Atlanta has Sid Mashburn. Birmingham has Harrison Limited. Florence has Billy Reid. And this year Charlotte got its own destination men’s shop Tabor. The store has quickly made a name for itself both in the South and in menswear circles further afield. So much so that Tabor –which is an offshoot of the powerhouse women’s shop Capitol– recently assembled an important group (with the exception of me) of menswear illuminati in Charlotte to celebrate the shop’s opening this year.
Alex Drexler of Alex Mill was in attendance. As was North Carolina native Mark McNairy (who gleefully took me to Bojangles’ for breakfast seeing as Biscuitville was slightly out of range), along with Chris and Kirk Bray from Billykirk who were busy most of the weekend customizing and monogramming their great leather goods. Kirk Miller from Miller’s Oath was there holding a trunk show for weekend, selling its beautiful suits and shirts from Tabor’s handsome drawing / changing room where Marcus Wiley from Wiley Belts was also on-hand taking orders for custom belts. It was a crazy weekend of good menswear and great people. And in true Southern style, the Tabor crew organized a full Sunday pig roast with had what had to be the greatest bloody mary set-up I have ever seen. Oh, and Justin Townes Earle performed an acoustic set in what was probably the most intimate date of the year for the singer.
The store offers an interesting mix of styles and influences from prep and workwear to British style. Accordingly, Tabor stocks a great mix of different brands including Engineered Garments, Thom Browne, Terrapin Stationers, Faherty Brand, Thorsun, The Elder Statesman, Levi’s Made & Crafted and a bunch more. There’s also a great selection of vinyl (with a lot of stuff from ACL’s favorite label Partisan Records which is all hand picked by Jay Kenney) for sale. The shop is situated in a beautifully converted 1920s bungalow that has great light which makes for the ideal spot for a considered men’s store like Tabor. It’s got a vibe that makes it comfortable for anyone – especially those looking for an interesting take on menswear with plenty of Southern hospitality. Two things that I can never seem to get enough of.
Tabor | 421 Providence Road Charlotte, North Carolina
Look nice, but so unoriginal in every aspect. Another shop-by-number.
Ha! Bud, what are you complaining about? Do you live in Charlotte? It’s something they have to be thankful for.
Mmm, Bojangles. What, no photos of their dirty rice?
Sid Mashburn, everything without exception in this store is made in china. may look like a local shop but might as well be Alibaba.com.
@jeff Really? Those suits are made in china? I call bullshit.
I bought a “Tailored” shirt and tie Sid Mashburn labeled… made in china. they may do the adjustments on site but the manufacturing is done in China
@jeff I think you missed my question about the suits.
simple phone call would probably yield the answer. here’s a telling link on a prominent website linking Chinese manufactures to American company’s…. http://www.made-in-china.com/traderoom/sidmashburn#page4
I love local makers and strive to spend my hard earned dollar on goods that support folks who truly care about the american economy. I had a need did the research and was disappointed to find that this “craft: clothier sourced their products from the cheapest source they could.
@Jeff Yeah, that’s a “prominent website” for sure. I’m all for making stuff in the United States, but I think you are generalizing a bit. I don’t need to call, I know where the suits are made (in Italy). I also know that no one ever claimed they make everything in the U.S. or wherever.
Please do not forget Indigo and Cotton also in the south and not to be missed
I would like to formally apologize about my earlier statement of “everything without exception” when referring Sid Mashburn. i do however feel a little disappointed that a dress shirt that cost 125.00 would be made in china. i think they can do better for their customers.
I recently moved to Charlotte, and while I haven’t been to Tabor yet, based on the above pictures alone, Taylor Richards & Conger should still be described as Charlotte’s own “destination men’s shop”. Highly recommended.
In honor of Jeff’s ‘formal apology,’ I’d like to say a word about Mashburn’s offerings.
In addition to offering a host of leading international retailers (e.g. Globetrotter of UK, Kiton of IT, etc.), much of Mashburn’s own product is manufactured in Italy. Nearly all of his tailored garments are made in Italy, with the rare exception being trousers made by Hertling in NY.
Many of their other products are, in fact, made in locales with less savory manufacturing reputations (at least in the eyes of provenance snobs). That being said, I would rather pay $145 for a dress shirt manufactured in Honduras or China from Albini fabrics than $295 for a shirt made of lesser components that happens to come from Italy, Portugal or Poland.
If the Mashburn MIC shirts were asking several hundred dollars, I’d say they’re overpriced. But at $125-175 for top quality Italian fabrics and buttons, I think that’s a tremendous value.
What does “Made in Italy” even mean? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/world/europe/13prato.html?_r=0
Man buys shirt, didn’t check the details, blames someone else.
NEXT!