Black Fleece

Hat by Comme des Garçons for H&M, Shirt by Black Fleece, Trousers by H&M, Shoes by Prada
During a lovely stroll down Fillmore Street, I stumbled upon the Black Fleece store. I had completely forgotten about it opening since the opening date kept changing. According to one of the sales associates, there was much drama over opening the Black Fleece store on Fillmore because of the label's association with Brooks Brothers. Surrounding business and the community within the district were concerned about a tailoring giant like Brooks Brothers opening on Fillmore, which is known for smaller boutiques specializing in designer clothing, shoes, and accessories.

Black Fleece was finally allowed to open about 2 weeks ago following deabtes and much explanation. The BF store on Fillmore is one of two standalone stores in the world for the label designed by Thom Browne (San Francisco FTW!). The confusion with Brooks Brothers came from the fact that BF is based on designs found in the BB archives. Browne was given free range to re-interpret archival garments, fusing his own unique design sensibility with BB's heritage - a most appropriate collaboration given the focus of brand heritage.

Snapshots of one of the elaborate dressing rooms, my apologies to the SA for my appearing shady after taking so long in there!
Many times the collection is referred to as "quirky," but I think it is more of a smart, modern interpretation of the Fitzgerald era. In the store you will find seersucker, nautical prints, and an overwhelming sense of vintage Americana - but somehow the clothes are slightly off. BLACK FLEECE IS DEFINITELY NOT BROOKS BROTHERS so do not expect as much. With Thom Browne behind the clothes, you can be sure to find cropped trousers, shorter shorts, and well-fitted blazers in luxurious prints and fabrics, and that is just the menswear! The clothes are a great way to blend the traditional sartorial with fashion forwardness. The store itself is also impressive. The fixtures consist of refurbished antique furniture, and half the store space is allotted to the grand dressing rooms.

Photos from GQ.com
There are so many things that I want at the Black Fleece store! Deciding between the short sleeve (seen in the store pictures) and the long sleeve was difficult, but trust that there are sport coats and shoes to go back for anyway. Check out the website for more information.

- jerome