When walking past the storefront of the soon to be Black and White Market in Cameron Village recently, I found myself staring at a sea of mannequins and wondering “Where is all the Men’s Fashion in Raleigh, North Carolina?”
This question is one I ponder often. Trying to find a fashionable piece of clothing in Raleigh that doesn’t cost a fortune is tough. It’s no wonder why so many folks resort to vintage clothing for style. It’s cheap and goes in and out of style almost weekly. I found myself pondering this just last week in Black and White Market in some random mall on the outskirts of town with my fianceé. I said to her “Why don’t they have stores like this for men? A plethora of shirts, pants, shoes, hats, ties, belts in two simple colors, White and Black?” It would be a designer’s dream, or any guy who loves options in single colors (excluding Lacoste).
But what about those shoppers who love to bring out the pantone in their soul? There’s always the pop culture, copy/paste blitz of Urban Outfitters at the malls. In downtown, a couple of boutiques offer a small variety of color for men. There is Wardrobe, but it packs a high price tag and Fab’rik has sadly decided to give up on Men’s clothing. NV seems to do okay in North Hills after closing down for a short amount of time and Catch 22 is another alternative in the downtown market. The prices at Catch are variable but the selection is slim. Adam Peele should be opening his boutique on Capital Boulevard soon. But these few boutiques can’t handle the full load. Maybe, there just isn’t a demand. I asked the owner of Fab’rik why they were depleting their men’s inventory and that was the exact response, lack of “men shopping for nice fashionable clothes”. I guess there are always department stores, but how bleak of a shopping experience are those, unless you are speaking Nordstroms. Ah, once again, the money factor.
That said, is it the city or its citizens. Shouldn’t there be a midpoint between cheap vintage clothing and high dollar boutique wear for men? Where’s the American Apparel? Where’s the H&M? Stores that offer decent quality men’s fashion at a decent quality price. A quick walk down Oxford Street in London will reveal as many men’s clothing options as there are women’s. Raleigh isn’t London of course, but we could learn from this model. Equal opportunity in clothing wear. Next time you are in Cameron Village, count the number of clothing shops aimed at women and then count the number that offer men’s clothing. Do that at any shopping complex in the area, you’ll find a disproportionate balance. Same is the case at Raleigh fashion shows. Few men’s clothing options have graced the stage over the past few years in the area. And don’t get me started on tie options.
Fashion may not matter to most, but it does to some. There is no reason a man should have to ponder the question of authentic fashion in a city like Raleigh. We have the artists, were are the outlets?
We are standing here
Exposing ourselves
We are showroom dummies
We step out
And take a walk through the city
We are showroom dummies
This is the state of Men’s Fashion in Raleigh, North Carolina.
