Your Style, Your Story | Herschede Phoenix Men’s Boutique

Your Style, Your Story
I’ve never really thought about fashion from a technical point of view. I don’t start with fabric mills, construction, or trends. Those things matter, but that’s not what draws me in. 

For me, style has always been about self-expression.

At Herschede, my men’s clothing store in Phoenix, I see style as a way for people to show who they are without saying a word. Everyone gets to decide what the cover of their book looks like. Before you say a word, before someone knows what you do or where you’re from, they see how you present yourself. The way you dress, the way you carry yourself, the details you choose, that’s the cover.

And I’ve always believed the cover should be interesting.

Creativity Shows Up in Many Forms
I’ve always had a lot of respect for creative people. Designers, musicians, artists — anyone who can create something from nothing and make people feel something.
To me, great clothing is no different than great music.

Someone writes a song. Someone designs a jacket. Someone chooses a fabric, a color, a pattern, a fit. They create something that didn’t exist before, and somehow it connects with you. You hear a song and it feels like it was written for you. You put on a jacket and it feels like it was made for you.

That’s creativity.

And I have a lot of respect for the people who can do that well.

Every once in a while, I see a piece of clothing and have the same visceral reaction I get when I hear a great song. You don’t analyze it. You just feel it.

And you know it’s perfect.

Wear What Feels Like You
I don’t think style should be about rules. I don’t think it should be about dressing like someone else or following what you’re told you’re supposed to wear.

I think personal style should be about wearing what feels like you.
Some days that might be a sportcoat and loafers. Some days it might be a t-shirt and jeans. Some days it might be something a little louder, a little bolder.

It depends on your mood and who you feel like being that day.

That’s the fun of it.
You get to decide.

What I Try to Do at Herschede
When I buy for Herschede, I’m not just buying clothes. I’m buying pieces that I think help
people express a little more of who they are.

That’s always been my goal for the store, to create a men’s boutique in Phoenix where you can find pieces that feel different, curated, and personal. 

Some pieces are classic. Some are a little edgy. Some are quiet. Some make a statement.

Not everything is for everyone — and that’s the point.

The goal isn’t to have everyone walk out looking the same.  The goal is to help people find pieces that feel like their story.

The Story You Tell Without Saying a Word
You can’t judge a book by its cover. Everyone knows that.

But the cover is what makes you pick the book up in the first place.

Style is the same way.

It’s not everything. But it says something. So you might as well make it a good story.

— Eric