The Obtainer - 2/24/23, Friday
↦ The Shoes to Check Out Now
A programming note ... We will be off next week, as Valet. will have a reduced publishing schedule. But we'll be back on Monday, March 6th.
Friday, February 24th Edition
We’re heading to Texas today to check in with one of the best shops in America to see what their customers have been eyeing and buying lately. Have you ever been to STAG in person? It’s definitely worth a trip.
- Leon Hedgepeth, Shopping Editor ⋯ @leonhedgepeth
The New Shoes on Our Radar
Is it time to re-evaluate the shoes in your closet? Maybe this list will help get you going in the right direction. There are so many great shoes dropping these days, we thought we would pull a few of our current favorites to showcase. From a beautiful pair of desert boots and retro skate shoes to some weather-resistant clogs, these are the shoes our team can’t stop talking about.
On Our Radar
New Balance continues to drop constant heat, especially from their Made in USA line. The 990 has been a classic silhouette from the brand since 1982 and has always been appreciated by avid runners to cultural tastemakers. The 990v1 features a pigskin suede upper accented with mesh and leather, an adjustable lace closure, and ENCAP midsole cushioning which combines a lightweight foam and durable polyurethane rim for maximum comfort. An excellent color scheme allows you to wear these with a heavy-duty sweatsuit or a worn-in denim-on-denim look.
$189.99 by New Balance
Spring is only 24 days away, so it's not too early to start thinking about warm weather-appropriate shoes. Right?!Whether gardening or giving your weekday shoes a rest, a solid pair of clogs should always be in the rotation. SeaVees has produced a stylish rubber pair from recycled materials featuring a chunky heel and a pull tab, a comfortable soft knit lining, and they're weather-resistant. This “dune” colorway is neutral, so you can style these several ways—relaxed fatigues or even a boiler suit will look killer.
$80 by SeaVees
Checking in With ...
STAG Provisions
Great shopping is about accessibility, discovery and thoughtful customer service. And Texas-based STAG is a one-stop-shop for all those things. The store deftly toes the line between today’s most relevant brands and timeless essentials. Regularly named in lists of the “the best stores in America,” they carry a range of heritage brands like RRL and Schott NYC, along with cult Japanese brands and indie upstarts. It’s certainly one of our favorite places to shop—both online and in person. Their shops are so comfortable, you want to kick back on one of the vintage sofas and just take in the vibe before leaving with at least a bag-full of new items. We caught up with co-owner Don Weir and his business partner Steve Shuck to see what under-the-radar brands we should be privy to, what their customers are currently wearing and what’s on the horizon for 2023.
What items are you guys most excited about at the moment?
Whenever we head into a new season, our excitement is between classic favorites like a Rogue Territory waxed Ridgeline jacket or a perfectly washed pair of RRL jeans and the hundreds of new items that will soon roll in from our brand partners. For spring, we love our assortment of short-sleeve woven shirts, including featherweight block prints from Kardo, unexpected colors and weaves from Portuguese Flannel, and inventive fabrics and techniques from Corridor. Here in Texas, the weather ranges from toasty to "holy sh*t, it's hot!" nine months out of the year, so we pay close attention to ensure we provide an expansive and exciting collection of short-sleeve shirts, shorts and swimwear.
Cord collar supply jacket, $340 by Rogue Territory
What are some current staff favorites?
WAX London overshirts, RRL varsity jacket, Corridor crochet cardigan, Far West robes, Kapital souvenir jackets and all things Kapital.
Recycled denim painter pant, $155 by Alex Mill
What have your customers been wearing lately?
Our customers want comfortable, easy-to-wear clothes that don't look too studied and don't look like the loungewear they wore a year or so ago. Right now, lightweight shirts or tees paired with an oversized cardigan or relaxed chore coat seem to be really popular. We're also seeing some guys shift into more relaxed wider-legged pants, so it's nice to offer some new silhouettes on that front. From a brand perspective, we've got a loyal customer for our RRL and Kapital, among others like Alex Mill and Universal Works.
Austin is booming as a shopping destination—how have the guys evolved over the years?
Austin has been growing like crazy for over a decade, and our original location on South Congress has seen a boatload of different customers and products over the last 13 years. What people want hasn't changed fundamentally—excellent quality, a considered and well-edited assortment, and trustworthy service. If anything has changed, he's more interested and educated about how he wants to look (or not) and probably a little more adventurous than when we first opened. Bold prints and colors, unexpected fabrications are now very much fair game—which makes it fun.
Any new under-the-radar brands to keep an eye out for in 2023?
We're heading into our second spring season with BEAMS+, a Japanese brand that's been well-received with us. We're also launching small capsules from English-made Kestin and will offer womenswear designer Carleen's first menswear line. Plus, we keep expanding our assortment from the Indian brand Kardo. The traditional weaving, dyeing and printing techniques they use are beautiful and are well-received by our customers.
Working on any collaborations or projects at the moment?
We have a bunch of them this spring. Our latest exclusive Rogue Territory waxed jacket just launched and is nearly gone. Later in the season, we have two exclusive capsules from Gitman Vintage, our first swimwear collaboration with Bather, new STAG-only chain-stitched goods from Austin legends Fort Lonesome, and a hand-picked, hand-made selection from Austin-based Psychic Outlaw. We've been busy trying to offer our customers something they can't find anywhere else.
I Heart Y'all' western shirt, $548 by Fort Lonesome
Olive wood mortar and pestle, $42 by STAG Provisions
You all carry several well-known brands. How do you put your spin on it and make it feel fresh for your customer?
For us, it's all about the mix. We only buy what we love and respond to personally—which changes over time, so that already creates a sometimes surprising evolution and combination of goods. Plus, we don't merchandise our stores by brand and don't present looks exclusively by brand on our website. The challenge, and part of the fun of it all, is taking somewhat disparate brands and styles and filtering them through our perspective so that they become our own, so that they become "STAG." We think we get a more layered assortment for our customers this way. We also offer vintage selections and home goods to round out the mix.
The sales and discounts our team is currently watching.
Ray-Ban is offering up to 50% off a wide range of shades during their end-of-season sale. Including this pair of folding Clubmasters. When you can score a classic on sale, it’s always a smart buy.
$248 / $173.60by Ray-Ban
These heavy-duty sweatpants are influenced by vintage sportswear with its relaxed fit and tall waistband. Crafted from a custom heavyweight French terry, they'll be your go-to leisure sweats from now until forever.
$180 / $108by Body of Work
This duffel bag from Tanner Goods is constructed from lightweight Konbu fabric and features six storage pockets, with an adjustable crossbody strap to help alter the shape of the bag to suit what you’re carrying.
$420 / $250by Tanner Goods
The three best stories from around the web.
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These Big Apple tailors can customize everything from your tuxedo to your pajamas.”
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There is pain for sure … you see supply going up significantly for models that we would literally have killed for just a couple of months before.”
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When he tried to resell the Maserati, he discovered the vehicle identification number Cole had given him actually belonged to a different car, owned by British car collector Clive Joy for several years.”
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UW People. Jack.Ft.Easy Overshirt In Brown Marl TwillVince Cardigan In Camel Recycled Wool
January 25