The middle of the market is a tough place to be in retail. There will always be an appetite for the cheapest product possible, and the luxury consumer will remain loyal to their favorites. But brands and retailers that attempt to offer something that’s both good and accessible often end up getting squeezed. We’ve seen this story many times – J. Crew’s chapter 11, Rugby Ralph Lauren being taken from us too soon, Brooks Brothers’ 200-year legacy ending in bankruptcy – the world of menswear has exploded in the past fifteen years, but with even with this growth many mid-market retailers have struggled to survive. However, there is one brand that seems to be flourishing in this challenging space – Todd Snyder. And as luck would have it, they just opened up two new stores on the West Coast.
I was delighted to learn that Todd Snyder recently opened locations in both San Francisco and Los Angeles, their first stores outside of the northeast US. If you follow men’s fashion it’s likely that you’re familiar with this brand, but for the few that aren’t: Todd Snyder (the person) had a storied career even before launching his eponymous brand in 2011, having held major roles at Ralph Lauren, GAP, and J. Crew – each during that brand’s respective heyday. The J. Crew role is probably most notable, as he was leading the menswear side of the business during the brand’s golden “Liquor Store” era.
You can definitely see the impact of Snyder’s time at J. Crew in his brand – not only does the label focus on a prep-influenced Americana, but there is also some carryover in third-party brands that Todd Snyder partners with. As far as their designs go, to me they feel more elevated and intentional than what you would find at at most mid-market brands – more RRL than Levi’s, more Sid Mashurn than GAP. Overall, Todd Snyder feels a lot like what the J. Crew of 2012 felt like, but updated for the tastes of the current day (and to me, that’s a great thing).
One of the most special things about the Todd Snyder brand, though, aren’t their products at all but the brands that they carry. Todd Snyder’s list of third-party brands is extremely strong, ranging from menswear stalwarts like Drake’s and Alden to hot new brands like King Kennedy and D.S.&Durga. And unlike large retailers like Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, or even Mr. Porter, Todd Snyder’s buys within these brands are very well curated (as cliché as that word is) and feel much more like a boutique than a large retailer. It’s clear that the Todd Snyder team puts significant thought into what brands they bring into the fold and which products they buy into from each. Everything works well together, and you could easily walk out of the store with a full wardrobe of great products.
This combination of excellent branded product AND excellent wholesale partners is uncommon and surprisingly well executed. Most retailers focus strongly on one and might spin up the other on the side; Todd Snyder has a brand list to rival Mr. Porter or END and an in-line product that can keep up with the big dogs. This is extremely hard to do well – Sid Mashburn is the only other comparable that I can think of, and they tend to operate at a higher pricepoint.
I had a chance to visit the San Francisco store and was happy to see that many of the brand’s best products – both the Todd Snyder label and others – are well-represented in the store. Here are some of my favorite products, both in general and for this season:
- Outerwear. Todd Snyder punches way above its weight class in this category. From made-in-Italy double-breasted coats that reach your ankles to the top-selling Dylan jacket in pretty much every material, there is a lot to like here. There’s also balmacaans, chore coats, and plenty of other great designs. The styling on all these pieces is better than what I would expect from a mid-market retailer.
- Shoes. Some of Todd Snyder’s best featured brands are in this category. Known favorites like Alden and Crockett & Jones are present, along with collaborations with Danner Boots and Sanders (also don’t forget that this is where I got my Paraboot Avoriaz boots, which are a favorite of mine).
- Shirts. Again, this is an area where the Todd Snyder team is always right on trend. Summertime brings camp-collared shirts in a variety of prints, and winter has denim and chamois. There are also classic dress shirts and oxfords, but the more casual styles are definitely the most interesting.
- Tailored clothing. Todd Snyder is a bit of a dark horse here, as they’re not a brand that I have looked to for suits and sportcoats in the past. But the quality of the designs is hard to ignore now – unlike some other comparable brands that are still stuck on skinny pants and small lapels, Todd Snyder’s tailoring has classic proportions and menswear-y details like pleats, natural shoulders, and butterfly linings. Their options for “fun suits” look great and are quite competitively priced when on sale.
A quick note – some may feel that calling a retailer of $600 Alden shoes and $2000 coats “mid-market” is disingenuous. It’s a fair point, and many of Todd Snyder’s products will retail for more than what you would see from the classic mall brands (though that isn’t always the case). But it’s worth noting that many of their products are made in Portugal, Italy, and even the U.S. The quality of fabrics used also seems to be better on average, as is the quality of the design. Combine these attributes with the standing 15% off for getting on the email list and a strong end-of-season sale program, and I think the value proposition is actually quite strong.
Lastly, whether you are within range of a Todd Snyder store or not, I highly recommend that you subscribe to their mail catalog. Not only do they sometimes offer additional discounts, but they are beautifully done and a pleasure to peruse. I always make a point to browse through them, and if I leave them around my girlfriend will inevitably find them and show me which pieces she thinks I should get for her. And perhaps that, more than anything else, is the ideal litmus test – for someone who doesn’t follow every menwear moment to stop and say “hey, that looks really nice. I would totally wear that.” At its core, that’s what Todd Snyder does best.
