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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Sid's Vicious

Would you buy a suit from this man?



A time-share on Hilton Head, maybe. Or, perhaps, an XK Series Jaguar.
But a suit?
Affirmative.
This is Sid Mashburn: A name you need to know if you have precious little time to waste on shopping, a healthy wardrobe budget and a "classic" sense of style.
His self-named haberdashery in the West Side Provisions District (14th and Howell Mill) is arguably the best menswear resource to open in Atlanta in the past five years or more.
Note how he dresses. More on that lately.
It literally took me less than ten minutes to fully browse this 14-month-old shop and grasp its appeal: a single-minded pointed view focused on private label sportswear and custom clothing made by a select few resources in Britain, Italy and Japan; two, and only two, brands of jeans to choose from; an expert tailor posted prominently at his workbench near the front door; complimentary cocktails; and an unwavering insistence that thin is in.
You might call the mannerly, rosey-cheeked salesman at Sid's the Stepford Salesmen. But there uniform manner of dress stresses what Sid's all about.
Note his emblematic skinny white slacks that are hemmed daringly high above his sockless, cap-toed feet. The buttons of his Oxford shirt are undone, allowing his inch-wide rep tie room to swing. Sid's only sign of submission to the blustering winds on this January day was his cashmere tweed blazer.
"The higher (pant) leg actually makes sense," he told me after I paid a fair sum for a rare pair of "raw green" Levi's and paused to chat. "It makes you look taller, and thinner. It makes you look smarter. Like you're going places."
Here's hoping Sid's isn't.

2 comments:

Tracie Howard said...

When I read your teaser on FaceBook, I knew you'd pick this store. We live a few minutes up Howell Mill from it and Love it!!! Its a real Haberdashery!!

A. Scott Walton said...

So glad my buddy Rick Shropshire insisted that I drop by there. He cherishes his brownstone in Harlem, but he's growing really fond of your 'hood.