The menswear scene in the Washington DC area is perplexing. DC is simultaneously a holdout in classic menswear given the necessity of dressing well in the professions that dominate the city: politics, law, consulting, etc. and also a desert for high quality and artisanal options. Patrons of bespoke tailoring and shoemaking, with few exceptions, have two suboptimal options - travel to New York or wait around for artisans to visit during trunk shows.
Old House Provisions' aim is to remedy this. The store, once it opens in the Fall of 2024, will not only bring niche brands to the DC area that obsess over the quality of their garments like Ring Jacket (as shown above), 100Hands, Viberg, De Bonne Facture, and many more, but it will also serve as a bespoke shoemaking atelier. The mission goes beyond just making bespoke shoes for the few clients that can afford such a service, or just having a successful retail operation, but combining the two to increase visibility and interest in artisanal crafts. The main emphasis will be on classic tailoring, but the brands on offer will span the spectrum of formality down to denim and workwear with with common theme of being exceptionally well made.
I suppose I should introduce myself as well considering that, as of the writing of this blog post, I'm the sole proprietor of this business. My name is Drew Altizer. I'm the one in the tan jacket in the image above, standing with my friend Akihiro-san from Ring Jacket on a recent trip to Japan (more on that below). In addition to being the owner, manager, salesman, bookkeeper, etc., I'm the bespoke shoemaker at Old House Provisions. Given the lack of a skilled shoemaking labor force in the US, that means I'm the last maker, pattern maker, clicker, closer, bottom maker, and finisher. That also means to get the training to make bespoke shoes, I needed to travel far and wide. The bulk of my training was with Stefano Bemer in Florence, but more recently, I trained with an exceptional shoemaker in Japan named Kiyo Uda. While I was on that side of the Pacific, I also took the opportunity to meet with some of the brands that I'll be selling as well as the numerous shoemakers in and around Tokyo.
In the coming weeks and months, I'm excited to share everything about my trip. I'll be posting about my training with Kiyo-san, my photos and impressions of each bespoke shoemaker I visited, profiles on the brands that will be available soon, and even my shoe enthusiasts and ramen enthusiasts guides to visiting Tokyo.
In addition to that, this blog will serve as a place to share news about the upcoming store, product releases, and just general musings about menswear. I hope you all enjoy the upcoming content as much as I enjoy sharing it.
If you're receiving this in your email inbox, you're one of the first to hear about this new venture. You probably found this through the recent Permanent Style Casual Style Guide release, which should be restocked in a couple of months (The Style Guide is still in stock if you don't have that one yet). I'm grateful for your early support!
As I mentioned above, it's just me here, so I don't have a social media or marketing team. I'll do my best to fill that role, but if you're interested in ensuring that a high-end menswear store endures in the DC area beyond the first couple of seasons, the best thing you can do now is share the word about Old House Provisions with your sartorially-inclined friends. I'd be extremely grateful, and if you see this and later meet me in the store, it would make my day to hear that you were one of the few initial supporters. I can't wait for that day!
Drew
3 comments
Congrats Drew on the new venture! You are absolutely correct, in that the DC market does not have anywhere close to the levels of options for men’s clothing/shoes as our neighboring cities or for those fortune enough, countries do. Not all establishments need to specifically cater to “high-end” customers. There plenty of gentlemen for whom “high-end” is just out of reasonable reach, but they want to expand into the world of modern sartorial refinement. Looking forward to the store opening and hoping to be an early customer and a long standing one as well.
This is very exciting Drew! I agree with your thoughts on the paradoxical nature of the DC area’s menswear scene. Very much looking forward to the store’s opening in the Fall!
This is so awesome, Drew!! I’m really looking forward to following you on your journey. Rest assured, I will be one of your first customers! Wait, I already ticked that box by buying the style guide! Can’t wait to see your store, my friend!