
November 29, 2007 at 3:53 amall of the good thrift stores are located outside of the city, usually in the suburbs of virginia and maryland, in predominantly spanish areas. like unique in vienna, va off gallows rd. (near the dunn loring metro station), which is fucking huge, like the size of a target store, speaking of which, one of my recent secrets is keanan duffty’s “bowie” line, an affordable collection inspired by the thin white duke himself.
one of the things about guy style in d.c. though is that the whole “chocolate city” aspect of the district is obsessed with sneakers and streetwear, brands like durkl and fatboy d can attest to that, as can the recent burst of stores like commonwealth, major, kickballers, and palace 5ive.
still, you’ve got choices like the district line and the new universal gear location on 14th, but in terms of bargain hunting, unless you luck out in the salvation army in northeast (is that thing ever open?), you’ll have to take a road trip to find some sweet buys.
November 29, 2007 at 4:42 amPalace 5 = Great skateshop. Amazing selection. Awesome skate video premieres. They’ve done it perfectly. Not too fly, not too skate rat.
Commonwealth = Aight. Nice layout, pretty good selection. They never have the kicks that I want (in my size, anyway). Supreme influenced, but still not like the real deal on Lafayette St. I’ve yet to meet DC’s version of Harold Hunter (RIP)…
Kickballers = Like the skate influence, but I hate going all the way out to G-town. Then again, it’s near the Levi’s store, and I have a coupon…
OTHER SUGGESTIONS:
*Value Village in Adelphi, MD. Right down the road from U-Md College Park. The SPOT, I’ll say no more.
*That thrift store on 14th near Swann. The owned by the Nigerian dude. You know, the one across from St. Ex. These cats play Fela Kuti everytime I come through, it’s brilliant.
I really miss Britches Great Outdoors.
November 29, 2007 at 10:44 amHas anyone ever heard of Gabe’s? Gabriel Brothers is awesome.
http://www.gabrielbrothers.com/
There was a Gabe’s back near my college in Ohio, but it sucked hard. Maybe it was just that location, however. Didn’t know Gabe’s reached out here….
November 29, 2007 at 12:01 pmMy brother was an undead hipster from 2004 for halloween. The kaffiyeh and trucker hat were marvelous.
November 29, 2007 at 2:27 pmdid you happen to go to kent state, ben? the only gabriels ive ever been to is up there
November 29, 2007 at 2:44 pmGabe’s are in Ohio, WVa and Penn, I believe. There were two back home I used to go to all the time and one was far superior to the other… Their $10 C&C California shirts and $5 Lux skirts made me happy.
November 29, 2007 at 2:58 pmSorry Jian - I’ve already snagged all the size small Bowies from the area Targets.
November 29, 2007 at 4:08 pmDanielle - I did indeed go to Kent State, home of Dennis Kucinich, Arsenio Hall and Devo.
November 29, 2007 at 4:24 pmi think there are guys fashions to be found in any dc shopping area. The problem is that guys tend to know what pieces look cool but they don’t have a sense of how to put it all together. girls like Morgan can find any ripped undershirt and somehow work it with a belt and black magic marker. girls also tend to diy their clothes more. guys could do the same if they find a good tailor that can transform all their clothes or just go to the dry cleaners and ask them to make all your shirts and jeans tight and fitted
November 30, 2007 at 1:07 amif you classify yourself as hipster, you’re automatically a dork
December 6, 2007 at 1:18 pmWhat does Dennis Kucinich have to do with Kent State?
and I agree with Kenny.
December 27, 2007 at 3:02 pmPlenty. As a former Cleveland mayor, he is semi-local and makes lots of KSU appearances around May 4th. He also goes to shows and local haunts in the area - a friend of mine caught him making out with his wife at a Neil Young concert in Akron. Gross.
And if you saw that gross piece on him and his wife in the Post, you’d know it to be true.
December 27, 2007 at 4:00 pmhipsters suck. go back to ny. take the emo kids with you.
February 28, 2008 at 4:11 pm
They’ve got this thing now called teh internet? It’s pretty cool you should check it out if you get a chance.
Just messing with you. Baltimore is what you seek my man. Thrift stores that sell MICA kids cast offs = gold.
November 28, 2007 at 9:08 pm