image via Knickerbocker Mfg. Co. Facebook

Brooklyn is no stranger to the garment industry. New York City’s historic Garment District was staffed largely by immigrants from Brooklyn and the Lower East Side, and many consider present day Sunset Park to be the center of garment making in NYC.

Small-batch Brooklyn menswear is taking it back to the borough’s DIY roots and contributing to the wider maker movement at large. Some brands have been keeping it old school since the beginning, while others are revitalizing old world methods of manufacturing.

Here are five Brooklyn-based men’s haberdasheries keeping their craft local.

 

 

Knickerbocker Manufacturing Company
Based on a whole floor of a Bushwick warehouse, Knickerbocker Manufacturing Company was founded by young entrepreneurs Andrew Livingston and Dan McRorie, who took over a closing clothing business that had been running for over 60 years. After a successful Kickstarter campaign to purchase needed equipment, the company revitalized the space and dedicated itself to small batch clothing handmade by industry experts.

Made at: 18-52 Flushing Avenue
Notable pieces: Billy Jack No. IV and Chore III

 

Martin-Greenfield

Image from Martin Greenfield Clothiers

Martin Greenfield Clothiers
Martin Greenfield has been named one of the best tailors in the country. The Holocaust survivor boasts an American rags to riches story that’s Hollywood-ready. After starting out as a floor man at a clothing company, he worked his way up for decades, finally purchasing the business from his employer. Greenfield has made suits for U.S. presidents, an increasingly long list of celebrities, and even shows like Boardwalk Empire. Greenfield Clothiers is known for its premium, made-to-measure suits, tuxedos, sport jackets, slacks, and overcoats. All the duds are made 100 percent in Brooklyn in the brand’s historic factory.

Made at: 239 Varet Street
Notable pieces: Custom suits by appointment

 

Image via Cool Material

Image from Cool Material

Wool & Prince
A company that got its start after two very successful Kickstarter campaigns, Wool & Prince was founded by a member of the Pendleton Wool family. After the family business turned down his idea for Wool & Prince, Mac Bishop, along with two friends and the help of Kickstarter and a hilarious press campaign, founded the menswear brand. Wool & Prince makes men’s button downs, tees, and more using fine fibered wool that makes for long lasting, wrinkle-resistant tops. Inspired by the founder’s story of wearing one wool shirt for 100 days without washing or ironing it, Wool & Prince got its start out of the Brooklyn Fashion & Design Accelerator, a Pratt Institute initiative. It’s now based in Portland, Oregon, but still makes its underwear in Greenpoint.

Made at: 236-250 Greenpoint Avenue
Notable pieces: Red Button-Down Oxford and Black Boxer Briefs

 

Image via Selectism

Image from Selectism

Cadet
Inspired by the “post-war military academy era,” CADET is a Brooklyn-based clothing maker founded in 2001 by Raul Arevalo and Brad Schmidt. Arevalo, an industry vet with clients like Abercrombie and Fitch, Club Monaco, and Nordstrom, wanted to create a brand that provided a full menswear line of shorts, shirts, pants, outerwear, and knits while overseeing all aspects of sourcing and production from their Bushwick warehouse. The brand’s three NYC stores bring a crisp, clean aesthetic to the NYC manufacturing scene.

Made at: 56 Bogart Street
Notable pieces: Heather Read Admiral Short and Heather Black Aviator Pant

 

BK Denim

BK Denim
Brooklyn Denim Co. owners Kenny and Frank had a vision of opening a store that was denim specific with incredible customer service. The result is a shop that not only sells the brand’s GQ-lauded denim offerings, but also a host of premium denim brands. The Williamsburg-based store also provides denim tailoring and repair. In addition, the store has a variety of vintage-inspired men’s and women’s glasses.

Sold at: 85 North 3rd Street
Notable pieces: Men’s Skinny Jean and Men’s Chino Shorts

Image at top by Knickerbocker Manufacturing Company

 


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