Ladies, let's be honest: Our local shopping options aren't as bad as our whining suggests. Truth is, our local boutiques do right by every stitch of our head-to-toe style, and national chains are taking notice of our rack-raiding appetite. We have no right to complain when you consider the lack of well-rounded wardrobe options out there for Alaska's men.
Unless your style inspiration is Shaun White, Jimmy Buffett or Pitbull, Alaskan men are, well, kind of screwed. Which is why Renee Curzie deserves an award for five years of steadfast style outreach. Curzie owns Blu MensWear, one of the few local boutiques exclusively focused on modernizing men's fashion in Alaska.
And if being a loner in her sartorial pursuit weren't enough, she has to contend with, well, you guys.
"Men are just so … the last place that most of them want to be is trying something on," Curzie said. "The one thing I appreciate when shopping with a guy, they know what they don't like. They don't necessarily know what they like, but they know what they don't like."
"I don't like V-necks, or flaps, or embellishment on the pockets," she said, imitating the opinions she hears in her shop. "I don't like skinny jeans -- every man says that!"
Curzie opened Blu in midtown Anchorage in late 2007. I met her during those first few months in business when she was testing out different brands to find out what works. The store's overall aesthetic was decidedly masculine, but the individual offerings crossed the style spectrum.
Five years later, Blu has evolved. Curzie relocated the store downtown, and she's paid close attention to the habits of her male customers, or the wives, girlfriends and mothers -- mothers of grown men, that is -- who shop for their men. (Seriously, guys? No wonder your options are limited.)
"After all of these years and just listening," Curzie said, "essentially, the bottom line is what Alaska men will put on their bodies, it's different!"
Curzie said she's come to terms with the fact that our men are more casual. She's found a niche in catering to that desire for comfort in both the products and shopping experience she offers. And while this approach may have a hint of an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality, she has a few tricks up her sleeve.
Options at Blu include spiffed-up basics. There are T-shirts, button ups, polos and hoodies in higher-quality fabrics, more flattering cuts and color palettes that can be traced back to Pantone's fashion color report. Accessories, such as hats and woven bracelets in mixed materials, are another way for guys to step up their style.
Some brands at Blu might be familiar, such as 7 Diamonds, Alternative Apparel and Hudson, and some you aren't likely to find locally otherwise, such as Threads for Thought, Velvet and Kiel James Patrick.
"Overall, we try to keep it conservative with a little bit of an edge," Curzie said of her focus these days. "Definitely try to keep up with the trends, but not so much that you couldn't wear it season after season."
Denim is a staple at Blu, and that's one thing that hasn't changed since day one.
Consider Curzie the gateway to your guy's designer jean addiction -- as long you can get them past a few hurdles, like fit.
She won't get all style coach on you like Ryan Gosling in "Crazy, Stupid, Love," but she's discovered most men do wear the wrong size.
"Fit is a big deal. It's hard, too," she said. "They'll want to go right to, 'I'm 36.' Are you sure, you look like a 34? Most men, I don't ever have to say, 'those are too small.' But I push it a little bit to help them."
Curzie has created an environment that suits all the hang-ups of the average male shopper, and that's one of the benefits of shopping at Blu.
"I think men are pretty visual creatures. They don't want to go through the racks," she said. "If there are too many brands and too many options, it's overwhelming. We keep it simple."
Ultimately, guys, she's your biggest style supporter.
"You're cool in a very suburban way," Curzie said about Alaska men's style. "I have to give it to the guys, men just like comfort. In that sense, they get stuck in their comfortable clothes, but I think once they realize they can wear something that's designer and it's comfortable, they do come back for more."
Blu MensWear
Location:
Store hours:
Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday, Noon-5 p.m.
More: (907) 334-9467 or visit online.
Anchorage freelance writer Leslie Boyd writes a regular column on local shopping and style. Ideas, information or tips? Contact her at akshopgirl(at)gmail.com