Last week I finally got a chance to drop by the Winn Perry shop in Portland. Jordan was kind enough to let me poke around, take some photos and pepper him with questions. In a response to my follow up e-mail he nailed the feel of his shop with this statement:
“The main thing I would like to establish is that my customers can come in and not have to worry about the quality of the product, as that will already have been taken care of for them. The only thing I want the customer to think about is the fit and detail, and if it will be something they can use and is worth their money.”
I definitely felt that about the shop. All the products were of high quality (he even has that Our Legacy mail carrier’s bag I’ve been lusting after), and the shop was laid out nicely for browsing. I also felt very comfortable there. Which was nice. Oftentimes when I enter a shop that has really nice things and is empty I start feeling pressure from the sales representative and run. I didn’t feel that way with Jordan or his shop. So I would say he’s succeeding with his aforementioned goal and then some.
Here is my rundown in photo essay format:
This shot kind of sums up everything great about this visit: Gitman Bros. Vintage shirts and Alden shoes. I finally got a chance to try on the Gitman Bros. Vintage and it fits perfectly. It doesn’t billow out in the back like some shirts, it fits comfortably across the chest and and correctly around the neck. The real kicker is when I lean forward to simulate riding a bike and there’s a bit of stretch in the back so that it’s not too tight. Jordan tells me this is due to the center box pleat on the back of the shirt. I think it’s due its awesomeness.
Either way I was very impressed. Here’s how it would look hanging on your wall, if you lived in a dressing room:
Pretty cool, right?
The second gem of that photo is something that really grew on me over time. At first they seemed kind of cool, and the more I looked at them I really love them. That’s right, the suede desert Chukka boots:
Jordan himself was wearing these very boots and swears by how comfortable they are. The uppers aren’t stiff like most shoes are at first, and since they can be re-soled, there’s really no downside. I imagined myself wearing those on a nice warm summer day with no socks. And it was fantastic.
Also, not to be overlooked is the selection of Quoddys. I’ve been jonesin’ for some boat shoes and these are in tough competition with Russell Moccasins for my attention.
To finish it off, here are more great photos (go ahead, click on them, see what happens) that give you a tiny feel for what it’s like, but you really should check out the store yourself.
Tags: Style
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