Finickey – The (New) Classic American Haberdasher

It seems like as of late there’s a new haberdasher opening shop every time you blink.  Some are brick-and-mortar like The Armoury and others completely digital like Kent Wang and Howard Yount.  But there’s one in particular that’s been flying under the radar for a few years now and is finally launching big – let me introduce you to Finickey.  

For the guy who needs his things just so, sometimes the best way to get what you want is to do it yourself.  After 25 years in the menswear industry, a dapper gent named Anthony T. decided to do just that and launched his own collection of men’s accessories under the name Finickey in 2008.  ”It’s for the guy who is just that.  The guy who wants a really classic, iconic product and won’t settle for anything else,” he told me.  Anthony had already cut his teeth at Barney’s, Polo Ralph Lauren, and an Italian neckwear company, so this was no amateur-hour.  It took him until early 2010 to find people who could make his products exactly how he envisioned them, but he wasn’t going to settle for anything less than the best he could find.

For the last few years he has been selling neckwear and socks out of a suitcase, doing private showings at  homes, offices, clubs, etc.  So if you didn’t keep extremely stylish company, you wouldn’t even know Finickey existed.  Now he’s offering shirts, ties, socks, neckerchiefs, and knits, with both trousers and some soft tailoring on the way. Along with the expansion in products is coming an expansion into e-commerse to accompany, but not replace, the one-on-one service that Anthony thinks set his business apart from the competition.  Finickey’s website is only now a splash page, but I’m assured you’ll be able to order for the 2011 holidays.

As for the products, I met up with Anthony and took a look for myself.  He offers ties in silk twill, silk knit, untipped cotton/silk mogador (which offers a really dry, soft hand), and woolens – when he pops open that suitcase and the ties spring out at you it’s almost a little overwhelming.  In the best way possible of course.  No seven or nine fold gimmicks, just really great classic neckwear handmade here in the USA.  All the accessories are handmade right here in the States, and sometime soon the shirts will be crossing the pond from Italy as well.

Now about those shirts.  The spread collar ginghams are fantastic, though a pretty popular offering this past year from a variety of places.  It’s Finickey’s button-downs that really set stand out here.  Anyone who obsesses over menswear knows just how hard it is to find a great classically rolled button down collar oxford.  Your search is over.  Anthony took an old Brooks Brothers shirt and reverse engineered that much-beloved roll.  He said it took some harsh words and not a few scrapped samples to get there, but he’s reach collar-roll Nirvana.  I already have a lavender one on the way.

Then comes the ever-present price question.  Finickey’s prices certainly aren’t bargain basement, but they do provide great value in my opinion.  Neckwear ranges from about $95 to $135, shirts are under $200, and trousers will be priced between $250 and $300 when they hit.  When you look at what some of the high-end Italian brands are charging these days, I might have spoken too soon about bargains.

Most importantly though, Finickey is all about bringing back the old customer-haberdasher relationship.  ”The industry lacks a lot of true merchants who are just as much about relationships as products,” says Anthony, “I’m always happy to get a call and talk to someone about my products.  It really is my passion and that’s what I want people to know. Truly.”

To get in touch with Anthony T. to place orders or learn more about product, either email him at finickey@msn.com or call him at (718) 812 5859