Designer Andy Stinson showcasing high-end clothes at Taylor Richards & Conger

Andy Stinson has an unconventional view of style, a mix of a throwback to Hollywood's most glamorous days and an ironclad expectation that the U.S. can once again be at the forefront of clothing design and production.


Friday and Saturday, he's showcasing his clothing lines for men and women at Taylor Richards & Conger, the upscale clothing store at Philips Place. He'll be showing off the clothes between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. both days, along with wines from his personal collection.

"I started it about pants," said Stinson, whose bespoke brand is only about 1 1/2 years old. "I have this point of view about pants that I really like. It's this 1940s view." Stinson's pants feature a Hollywood waistband, in which there is no separate piece of material sewn on to create the waistband. Think suits that you saw the

That leads to pants that ride high, with a full cut, that elongate a man's legs. The thin belt and high waist minimizes the man's waist, Stinson said - which is often not a man's most flattering feature.

"The cut of it was designed to make a man look somewhat like a Greek god," said Stinson. His clothes are also firmly in the "dandy" mode, with bright colors and bold designs.

"It's a throwback to those great looking things in the '40s when men almost had these flamboyant fashions," said Stinson. "It had fabulous colors. There was a daring sense of color, the pattern motifs were large."

The look eventually faded after it became exaggerated and turned into a zoot suit, Stinson said.

TRC Style, Taylor Richards & Conger's blog, says Stinson's clothes have a uniquely old-school atmosphere: "A range of unique details such as exterior brace buttons, Hollywood waistbands and D-ring side tabs give his collection a nostalgic feel not to be found elsewhere."

The price tag on his made-in-America pants, Stinson's signature item, ranges from $650 to $2,000. He also has alligator belts handmade by an artisan in Florida, and hand-enameled cuff links made by a mother-daughter team in Atlantic City. The collection also includes shirts, ties, and pocket squares.

Made-in-America products are central to Stinson's vision. "Americans make great things," said Stinson. "Every bit as good as what comes out of Italy and Europe."




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