Featured Company – Armitage & McMillan

There seems to be a growing menswear trend in the Denver area.

A handful of small shops have opened within the past couple of years and they are proving to have some very unique offerings. Those of us in the BE crew are particularly excited about Armitage & McMillan – a well-curated menswear store, located in the LoHi neighborhood on Platte St.

I sat down with Daniel Armitage recently and asked him a few questions.

1. So, you and your business partner Darin have some impressive backgrounds in menswear. How did you end up in Denver?

Thanks. We are both originally from Oklahoma. Darin moved to Denver from OK in 2002 to get a music business degree from CU Denver. Somewhere along the way he started working with a guy who bought and sold vintage ski gear. Darin wanted to split off on his own, selling other vintage pieces besides just ski and snowboard gear, so I came out to Denver and we partnered up to start our own vintage wholesale business. That eventually led us into the rest of the menswear world.

2. How would you describe the style in your store? 

As far as the aesthetic of the space goes, I think it’s a bit of old meets new, vintage and rustic yet clean and modern as well. We wanted it to feel like a warm and comfortable space, masculine without being too manly and warm without being too dark.

As for the style of the clothing, we try to stick to pretty straightforward and classic menswear.

3. Do you think that men are more interested in style today than they were 10 years ago?

I would say that the average guy is at least more aware of style. There’s a new generation of guys that have grown up with the Internet and are following men’s fashion blogs and browsing Tumblr so they are more aware of stylish trends happening around the world. I think this has a lot of guys feeling like they need to step it up a little in terms of style.

4. Opening a retail store is a huge undertaking. What has been your biggest lesson learned?

I learned that no matter how much money you start with, you’re going to need more. Ha.  And as a new retail business, you can’t skimp on the advertising budget. 

5. What do you think the Denver menswear scene will be like in the near future? Is it growing?

I think the Denver menswear scene is absolutely growing. A few great new shops all popped up at about the same time, that’s no accident. There are some younger guys starting very cool brands out of Denver as well and some of the more established local brands, like Topo Designs and Jiberish, are incorporating some great, classic menswear.

I see all of the Denver shops and makers coming full-circle, complimenting each other to make a cohesive scene in Denver.

The details

You can visit Daniel and Darin online or in their store located at 1550 Platte St, Suite D, Denver, CO, 80202. Or if you need to pick something up for that special woman in your life, consider Denver’s Goldyn.

Some of the brands A&M stocks include Unis New York, Steven Alan, Save Khaki, Saturdays Surf NYC, Mt. Rainier, BillyKirk, Centre Commercial Shoes, Epperson Mountaineering, FairEnds and The Hill-Side.

By the way, A&M also sells a great selection of home goods. Here’s some helpful interior design advice for us guys from a Boulder-based expert.