Brand Together: Shop for a Shop Shares the Wealth

David Wood is a Portland, Maine, men’s shop.

I recently rewatched the Devil Wears Prada to research who the real villain is (turns out it’s all of us). I re-enjoyed the famous scene in which Meryl Streep, as Anna Wintour-alogue Miranda Priestley, tells new hire Andie about the web of designer choices, jobs, and millions of dollars in business that resulted in her wearing a cerulean sweater. Point being, keeping Andie in her blue sweater, and us in the kind of clothing we like to wear — interesting, classic, with value — depends on a network of retailers, brands, designers, manufacturers, fabric houses, and so on.

The coronavirus-related shopping downturn affects this entire network, including the sorts of small business retailers that we count on to shop locally. A lot of these stores are closed right now. Some shops and brands have found a creative way of banding together to help each other out. Shop for a Shop, an initiative started by shirtmaker Stantt, is pulling brands together to benefit the small retailers they work with.

The gist is that if you buy stuff this week from the Shop for a Shop brands, they’ll send a portion of the sales to the stores they sell through. There’s something in it for the shopper, as well, as brands are offering discounts or free shipping as a bonus. It’s a sort of creative risk-sharing between two levels of retail that could benefit everyone.

I browsed through the collections from the Shop for a Shop lines — here’s a few things to consider.

Faherty — I like the All Day Shorts — sorta beach techwear from this surf casual line. Made from recycled fabric blended with cotton, they’re swim trunks you can wear off the beach, or shorts you can wear in the pool. I’d take the 7” inseam over the 9”, but it’s nice to have the option. You can get them with belt loops or without. I also like the look of some of their indigo pieces and prints.
Dapper Classics — I think DC trousers are always a strong value, and even better at 20 percent off. This donegal pair looks great. Their socks are also terrific — in the past, we’ve compared their over-the-calf socks favorably to more expensive brands like Pantherella.
Trafalgar — If you’re eyeing a black tie rig (like Ryan) or some custom pants, it helps to have some suspenders/braces to hold everything together.

You can find more participating brands on the Shop for a Shop Instagram. Each brand sells through different shops and therefore will share the sales with different retailers, but those that benefit will include