Now Open: By Robert James Expands Its NYC Digs

Robert James--the mustached man behind the aptly-named menswear line By Robert James--is a hands-on kind of guy. Since he opened his shop doors in 2008, he's eschewed trend-based flights of fancy and stayed true to his now-signature masculine, clean aesthetic--which has not only proved to be an everygreen fashion phenomenon but has also earned him a dedicated clientele who, despite the world's love of technlogical wizardry--still appreciate skilled aristry. So let other designers rush to find inspiration in cliche-laden decades like the '50s, '70s, and '80s and ship them off to huge factories for mass production. James trumps them all by looking back even farther to focus on a turn-of-the-centry ruggedness that results in handsome garments crafted from quality fabrics and finished off with hand-detailing--crafted in New York City, to boot. Now he's taken his homegrown/handmade obsession with craftsmanship and channeled it into his latest venture, a new retail space which he designed and even helped to build.

Last Week, By Robert James unveiled its new home located on New York's Lower East Side: a 3,500-square-foot, three-story emporium which boasts 17-foot ceilings and is constructed of recycled raw materials from local farms and businesses. The new shop will offer a list of products and services, from ready-to-wear staples on the first floor, bespoke tailoring services on the second, and all topped by James's studio-cum-showroom-cum-informal-artist's-retreat for visiting creative types. It appears that the rebel spirit is still alive and well in downtown Manhattan.

74 Orchard Street, between Broome and Grand. For more information, click HERE.