Meeting Alan Flusser, Part One: The Custom Shop
Midtown Manhattan for the most part is a drab place. Everything there is very gray and looming and even on the sunniest days it still seems a bit cloudy. Interiors lend to harsh florescent lighting, cubicles, and computer stations. But in the midst of all this there is a small oasis tucked away just off 5th Avenue and 48th street called THE CUSTOM SHOP.
A man of my budget would never have stepped inside this haven of menswear had it not been for an invite from Chris Hogan of OFF THE CUFF to attend an inaugural meet up to celebrate the BeSpeak iPhone application created by Alan Flusser. I spoke of the app here after I had downloaded it and it truly is a wonderfully useful menswear tool. But let this post be more of the fabled shop I had only read about yet never had the means to step into.
Immediately upon entering one notices just how much of Alan’s ethos is based on the importance of color. Everything in the shop fits, much like his direction to us about suiting. Lush green, beautifully placed curtains, warm brown wood, and cherry reds are just the tip of the iceberg. While standing in the shop you feel like you have been transported to someone’s living room so comfortable that you just want to sit and stay a while.
And then there’s the clothing. There are busts that boast heavy wools, detailed patters, and perfectly spread collars. It was so inspirational to be amongst these wears that I started immediately to think of new patterns I could try out and color combinations that would work better with my own skin tone. I learned so much from Alan’s books but was much more affected seeing it all live and in person.
Oh yes, there were also beautiful shoes:
I almost wanted to stay inside the shop for the rest of the night, sit down with my glass of Pimm’s Cup, and chat with Alan about menswear and whatever else came to mind into the wee hours. It’s a shame more men’s stores don’t take this amount of care no matter what they are selling. If ever I was to open a haberdashery for those of us on a budget I would model it after this because no matter what the price point or the style, nothing beats feeling like you are right at home.
Stay tuned this week for coverage of the entire event plus my best dressed picks.
