Sartorial Savvy: Where Men Shop in New Orleans

Airline lost your interview suit? Forgot your Dopp kit in the taxi? Or are you just hunting for an only-in-NOLA souvenir you can actually wear outside the Big Easy? (Yeah, those plastic Mardi Gras beads just don’t cut it.) You don’t need an excuse to shop in New Orleans when the men’s clothing stores and barbershops are this good.

Aidan Gill for Men

This old-school barbershop is a bastion of masculinity and practical luxury.

The Shave at the End of the Galaxy features lather whipped to a fluff by badger-hair brushes, followed by multiple razor passes, finished with a hot towel that’ll leave your skin as smooth as the free shot of whiskey that comes with the shave. It’ll set you back more than two bits, but you can get a haircut, too—and styles range far beyond the standard clipper fare.

Native Dubliner, notorious dandy, and eponymous owner Aidan Gill hangs with the walls with vintage barbershop memorabilia and sells all the gentlemanly essentials from beard oil and bow ties to cologne and razor strops. In short, it’s worth a visit even if your tresses are trimmed.

Rubensteins

Ever wonder where the good ol’ New Orleans boys get their suits? Rubensteins is the go-to men’s store in New Orleans for premier suits.

At this expansive, family-owned, 91-year-old menswear emporium, you can buy a made-to-measure suit and get your shoes shined while you’re at it. Or pick out a new pair — brands include Trask, Ecco, and Harry of London’s.

Ask the sharply-dressed staff for sartorial guidance and they’ll style your look down to the cuff links.

Plus, there’s complimentary valet parking (a real rarity in the bustling Central Business District). If you didn’t feel like a baller before, you do now — and what’s more important, you’ll look like one.

Fraques

Maybe co-owners Frank D’Amico and Jacques Couvillon (get it? Frank + Jacques= Fraques) take fashion a little too seriously. They don’t just sell clothes, they “curate.”

Still, it’s hard not to appreciate the attention to detail in this industrial-chic, Edison bulb-hung space where a resident dog keeps the vibe just the right degree of hipster.

There’s also a diverse selection of locally made accessories, like handcrafted wooden sunglasses by Root, at this men’s clothing store in New Orleans.

From luxury T-shirts that radiate effortless cool (oh, this old thing?) and classy-as-hell watches to books that’ll land you on the “Hot Dudes Reading” Instagram, this boutique offers a thoughtfully selected (OK, curated) collection of outerwear, bags, ties, and whatever else a stylish guy needs.

Pelican Coast Clothing

Sometimes all a man needs is a cold mint julep, a breezy porch, and well-cut seersucker shorts. And if your day-to-day life doesn’t include the first two things on this list, at least Pelican Coast can supply the last one.

Launched in 2007 as a custom necktie brand, the company has since opened a brick-and-mortar store, where it offers a full line of menswear and accessories. Many items are made in Louisiana, which is fairly obvious given the preponderance of crawfish motifs and fishing wear.

A rainbow of natural silk ties in unexpected patterns with names like “Pelican Ball” and “Voodoo Dolls” dress the interior, as do anchors and taxidermied fish, nods to the “coastal lifestyle” this shop aims to outfit.

If you’re not sure exactly how hand-buffed leather satchels by J.W. Hulme or briefcases by Pelican Coast fit into that schema, you’re over analyzing it.

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