PrintElizabeth Street
Much like the rest of downtown Manhattan, Elizabeth Street, in the heart of NoLIta, has begun to gentrify. Gone are the days when Sicilian shops and social clubs filled the storefronts (the circa 1920 Albanese butcher is all that remains). Still, this stretch of pavement manages to maintain its edge—and not just because new shops are interspersed with boarded-up buildings and empty lots. The upscale businesses moving in are not, thankfully, of the Starbucks variety; they’re innovative boutiques run by local designers and frequented by decidedly hip customers. Eliza- beth is notably the home of Tory Burch, with its ethnic-inspired silk tunics, as well as Hollywould, where ladies go for cheeky bags and shoes. But it’s not only womenswear. In fact, the street is dominated by a new type of men’s shop, where passionate, hands-on owners—some of whom left careers as lawyers, ad execs, and Wall Streeters—create clean tailoring with that rakish NoLIta feel.
Barker Black
The virtues of British dandy dress were ingrained in Minnesota-born brothers Derrick and Kirk Miller, 33 and 28 respectively, from a young age. Their father is a staunch Anglophile, and Derrick even spent his high school years wearing Dad’s hand-me-down Savile Row suits. So when the staid British shoe company Barker approached Holly Dunlap—who found success with Hollywould, her women’s footwear line—about overhauling its image, she immediately recommended Derrick, a college chum from Paris who, at the time, was designing for Ralph Lauren. And when space next to Dunlap’s Elizabeth Street boutique opened up, Derrick and Kirk (who’s worked for Paul Stuart and Thom Browne) moved in and launched Barker Black. Soon they were producing modern takes on spectators and wingtips with Barker Black’s skull-and-crossbones logo tacked on the waist of the sole and punched onto the toe. Every pair is made across the pond, where the heels are still hammered by hand, and the same man in the Northampton factory finishes and personally inspects every single shoe. (The Millers won’t say how many are declared unfit for sale, only that the bar is set very high.) And though the store probably will not offer true bespoke pairs until next fall, clients can order any of the 25 off-the-rack styles in a range of leathers, suedes, and exotic skins such as ostrich and crocodile. New this season are croc loafers with asymmetrical laces (from $4,880) and three-buckle boots in black calfskin ($950). "Men are wearing their pants a bit shorter now," Derrick says, "so I wanted to add some visual interest around the ankle." Shoes are displayed on inverted Canadian oak lasts that hang on the wall across from a Union Jack. The archivist who mounted the flag (purchased by Derrick a decade ago at a Virginia flea market) estimated that it dates from 1880—which just happens to be the same year the original Barker factory opened in Northampton. At 198B Elizabeth St.; 212-966-2166; barkerblack.com.
Duncan Quinn
British expat Duncan Quinn opened his namesake boutique in 2003 to proffer suits, ties, and shirts to men like him—an attractive mix of impeccably turned-out corporate lawyer and rock-and-roll rogue. (It’s fitting that his shop is right off Elizabeth Street, just a few steps from the legendarily bawdy Bowery.) After moving to New York in 1998, Quinn grew frustrated with the lack of designers creating contemporary clothes with precise Savile Row tailoring so he took matters into his own hands. "I started having suits made for me fifteen years ago," he says. "What became an excessive habit turned into a business." Quinn comes from the classic Michael Caine school of dressing (note the Get Carter poster on the store’s wall), meaning all you need is a well-made suit and a vintage Breitling on your wrist. He cuts his clothes slim, with the pants fashionably hemmed on the short side. Shirts feature bold patterns as in, say, a fuchsia stripe with a contrasting aqua-blue undercuff or wide-set baby-blue checks with light pink accents. Ties, pocket squares, and even socks come in similarly daring designs. "I look to create pieces that will allow men to express their idiosyncrasies," Quinn says. In short, his designs are not for those who like to blend in. Some items are available off the rack; for custom tailoring, the store’s nonchalantly hip clerks will patiently guide you through the offerings of seven-ounce Super 130s wool for suits and Italian cottons for shirts, which are fitted at the store and stitched in an artisanal facility just outside Florence. When the boutique first opened, the suits were made in England, but Quinn has since switched to New York tailors. "The people we have here are just as good," he says. "Plus I can be more hands-on with the pattern cutting and detailing." Custom shirts take eight weeks and start at $300; custom suits take 12 weeks and start at $3,500. At 8 Spring St.; 212-226-7030; duncanquinn.com.
Seize Sur Vingt
The grandfather of Elizabeth Street’s men’s boutiques is Seize sur Vingt, opened by ex–Wall Streeter James Jurney and his wife, Gwen, in 1998. "NoLIta was more raw at the time," James Jurney says, "but there was an amazing energy and a feeling of renaissance with so many local designers opening shops." Named for the French school grading system (Seize sur Vingt translates to "sixteen out of twenty," which is seen as quite an accomplishment there), the shop started by selling off-the-rack men’s shirts and suits. But it soon bowed to the pressure of its customers and expanded into bespoke tailoring (a women’s line was added in 1999). Each suit and shirt is fitted by one of the five in-house tailors before the pieces are shipped off to Italy for construction. Clients can request a suit in a broad range of Super 150s to Super 180s as well as cashmere blends. A swatch stack of 1,000 types of cottons, silks, linens, and cotton/cashmere blends is on hand for those placing a shirt order. In 2004 the couple went where no one else had yet gone: custom cashmere sweaters. Five classic styles—the standard scoop-, V-, and turtlenecks, a zip-front cardigan, and a sweater vest—are available, and the shop boasts more than a hundred colors to choose from. "We’d like to custom-make everything in a man’s wardrobe someday," Jurney says. As if that goal was not lofty enough, he also aims to revive the double-breasted suit. "It’s ready for a comeback," he says. "But it must be clean and fitted to work." Custom cashmere sweaters take eight weeks and start at $360. Custom shirts take four weeks and start at $190. Custom suits take eight weeks and start at $2,000. At 243 Elizabeth St.; 212-343-0476; 16sur20.com.
Lord Willy’s
It’s hard not to smile when you walk into Lord Willy’s, a block west of Elizabeth on Mott Street. Shirts in pink polka dots, lavender, and sky blue hang along a rack, bright pocket squares with large polka dots sit folded on the sideboard, and Jack Russell terriers Levi and Coco romp across the floor. The shop, which turns a year old in November, is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox, quirky Brits who eschew first names. Though friendly and welcoming, Mr. Wilcox also has a dry wit and is not above denying a custom suit to a customer with a bad "vibe" or wryly suggesting a trip to J. Crew to someone who complains about the style or colors of Lord Willy’s cashmere sweaters. But lest you think this isn’t a serious business, take a close look at the shirts, which are all custom-stitched to remarkable precision in Hong Kong. Not one stripe is misaligned at the seam and the collar is fused to remain crisp no matter how many times it’s laundered. Mrs. Wilcox, who previously designed for Randolph Duke and Shanghai Tang, does all the measuring and fitting. The store limits its bespoke suit orders to four or five a month and uses fabrics exclusively from the British firms Holland & Sherry and Harrisons of Edinburgh. This season the couple is introducing off-the-rack blazers ($1,180), done in limited editions of no more than 12, some in vintage fabrics such as a gray Prince of Wales check with a subtle red stripe. But in true Lord Willy fashion, there is nothing subtle about the deep-red buttons and bright scarlet satin lining. The couple is also offering their first winter coat, a military style in Italian melton wool with antique brass buttons (about $2,000). Only 11 were produced. "Those were all the buttons we could find," Mr. Wilcox says. Custom shirts take about three weeks and are $240. Custom suits take about ten weeks and start at $2,900. At 223 Mott St.; 212-680-8888; lordwillys.com.
Groupe 16 Sur 20
Opened in 2004 as the newer, more casual arm of Seize sur Vingt, Groupe 16 sur 20 is for the man who’s more likely to pair his suit jacket with a T-shirt and vintage sneakers than with a bespoke button-down and custom wingtips. Owners James and Gwen Jurney conceived Groupe as a place to fill in the blanks around Seize’s suits; their second store stocks jackets, loafers, and leather duffel bags by the three in-house brands—Seize sur Vingt, United Boroughs of New York, and Troglodyte Homunculus. "In a way Seize was becoming our ’golden handcuffs,’ " James Jurney says. "The labels we show at Groupe are more relaxed and inventive." Styles here definitely skew a bit younger (think polo shirts, cheeky political tees, and jeans), but the company’s focus on tailoring is still apparent in the limited-edition shirts in checks and stripes ($90–185), the classic Chesterfields ($650), and the off-the-rack blazers (from $500). They also added a line of benchmade shoes created exclusively for them by the British firm Alfred Sargent, which includes boots in suede ($350) and leather ($425), plus a dress shoe in casual canvas ($290). While Seize sur Vingt is a tranquil boutique with cream walls and plush upholstery, Groupe is housed within the concrete walls of the marble manufacturer that previously occupied the space. The place is now accessorized with iron racks, harsh lighting, and a sound system that plays indie rock and hip-hop tracks. In keeping with the industrial-chic vibe, the store hosts automobile "exhibits" by parking vintage sports cars—say, a 1987 Ferrari Testarossa or a white Lotus Esprit Turbo—in the entranceway. That’s where the loading dock used to be, after all. At 267 Elizabeth St.; 212-343-0007; groupe1620.com.
Also in the Neighborhood
PERFECT APERITIF Do as the Vene- tians do and stand—don’t sit—at the bar at Peasant. Enjoy an afternoon Spritz (Prosecco, seltzer, and Aperol) or a sgroppino (Prosecco, vodka, and lemon sorbet). 194 Elizabeth St.; 212-965-9511; peasantnyc.com
IDEAL BRUNCH Things don’t get going on Elizabeth Street until well after noon on the weekends. Lucky for early risers, Public’s brunch ($35) starts at 11 a.m. and features such indulgent delights as banana-stuffed French toast and tea-smoked salmon served with poached eggs. 210 Elizabeth St.; 212-343-7011; public-nyc.com
MID-SHOPPING SNACK On sunny days the sidewalk outside Café Habana is packed with hipsters eating corn on the cob slathered with mayonnaise alongside their roasted pork or Cuban sandwiches. Avoid the crush by getting there at an off hour and grab one of the few precious indoor tables. Dinner, $40. 17 Prince St.; 212-625-2001
WINDOW INTO THE PAST One of the only holdovers from the preboutique era, Albanese Meats & Poultry has it all—chipped tile floors, an old-time cash register, and the elderly owner chopping meat behind the counter. 238 Elizabeth St.; 212-966-1788
BEST WOMEN’S SHOES After shopping at Barker Black, head next door to the decidedly more feminine confines of Hollywould. This winter’s black satin boots with an oversize silk bow and patent-leather toe ($995) are the perfect counterpart to the Miller brothers’ spectators. 198 Elizabeth St.; 212-343-8344; ilovehollywould.com
PERFECT SHOP FOR COUPLES The famous women’s tunics and Reva flats at Tory Burch have been joined by a new line of men’s cashmere sweaters ($275). 257 Elizabeth St.; 212-334-3000; toryburch.com
HOT NEW RESTAURANT Though the Tasting Room isn’t exactly new—it called the East Village home until moving to its new location in NoLIta three months ago—the ever-changing farm-fresh menu is a welcome addition to the street. Dinner, $120. 264 Elizabeth St.; 212-358-7831; thetastingroomnyc.com
BEST SUBTLE ACCESSORY Along with custom scents, Le Labo also stocks its ten signature fragrances—among them Bergamote 22 (bergamot, cedarwood, and grapefruit) and Neroli 36 (with mandarin, jasmine, and rose)—on the shelves of this intimate shop. 50-ml bottle, from $115. 233 Elizabeth St.; 212-219-2230; lelabofragrances.com
