le fox de la mer

everlane:

Sid Mashburn—Atlanta, GA
May 25, 2011
By beatboxgoesthump for Everlane

Menswear designer Sid Mashburn is the epitome of a southern gentleman. The Mississippi native stands tall and introduces himself with a slight southern drawl and a strong handshake. Upon entering, he generously offers his customers water, soda, or beer.  Beer at a menswear shop — that alone is enough to draw the crowds in from the sweltering Atlanta heat.

Founder and owner of his self-titled store, Sid Mashburn offers a wealth of fashion knowledge as well as classic menswear design. Brands such as Fred Perry, Kiton, Boglioli, and Alden fill the dark hardwood shelves. The leather furniture, taxidermied animals (the little fox wearing a tie is a personal favorite), old classic leather hardcover books, photos of family members, and a ping-pong table set make you feel like you have been welcomed into his home.  Sid’s goal is to afford every man the opportunity to own iconic items that fit perfectly from head-to-toe.  After a tour and shop-talk, Sid and I head outside for a little Georgia sunshine and some good old Q&A:

Who are your favorite designers right now?
We draw inspiration from across the spectrum, but if we are talking straight up clothing design then I would say Doug Hayward. Doug was a London designer/retailer/tailor in the 1960s. His motto was “How do I make a guy look good?”. Men don’t necessarily want a big statement, but you want them to look good and you want them to look good in all different environments.

What are the biggest trends in men’s fashion today?
I think there has been this big push for Americana and heritage and authenticity. We don’t shy away from that, but I would say our trend is the same trend I’ve had for as far back as I can remember. We want to get guys to pay attention to their clothes, and get them in clothes that fit them.

What current trends would you like to see retired?
I would like to see guys dressing better. Too many times you’ll go to a restaurant and see men and women sitting at a bar where the women are all dressed up and the guys just look sloppy. If women do it, guys can and should do it too. 

Why is it so important for men to dress nicely?
This is the other piece, this is the interesting thing — whether you know it or not, I’ve already seen a part of your resume by what you are wearing. The first thing you greet somebody with is a handshake, a smile, and what that person is wearing. People make judgment calls, and like the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”. 

Double monk straps shoes or triple monk strap shoes?
Double.

Buckled or unbuckled?
Unbuckled. One buckled, one unbuckled. The double monks are already a powerful shoe, so when you double strap them in, it feels like you are getting ready to go to battle. The unbuckled leaves room for an air of casualness—it’s not completely casual, but it’s just casual enough. Plus, they are easier to get on and off that way.

Why Atlanta?
After living in New York for about nine or ten years, we headed out to Connecticut before winding up in Wisconsin for eight years. With the help of my wife Ann, I decided that I wanted to open up a men’s store (It is important to note that Sid has five daughters and is surrounded by six women constantly. Seems appropriate and endearing that he would open a menswear shop considering his circumstances). I grew up in Mississippi so the south is home for me. We came down here to check it out and the family just loved it. The people down here are so hopeful and helpful – it was just so appealing. We opened up in October of 2007 and we’ve had a really good response ever since. 

Your favorite places to shop in New York, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco?
There are a few places in New York. There is a great Japanese bookstore by Rockefeller Center on 50th street where you can get great Japanese paper products. Then there is the MOMA bookstore, and the Muji store by the New York Times building. In Boston I like The Andover Shop; that’s a great old men’s store. In Chicago, I visit Garrett’s Popcorn on Michigan Avenue; the caramel and the butter flavor is my favorite. In San Francisco, Cable Car Clothiers is very cool.

Who are your biggest influences and inspirations when you were first getting started?
Growing up in the 1960s, my biggest influences were my older sisters. They always dressed me and were pointing me in the right direction. Then there were the spy shows like I-Spy, Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Get Smart. I loved the style of cars back then and the style of dress before the hippie movement occurred. Also, Alan Flusser was a big influence on me early on. I have his book all jotted up; if you pick up my copy, you’ll
see page after page of my notes in the margins. Then later on I would have to say Ralph Lauren and his brother Jerry Lauren influenced me greatly.

Any Advice?
Work hard. Get in there early. Stay late. Do any job they want you to do, and enjoy yourself. Be sure to follow your heart, and seek out what you want to do and work hard at it. Most importantly, have fun with it.

For the romantic readers, how did you and Ann meet? How did you know she was the one?
I was in New York with my friends from Mississippi. In New York, you try your best to get to the beach on the weekends, and I didn’t know anything about them really so we just went to Long Beach which was the closest beach to New York City. We saw each other there and followed each other from train to train. About a week later we went on a date. That was it. That was all it took. She was also working in fashion and we had a lot of the same interests. We kind of ran in the same fashion crowd and we just knew from the beginning that we really liked each other, and two and a half years later we were married, and it’s been great.

At this point Sid pauses, and with a huge grin on his face concludes with:

Anyway, that was a great day to go to the beach.