3 emerging Pittsburgh brands to find at Larrimor’s
For nearly 80 years, Larrimor’s in Downtown Pittsburgh has been a destination for classic clothing staples, with a nod to what’s new and contemporary.
These days, the store has mixed in more emerging brands with Pittsburgh connections with its inventory of tried and true designer labels.
“Truth be told, there are a lot of Pittsburghers up in New York in the fashion industry. We run into them all the time,” says Larrimor’s co-owner Tom Michael. Others, Larrimor’s discovers in the store’s own backyard. “We love working with the community. We get so much from them
that we love to give back.”
Beyond their Pittsburgh ties, these recent additions to the store also share a knack for innovation. Here are three of them to keep on your radar:
1. STANTT custom men’s shirts
Aliquippa native Kirk Keel went from conducting marketing-oriented focus groups for personal lubricants to creating a fashion brand with his business partner, Matt Hornbuckle. Together they’re on a mission to reinvent how men shop for shirts.
“We were two guys who loved menswear, but we always had complaints about the way our shirts that we wore to work fit us,” Mr. Keel says.
About five years ago, they quit their corporate jobs and set out to solve that problem. Their solution? Take the best traits of custom clothing and combine them with an offthe-rack shopping experience. To do that, they acquired a database of 10,000 3D body scans of men of all different body types, ages and ethnicities. From there, they came up with 99 sizes and an algorithm that uses only three measurements -— chest, waist and sleeve length — to tell a man which size will give him the best fit. Add a personal touch by selecting the shirt type and color, and it will be made to order and delivered in a week.
“We can fit 99 percent of guys perfectly within that size range,” Mr. Keel says.
Each shirt size is named after a street in New York City, which is where STANTT is based, to make it easy to remember. Prices start at $98 and go up to $225. Next on the agenda is applying this data-driven approach to making trousers.
“We never intended to be just a shirt company,” Mr. Keel says. “We’re growing like crazy, and guys love what we do.”
2. Knotzland bow ties
Where others see fabric scraps, Nisha Blackwell sees bow ties waiting to be made. Since 2014, the Homewood native has been turning textiles of all kinds into handmade, artisan neckwear.
In just a few years, the brand has turned up at fashion weeks in Pittsburgh and New York and has emerged as one to watch in the city’s maker community, thanks to programs like Bridgeway Capital’s Craft Business Accelerator. It operates out of a warehouse in Homewood.
This spring, Knotzland created its first collection for Larrimor’s and designed a window display for the store. These ties are made from materials rescued from Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, repurposed vinyl and leftovers from Humanscale, an ergonomic office furniture company.
“We tried to put together a collection of bow ties that really spoke to the traditional Larrimor’s customer, as well as the younger customers,” Ms. Blackwell says. There are styles for work wear, as well as weddings, with an average price of $70.
“We saw an uptick in sales immediately when we were in Larrimor’s,” she adds. “It’s given us so much credibility amongst our Pittsburgh customer base and potential customers.”
3. Holly & Tanager leather bags and wallets
Can you imagine a bag that combines fashion with function? That’s what Lindsay Lingle of Chicago and Mt. Lebanon native Kathryn Traut, who now resides in Springfield, Ohio, did.
“Both of us saw that need for a bag that we could travel with that had all the pockets so you could easily carry your laptop, all those chargers and little items that most bags weren’t designed with the capability to carry,” Ms. Traut says. They’re crafted from fine Italian leather that’s done in sophisticated silhouettes suitable for work or play.
The design work is Ms. Lingle’s brainchild, and Ms. Traut handles marketing and sales. The company is based in Chicago, where the bags are made, and it turns 3 years old this month.
Some of its most notable styles are the Professional (a backpack that turns into a tote), the Champion (a wristlet wallet large enough to carry a smartphone, plus lots of credit card slots) and its cross-body clutches. The average price range is $230 to $459.
In addition to Larrimor’s, Holly & Tanager bags are in about half a dozen stores -— and growing.
“It’s great outreach for us selling in these stores where people can pick up our bags and touch them and feel them,” Ms. Traut says. “It’s been going well for us.”