Traveling is always fascinating. i love seeing what people are wearing, where do they get their stuff and how they put it all together. This is especially true when i travel to places that are not NY/ Chicago, Antwerp or London. These places i feel i know well, i like to explore and experience new things.
A few weekends ago i went to Houston Texas. i did not expect much and i have to admit that it surprised me. ( I went to visit a close friend who had recently moved there). Well, Its a charming city with very friendly people. Since this blog is about style and life style i wanted to share with you two fantastic places to shop in Houston.

Yes, Houston like most major city’s in the US has a Neimans/ Bloomis etc… and it also has a rather impressive place called The Galleria, with all the usual suspects…

Two stores though ( not in the Galleria) stand out.
The first is Hamilton. Hamilton is a shirt shop that primarily caters to the bespoke crowd. If you need very well made shirts, they will measure you to the extreme and customize (fit, style, material etc) every shirt you order from them. This luxury is in the expensive side (around $900 for the first order of 4 shirts but after that you can order as few or as many as you want for the same price per shirt), but you can also get some ready to wear shirts ($195-224) at the store at front of their shop.(see pics)

i cannot say enough on how well made these are… the attention to details is impeccable and they are stylish, sturdy, soft and classic.
Hamilton has been making shirts since 1883 and it shows in their work. Each shirt is made in their Houston store and is hand-cut according to a well designed  pattern. The product is a shirt that is cool and trim designed to be worn either tucked in or not,  shirts like that are hard  to find. They have been featured in countless places but for me they are just the best shirts.

The other amazing find is a store called Mortar. it is the SOLE bastion of young, urban cool style in the city ( especially since Barneys NY closed their store in Houston this past January). Mortar are trying to create a “Houston experience by providing a platform for exceptional design and craftsmanship” – they do just that!.

The store carries some of the best brands out there like A.P.C, Baxter of California, Farm Tactics, Miansai by Michael Saiger and many more… ( they have a great selection of Garrett Leight sunglasses which im a little obsessed with right now).
the staff there was so very friendly and knowledgeable. i cant wait to go back.

At Hamilton

Best Oxford shirt EVER.

Mortar in Houston TX