Sometimes a man just needs a little retail therapy.
However, within the Court Street crawl, no exclusively men’s fashion boutiques exist, which some say is detrimental to business.
Though some places sell men’s shoes and accessories, Kismet, 16 W. Union St., is the only Uptown fashion store that sells men’s and women’s clothes, said Ava Chaney, an employee at the boutique.
That might be because men’s retail has not proven a successful business model in Athens, despite the almost 50 percent split between men and women in the city, according to a government census conducted in 2012.
“We’re even having a sale on guy’s clothes because we’re trying to get men to come in,” said Chaney, a junior at Ohio University studying painting. “It doesn’t seem to be working.”
Chaney said men aren’t usually the ones to find solace in shopping. Despite Kismet seeing an average of 70 customers each day, she said, only about seven are men who usually fall into the “bro” demographic.
“We don’t sell a huge variety,” she said. “We don’t appeal to everyone. It’s usually more ‘bro-y’ guys that come in here. They’re more likely to spend.”
Michael Mytnick, a senior studying video production, said the “bro” standard in Uptown shopping rings fairly true and that he’s given up entirely on shopping Uptown. He said it’s likely that a men’s fashion boutique would not be successful.
“The town is so limited,” Mytnick said. “There’s so many bros Uptown that just don’t care about it. I’m gay, so it’s fun for me to buy clothes, but I just don’t see it spreading in Athens.”
Chaney said a large problem arises for some looking to buy nicer menswear for special occasions on short notice and that it’s not uncommon for a man to enter Kismet and ask where the dressier duds are kept.
Mytnick said he recently was at a loss for buying a suit for a job interview and had to purchase one far in advance, something he said he’s glad he planned ahead for.
“It could happen to anyone, and you’d have to go to Walmart and purchase something really bad for an event or something,” he said. “I usually have to go back home and buy clothes.”
Karen McGuire, manager of the Import House, 68 N. Court St., said that the Import House offers shoes and some jackets and accessories for men. She said that as a general rule, women buy more than men so the store doesn’t carry a lot of men’s clothing. However, she said that there is generally a 3-to-1 male to female ratio in the Import House because of the “shoe factor.”
Nick Rees, a junior studying journalism, was shocked when he discovered the lack of clothing options in Athens.
“I felt like I wouldn’t survive,” Rees said. “I enjoy shopping, and it’s a stress relief. When I realized there was nothing, I took a trip to the closest mall in Parkersburg, which doesn’t have anything either.”
Rees said he’s all for buying the collegiate gear that local stores have to offer, but he wishes boutiques would expand to selling more menswear.
“I’m not sure it’d be super profitable,” Rees said. “But guys here like to go shopping too.”
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