#trevorfurbay

[tsgcincinnati]

TIME WITH TSG SERIES: Trevor Furbay

During this unprecedented times during COVID-19 quarantine, we are here to educate, inspire and encourage you to support our local Cincinnati community businesses. One of the first in our series is with Trevor Furbay, the owner of Trevor Furbay Bespoke Tailor & Clothier in Mariemont, OH. 

Enjoy being inspired and learning about menswear and why he’s one of the best in the business! 

McKenna: What have you been doing during these unprecedented times to stay busy?

Trevor: I did a virtual trunk show last week by posting photos of Mizzen & Main products, offered 20% discount. I offered pickup, delivery, shipping options and it did really well!

McKenna: How did you learn about how to do Bespoke tailoring? 

Trevor: I started working for Ralph Lauren in college (both in Cincy & NYC). This is where I found my passion for custom clothing. I then went to work for the largest manufacturer of custom clothing in Baltimore, MD, and bought my first shop at age 24 in Madeira. I have owned my current shop in Mariemont for the last (almost) 3 years!

McKenna: Who is your core customer at the store?

Trevor: We really have 2 types of customers. The first is the gentleman who comes in all the time, and always wants something new. He loves everything they are doing (at the store), and he buys seasonally.

The other guy needs to dress well for work (can mean a lot of different things!), but he really has no desire to shop or give it any effort. He likes that it is not a department store--and that he can have a bourbon, have a bite to eat from the kitchen, etc. They hate shopping, but he feels that shopping at TFB isn’t that bad because things are pared down, approachable, and we help him find things he really likes and needs!

So do people really come in and drink Bourbon?

Trevor: Yeah, there’s actually a pretty big group of people that do! Some come in to shop and drink bourbon, others just to hang out. It started with Amy making food in the kitchen-- and her masterful COOKIES -- we decided we needed drinks too. We wanted people to feel comfortable here, and make it a place for the community to get together. 

For the woman coming in to shop for a man in her life, what do we need to know?

Trevor: Generally how tall he is, pant size helps too. If I have met him I can probably guess pretty well. Thanks to computers, we can also look and see his sizes if he’s shopped with us before.

Do you have any tips for mixing patterns? Is there a way to help the men in our lives do this?

Trevor: We get a lot in the store: “why is everything blue?” Probably half of the things in our store are blue, the other colors are things that go with blue (denim, grey, navy, etc.). When you stick to a few colors that work together, it makes it easier to mix and match with ease. As long as there’s a common color, you can almost mix any patterns!

What is the craziest trend you’re seeing right now?

Trevor: The “no suit” is very popular - wearing a suit but with no tie. This has caused the pocket square trend to become very strong, too. Men are using the pocket square as an accessory to dress the jacket up (as a tie was previously used).

We’re also seeing a lot of shirts with fun details like colored buttons, so that they can be worn on their own without a jacket.

Faherty is definitely our hottest brand. They are based in NY, but have a West Coast, beachy/surfer vibe. I would have never guessed that it would be so successful here and become our largest selling brand. People love it.

Many people think of your brand as just custom suits. But it’s so much more…

Trevor: Yes, we have a lot more to offer. People have thought of me as dressy only, but we try to embrace both casual options and more approachable price points. There is something for every occasion and every buyer. We have tons of jeans and casual pant options. We have casual weekend shirts and shorts, swimwear, activewear and more.

We’ve noticed that you have shirts with the TFB label. Do you make these?

Trevor: We have a shirt maker that makes these for us. They made the original madras for Ralph Lauren in 1970!

Are there things you want to get into?

Trevor: It is my passion to do custom and design for people. I also care a lot about the shirt brand that we carry, Camessi. I want to help build up that brand too.

Many thanks to Trevor for opening up and sharing his expertise in all things menswear! Once we are out of this Quarantine, please give him a call and visit and tell him Scout sent you! 

~McKenna

Photos courtesy of Ross Van Pelt. 

[aaconnphoto]

Portrait @trevorfurbay in his shop last week. #makeportraits #tailors #mensfashion #aaconnphoto (at Aaron M Conway • aaconnphoto)