Trending Threads for Men, From Filson to Radley Raven
From the rugged duds at Filson’s new Ballard outpost to vintage-cool bow ties, new finds are built for all mankind
By Kate Calamusa March 10, 2017
This article originally appeared in the March 2017 issue of Seattle magazine.
History meets heritage at the new Ballard Filson (5101 Ballard Ave.; 206.420.8413; filson.com), where the 120-year-old brand married its hallmark rugged attire with goods emblematic of Ballard’s fishing and maritime past. Exclusive to the shop are fishing and shucking knives ($14–$20) and Filson’s own neighborhood-themed T-shirts and hoodies ($30–$50), plus hardy zippered pouches ($55–$105) and ice totes ($175) made from canvas sea bags. Opened last November in the historic 1904 Hansen Building, the shop exudes a rustic refinement, with massive split cedar beams, antique adornments and an 1800s ship wheel retrofitted as a chandelier.
Local designer Radley Raven’s (425.310.5748; radleyraven.com) eponymous, 3-year-old accessory line draws inspiration from the Roaring ’20s; the native Seattleite creates his trendy-again bow ties ($80) and pocket squares ($30–$50) exclusively from vintage fabrics. “I’ve always loved the era of gin and jazz, so when it came to designing bow ties, I loved the idea of preserving the amazing fabrics from that time period,” Raven says. Each limited-edition bow tie comes with a handwritten tag detailing the fabric type and where it was made, the circa date and the number of bow ties made from that fabric. He also added Italian-style multifold cotton, cotton-blend and wool-blend neckties ($120). Raven’s natty creations are available at the new Provisions general store in the 1914 Smith Tower as well as online.
Image by Kim Doyle
Get measured for your custom suit at Beckett & Robb
Suit up with Beckett & Robb (downtown, 519 Union St.; 206.331.3744; beckettrobb.com), the financial district’s new custom clothier, which opened last June. Based in Salt Lake City, Beckett & Robb outfits gents with tailor-made, two- and three-piece suits fit for occasions from weddings to workday. The studio’s center “design island” showcases swatches of warm wools, suave houndstooth and other textiles at the ready for custom orders. There are also ready-to-wear options, such as button-down shirts, sports coats and Verona suede loafers.
Founded last summer by Joe Blattner and Nordstrom veteran Molly Kuffner, men’s lifestyle brand Sharply (Ballard, 1400 NW 49th St.; 206.258.2881; shopsharply.com) takes the guesswork out of getting dressed with casual, everyday essentials, such as its private-label super-soft T’s ($38–$42), cashmere sweaters ($315) and cozy henleys ($38–$42), plus a select set of men’s watches, scarves and bags from brands such as Miansai, Filson and Randolph Engineering. All are doled out in mix-and-match style on the Sharply website, or schedule a visit to the Ballard showroom to peruse the goods before ordering.
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