Retail owner Elizabeth Todd could always sense the need for a men’s clothing store in Old Town Alexandria. So she set out to make it happen. Enter Yellow Jacket—the new men’s store from longtime local fixture The Shoe Hive.
“This was something that had always just been in the back of my mind,” says Todd. “I’ve been in Old Town retail for 18 years, and people often would call and ask if we had men’s shoes or men’s clothes.”
Finally, things fell into place. Todd had just moved The Hive, her women’s clothing store, a few doors down into a bigger space. She used the former space, at 301 Cameron Street, to open a pop-up men’s store for the holidays. Her oldest store, The Shoe Hive, has been going strong a block away, at 127 South Fairfax Street, for 18 years now.
“With my stores, I like to start small and figure out the wants and needs of the customers,” says Todd. “And this is a great incubator space to figure out what works. That way we can grow in the future like we have with the other two.”
Johnnie-O was introduced as the first line that Yellow Jacket would be carrying in October. Todd says they chose it as it felt like it could be worn by a variety of people. She describes it as cool but not too cool.
“The brand was started by a guy who was raised on the East Coast and moved out to the West Coast, so it’s not too preppy but also not too surfer,” she says. “It’s something my husband, brother, father, and brother-in-law would all wear.”
Several others have been added to the lineup since, including Mizzen+ Main, Sid Masperin, Turtleson, Onward Reserve, Tasc, and Blundstone boots for men.
And let’s not forget the big seller—the denim. Yellow Jacket currently carries both AG Jeans and Paige. “People are really loving the denim right now,” says Todd. “Men tend to kind of struggle in that category to find things.”
Other popular sellers have been the Woolrich jackets, Stance socks, and Bosca and Secrid card cases.
“They are a more modern take on a wallet,” says Todd. “And they make a great gift.”
Since the pop-up shop opened its doors during the holiday season, Todd says many of the early customers have been women shopping for their husbands or other family members. But her hope is to provide a place for men to come in person to find some great pieces to add to their wardrobes.
“DC is really one of the last ‘dress for work’ towns,” explains Todd. “Men still wear suits, but not as often due to the pandemic.” Todd says she and her team wanted to create a shop to help men get out of their sweatpants and figure out what works for them.
“They don’t want to look too dressy, but they don’t want to look not put together,” she explains. “I just felt like we could really help fill that niche or void.” 301 Cameron St., theshoehive.com
What’s in Store
1. Cove Basic Matte Tortoise and Walnut Polarized by Shwood, $79
2. Polyamberous by Boy Smells, $39
3. Maliboo in Off White by Stance, $10
4. Reserve Cotton Buttondown in Easton by Onward Reserve, $165
This story originally appeared in our February issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.