’38, Shop Owner, I received a Bachelor Of Science in Theatre Management at Ithaca College. I managed Broadway theatres for 12 years – two years overlapping with Fine And Dandy. I left Broadway 2 1/2 years ago to work on Fine And Dandy full time. My partner Enrique runs the store with me, so he shares my sartorial obsession. Fine And Dandy is my baby. Both my parents and my sister always supported my interest in men’s style. I mean, who wouldn’t want their child/brother to dress well? I was always that weird kid in high school, who wore a tie to class. I often credit my grandfather for his influence on my style. He was always dressed well and he was a farmer. For as long as I can remember I’ve enjoyed things of the past. History, antiques, old buildings. I was always drawn to old photos and how men dressed in the early 1900’s.

Products from Pukimo Raivio

Kiton, grey sports jacket, size 50EU
Ralph Lauren, Black Label suit, size 52EU

Mr Fox (right) with co-owner Enrique Crame III in front of Fine and Dandy’s New York store

It was so fascinating to me. Guys of all walks of life dressed well. That stuck with me and inspired me as an adult, to dress well. [My knowledge], it’s a real collective: I have a fairly extensive library I’ve collected over the years. I’m constantly ripping inspiration out of magazines. And of course the internet. I believe the surge of interest in men’s style in the last few years has been due to the thousands of style web sites, blogs, online shops. But a lot of it is just living in New York City. Just walking down the street I’m surrounded by well dressed men. I identify both my style and our products as “New School Dandy”. An appreciation and nod to the classical, but with a modern interpretation. A dandy in today’s world.

My partner also works for Massimo Dutti and the Spanish brand is a major part of my wardrobe. I’m also a fan of Hackett London, Morris, and Brooklyn Tailor. It’s also been interesting to watch J Crew, Club Monaco, Suit Supply. We provide great variety at an affordable price. We sell lots of items that you might not find elsewhere, like sock garters, shirt garters, and spats.

My partner Enrique and I fantasized about having our own shop for years, but the price of real estate is very expensive in New York City. 5 years ago we were seeing an explosion of interest in menswear onlin,e and we had the idea to open up shop online. We launched in October, 2008 and the response was incredible from the very beginning. In December 2010, we had our first popup shop and it was amazing to interact with our customers face to face. We continued to do more popup shops and then eventually began to look for a permanent retail space. We found our current location in the fall and opened this past November. We couldn’t be happier with the response.