I've been waiting (im)patiently for this one for a while. In fact, I've been waiting ever since I found the webpage with just a logo, a facebook group with no posts and a few cryptic tweets from Frank the Butcher. The company is Boylston Trading Co., the dude is a style OG in Boston.
Launched a few weeks ago online, Boylston Trading Co. seems to be a natural progression from Frank's previous gig at Harvard Sq. street wear staple, Concepts: part high end street wear, part Japanese work wear, part Tommy Ton Pitti U'omo photo steeze. They've got everything from Ovadia & Sons to Yuketen, Reigning Champ to Sunspel- something for every blogger in your life. While the brands definitely set BTC apart from the rest in Boston (and really beyond), it's the sort of vision and ethic that went into the shop as well. In a note on the new site, the Butcher says,
Time is a valuable commodity that can’t be bought back when lost. We’ve all heard the old adage ‘time is money’ and it is in most cases accurate. What we at Boylston Trading Co. don’t buy into is the cutting of valuable corners. Corners are what define our shape—without these definitive angles, we become shapeless and run of the mill. My team will continue to invest time into doing things the right way. That's what makes us different and what will help us maintain our form.
I think the point he raises is important, both in a general 'life' sense (waaaa), but also when you put it into context of the (practically nascent) Boston fashion/style scene at large. There are very few stores in the city that seem to really put in the time and effort of turning out a quality product/experience. In fact I don't think (/know for a fact) that most even consider the retail game as a sort of experience. I think most would rather stick with whats easy, i.e. what makes them money (or doesn't, in the case of a certain store in a certain historic area of Boston). There just doesn't seem to be a great deal of excitement about clothing in this city, whether from the people on the street or in the stores. I mean, GQ rated Boston the worst dressed city in America. That's some shit.I'm sure there'll be many more BTC posts to come, but in the meantime check out Frank's Complex Mag article where he talks about what we'll find in the shop.