Inside Sid Mashburn’s New NYC Store—and the 8 Things He’d Buy First
“Hi, I’m Sid Mashburn.”
It’s a refrain heard dozens of times over the course of a Thursday morning at the Sid Mashburn store at 926 Madison Avenue, which opened on November 29th. Today its titular founder is on hand to greet almost every soul who passes through its doors, whether they’re newcoming stumble-upons or long-established clients.
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It’s by no means the designer’s first dalliance with New York, as his label and its sister brand Ann Mashburn, helmed by Sid’s wife and partner, have held multiple Manhattan pop-ups pegged to the holidays. But unlike in previous years, this time the Mashburns won’t be leaving town after the decorations come down.
“For my wife and I, it’s easy to take for granted, but it’s kind of a big deal,” Mashburn tells Robb Report. “The other [stores] are all big deals too, but New York is where we started together, so there’s a lot of poignancy in this store.”
The décor is a bit different from what marks the existing Sid Mashburn stores in Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and DC. The space’s former tenant was Acne Studios, which left behind the custom-built pebbled asphalt floor and bright ceiling lighting befitting a minimalist Swedish brand.
But employees refer to the new location—which stocks Sid Mashburn and Ann Mashburn—as being in “phase one,” with a second phase to come sometime in the first quarter of 2023. Details of the space’s final appearance are sparse, but Mashburn promises that it will appear “warmer” and “gentler” with floor coverings and rearranged walls.
For now, the wares are recognizably Mashburn, even if the store itself has yet to take its final shape. Stacked upon or hanging from Baltic Birch shelving is the type of “Mississippi to Milan” clothing the brand is built upon, ranging from weekend-ready cashmere half-zips to Italian-made Escorial suits. In between is a small selection from third-party brands including Levi’s, Aspesi and Edward Green, in addition to non-apparel offerings as varied as Portuguese shaving cream and chocolate-covered Virginia peanuts.
“How do you invite as many people into our party?” Mashburn says of the shop’s big-tent philosophy, before employing a collegiate analogy. “To get into a fraternity they have a bid system. We want this to be a fraternity where everybody gets a bid.”
Once freshman customers are rushed, Mashburn wants to take care of as many of their clothing-related needs as possible. A dedicated master tailor works on-site to assist with made-to-measure appointments and alterations; the store is also partnering with local tie and shoe repair services to refurbish customers’ neckwear and third-party footwear (shoes bought through Sid Mashburn can be sent directly back to the maker’s factory for repair).
While we had his ear, we couldn’t resist getting Sid’s personal picks from the shop’s inventory; read on for the haberdasher’s colorful commentary.
Sid Mashburn Teddy Crewneck Sweater Navy Cashmere Blend
“This is the softest thing you’ll ever wear: we call it a “Teddy.” The mixture on this is cashmere, but it’s got a little nylon in it, so you get the appearance of this heavy sweater, but the nylon keeps the weight down.”
Sid Mashburn Slim Straight 5-Pocket Pant Timber Corduroy
“I wear these in the summertime because the weight is nice. Denim is going to be 13 or 14 ounces, this is more like 10.5, so the weight’s fine for the summertime. And the other thing that’s nice about the summertime, you get a little bit of shadow and texture and there’s just something cool about it and a polo shirt paired with moccasins.”
Sid Mashburn Classic Crewneck Lovat Cashmere
“It’s actually called Lovat. Not because we love it–but we do love it. It’s spelled L-O-V-A-T, and that’s the coloring of the heather in Scotland. If you look closer in there you’ve got yellow, you’ve got blue, you’ve probably got six shades of green.”
Sid Mashburn Butcher Jacket Navy Lightweight Canvas
“This is our number one jacket. Great knock-around coat and also great dressed up. Great with grey flannels.”
Sid Mashburn Vaquero Roper Boot Dark Brown Leather
“I love a roper boot. Growing up I used to ride horses, not a lot, but enough, so I had cowboy boots. And they were great because they were tan with green stitching on them. So, the green piping is a little bit of a callback to those original boots. But nobody’s ever put a Dainite sole on a roper. It might be a little off, but I like it.”
Sid Mashburn Slim Straight 5-Pocket Pant Charcoal Mix Wool Twill
“This is a wool flannel in a five-pocket. You talk about the pant to wear with everything? This is it. This is an English wool, carded. A little bit dressier. And also, it has a button-fly, like all of our jeans.”
Sid Mashburn Reversible Zip-Up Jacket
“This is God’s Polar fleece—it’s wool, not polyester. If the rain starts coming down, flip it over and you get a little water repellency. If it’s just a cold day, keep it like this.”
Sid Mashburn Virgil No. 4 Jacket Bone/Navy/Olive Houndstooth Flannel
“This is our No. 4 jacket. This is the one that’s mostly all handmade. The most obvious thing you can see is the buttonhole—all of the buttonholes are put on by hand. The fabric is wool with a touch of cashmere. The nap is nice, and our jackets, we like for them to be a ‘pant eater’—it goes with a lot of different kinds of pants.”
Buy Now on Sid Mashburn: $2,450
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