Eastside Shopping: New Openings in Menswear

In New York, we've got three new men's stores on our retail radar this week: a haberdasher for Dapper Dan, a flagship store for non-sneaker freakers and an East Village boutique with international reach.

Roberto da Carrara, 202A Mott Street
Mott Street has turned into a kind of select Saville Row, with a bevy of bespoke tailors and shirtmakers opening in the past few months. The newest addition to the Nolita neighborhood is Roberto da Carrara, a swank suit shop that has a hip Firenze feel. After two years as a wholesale operation, creators Robert Mazzucchelli and Victor de Leon embarked on this retail adventure to give more men the chance to experience their high-quality custom and ready-to-wear collections. Yet, despite the downtown locale, the prices are uptown—suits are in the $6,000 range, while shirts will run you $400. But boys still looking for Florentine-style finery will be happy to see that the Niformis line, designed by De Leon, is on hand at more palatable prices, $225 for shirts and $1,750 for jackets.

Shane & Shawn, 238 Mulberry Street
Another design team is also making its debut in Nolita this spring. The identical twin designers Shane and Shawn Ward are set to open up on Mulberry Street next week with their first flagship location. The Detroit-born boys launched their Detny line in 2003, with the goal of making comfy but chic shoes—basically an alternative to sneakers for men (and women). For an encore, they launched Shane & Shawn in 2007, a more upscale but equally walkable range. Both lines will be available in their sleek new space (a converted fire station), where the walls are as comfortable as the shoes—the store's black leather upholstery references their patent pending "Luxury Liner," the quilted material that goes into all their shoes. And even if you're not in the market for a new pair, the store will also house a pool table and fully stocked bar. Cheers!

Cry Wolf, 111 St. Marks Place
And Eastside boys have yet one more reason to celebrate, and shop, now that Cry Wolf will be carrying international brands previously unknown in these parts, like Sweden's Denim Denom and Belgium's Junk de Luxe. Local labels round out the racks, such as Public School, whose collection of perforated leather jackets and other bomber-inspired shapes are way more detention room than study hall. The stock slants toward sophisticated streetwear, and is the collaborative effort of husband-and-wife team, Abiri Ward and Nina Wolff, who live in the neighborhood. "Our main goal is to seek out small, up-and-coming international designers and introduce them to the East Village," says Abiri. So far, we say: mission accomplished.