Style in The Heights, Little Rock, Arkansas--Domestic Domestic

 

 

So as I have said before, style is not just about clothes it is about how we live our lives.  Sometimes one definitely affects the other since how we dress does have an impact on the rest of our style and how we live definitely impacts how we dress.  Think of a man that is an avid outdoorsman and you would likely picture his closet having more active wear and things appropriate for climbing Kilimanjaro or going frog gigging.    We are all familiar with stores that sell a lifestyle through the racks of clothing they have available, but that is usually the limit other than maybe a few accessories or gift ideas.  And even though I would hardly be called outdoorsy, I do enjoy stores that have gear for making that trek to the outer reaches of Patagonia and can dress you for said expedition from head to toe.  It is rare however that you find a place that nurtures both the sartorial and lifestyle facets of a man's life.  Domestic Domestic on Kavenaugh in Little Rock, AR is such a place. 

I found out about Domestic Domestic through a friend that suggested I go check it out since it had clothes and mens' accessories.  The name threw me but I learned that it is so named because all of the goods are made in the USA.  Open for about a month now, it was first an e commerce site.  Proprietor Heather Smith seems a natural shop keeper in how she interacts with customers, curates a fantastic assortment of items, and merchandises the shelves, many of which she built herself.  Shop keeping is in her blood...one of her great-grandfathers owned and operated a general store.  Domestic Domestic has a general store kind of feel in how it offers such a variety of goods. 

You can find clothing, accessories, bags, grooming products, and household items there.  Need a beautifully made canoe paddle or vintage looking lawn chair for your trip to the Buffalo River?  What about handcrafted chef knives, pocket knives, or hatchets?  Looking for a handcrafted swing that you can swing in like you're 8 years old all over again? And if you're thinking that's all fine and dandy for men but what about the ladies, then calm yourself.  There are tons of items that you might buy for the guy in your life, but you'll covet them for yourself as well.  Wool or cotton blankets for lounging, unique items for the bath or kitchen, various gift ideas that will be hard to part with, and that perfectly soft t-shirt are all things that will appeal to both sexes. 

 

 

I quickly found a few of my favorite things that will be making my Christmas wish list this year if I can wait that long for them.  Who am I kidding, by then I will have a whole new list of things for Santa to bring me.  And just to clarify this doesn't work like Oprah with each of you getting my favorite things list to take home with you.  But hey, Heather will be glad to set you up with one of each, and more, if you like.  Writing a 50 page piece on the store won't give you a better feel for the place than a personal visit of your own would, so I encourage you to check it out soon and frequently. 

I love this Piebox!  This is such a great way to present a pie as a gift and then afterwards the recipient can use it for anything they like or even pass the gift along to another.

While I am very low maintenance when it comes to grooming, especially hair products, I do love the Cedarwood Soap and the Duke Cannon line of items!

Everything in this photo earns a best of the best in my book.  The copper bowl is perfect for holding your change and car keys in or maybe a cherished pet could use it as a water bowl.  The pocket knife is as gorgeous as it is functional, the magazine Man of the World is new to me but it won't be the last copy I get, a rugged canvas bag is perfect for toting it in as well, and that orange beverage coozie is just perfect!

 

We are fortunate to have such a store here in Little Rock and if you live elsewhere don't worry, they can ship to you just as they did before the store opened.  Thank you Heather for recognizing that guys, and the women that put up with us, need a store like Domestic Domestic. 

For more style info please check out and like Brian's Style Guide on Facebook.  You can also follow me on Instagram under Briansstyleguide.

 

  All of these images are courtesy of Brian Kelley/Imagine Photography/Brian's Style Guide and are protected by copyright law. None of these images may be used, edited, reproduced, transferred, published or distributed in any form or by any means whatsoever without prior written permission.

 

Accessories--The Man Bag

One of the great things about style is that there are so many facets and layers that it is difficult to ever get bored.  It changes, our personal style changes and develops, and we are always getting inspiration from outside sources.  On my own style journey I have found that it is the accents or accessories that are the most interesting and also the most elusive to nail down.  I think of accessories as anything other than your main pieces.  Main pieces in your closet would be shirts, pants, sweaters, suits, jackets, etc and in your home that would be sofas, chairs, and tables.  Accessories are the items that allow us to really personalize our style and to me are the most subjective. 

I wanted to, and soon will, do a piece on accessories in a gentleman's wardrobe and how to build or put together a nice collection.  But something that is new for me and very interesting is the man bag.  Now I am sure you're thinking "what, you don't have a man bag?" or maybe you are scratching your head as to just what that is.  What I am suggesting is not so much a man purse, or murse if you will, but a bag that a gentleman carries to keep his items in.  Men have been using briefcases and satchels for quite a long time.  In more recent years the messenger bag has become very popular with men of all ages with the advent of the laptop and trips to the local coffee house.  I think that men in more urban areas have a head start with the man bag in its various forms due the fact that they are more likely to use public transit and have to carry their personal items and work related armor to and from home.  But for someone like me that has little more to carry than a wallet, car keys, sunglasses, cell phone, a tablet of some sort, and perhaps a phone charger or other items...ok wait, that is quite a bit of stuff to keep track of so that makes sense to get a bag right?  So maybe you are right there with me or maybe light years ahead.

For some time now I had wanted a messenger bag or something along those lines that would allow me to keep all my stuff together, look great, and would last.  I also wanted a travel bag that I could pack one or two days of clothes in for short trips although I should realize that there is no bag on the market that could hold all the stuff I typically want to take on a trip, or at least one that doesn't make me look like a student on a month long tour of Europe.  So I had checked out Coach often to see if there was a bag, one bag to rule them all, that would fulfill my requirements.  But I never could make up my mind which one I wanted to get first...messenger, tote, or cabin bag.  Serendipity would make that decision for me. 

At the June vintage market at The Bernice Garden I was talking with the owner of East Ninth Vintage about my quest for the perfect bag for me.  She encouraged me to stop by the store and check out a vintage Coach messenger bag she had recently gotten in.  I went there immediately!  It was perfect...perfectly worn in, perfect in that the color wouldn't "match" but rather make a statement, and perfectly priced.  It rarely left my side the next few days and I have come to find it perfect for running errands, going to the coffee shop, or even a brief trip to the market.  It's not a large one because at the time it was made people weren't carrying laptops and that sorta makes me love it all that much more.  There is a model number of some sort on the inside so I went to Coach to get more information.

 

 

Coach was able to tell me only that it lacked a serial number like modern bags of theirs so that meant it was at least 15 years old, that it was a great quality leather, and I was a lucky man to have found it.  Of course while I was there I had to take a look right?  With the messenger bag need met I really just focused on something I could carry a change of clothes in or take my laptop and other items with me.  Enter the Bleecker Day Tote in color-blocked leather.  But there were two colors.  Brown or blue?  Brown seemed too obvious and safe.  When the bag arrived a week later I was so pleased that the color was even more beautiful than the website image.  It is a perfect bag to hold a change of clothes and with the outside pocket and ones on the inside it's very functional.  One key requirement I had was that any bag would have a shoulder strap as well as handles and this one does. 

 

 

So now that I have my man bags I am a happy camper.  I must admit I have other bags that run the gamut from camera bags, several, to bags to keep things hot or cold, a great canvas tote bag for taking to the pool/lake/beach, or a utilitarian laptop bag.  But those bags are more about function than style and not something I would want to proudly carry at Pitti Uomo.  I am still looking for a great travel bag and have my eye on Frank Clegg Leatherworks and their stunningly gorgeous leather bags.  But I have a feeling that the right bag will find me as much as I will find it. 

If you don't have one I would encourage you to get a man bag, you won't regret it. 

For more style info please check out and like Brian's Style Guide on Facebook.  You can also follow me on Instagram under Briansstyleguide.

 

  All of these images are courtesy of Brian Kelley/Imagine Photography/Brian's Style Guide and are protected by copyright law. None of these images may be used, edited, reproduced, transferred, published or distributed in any form or by any means whatsoever without prior written permission.