Shopping: Taylor Stitch
SF-based indie menswear outfitter Taylor Stitch has paired up with Banana Republic for a men’s shirting capsule in Banana Republic’s flagship store. The capsule opened May 8 and will live there exclusively for 18 weeks.
A cult favorite with a retail storefront on Valencia at 15th in the Mission District, Taylor Stitch’s original concept and bread and butter consists of custom tailored shirts — “well constructed shirts that fit”, all of which are made in San Francisco. They’ve since expanded their collection to include denim pants, belts, ballcaps, ties and other men’s accessories.
The Banana Republic by Taylor Stitch capsule collection includes both custom and ready-to-wear shirting. With more than 10 styles to choose from, the ready-to-wear shirts start at $125 and are patterned, cut and sewn in San Francisco.
Custom shirts for the collaboration are being manufactured by Gambert Shirts, a family owned and operated company and one of America’s oldest shirting outfits. Banana Republic employees have been trained by Taylor Stitch to take nine body measurements to ensure a shirt with the ideal fit. Style options include body length (tucked or untucked), six collar options and six cuff options, two plackets, two pockets and contrasting fabrics for stitching and other accents. Additionally monogramming is available.
Image courtesy LaForce + Stevens
For the custom shirting, there are more than 250 fabrics to choose from, all milled in Japan and Europe. Quoted lead-time for custom shirts is approximately five weeks from fitting to finished product, and prices range from $150 to 250.
Shirts from the collaborative collection are tied together by high standards held by both companies for best-in-quality accents a la buttons, interlinings and threads. In a twist on classic American sportswear, the shirts bear modern stylings with shorter collar lengths and slim fit.
The boutique-within-shop is worth a visit even if just to check out the beautiful setup, fabric swatches and all the little details that go into tailor-made button-down shirts.
