The Menswear Legacy of NYC’s Lower East Side
This story appears in Justsmile Issue 7, What We Carry Forward.
Photography Tom Kneller
Styling Marcus Correa
Coat, jacket, shirt, pants, tie, belt and shoes GIVENCHY. Watch ROLEX.
Justsmile's Fashion Editor, Marcus Correa, honors the enduring menswear store owners of New York's Lower East Side.
“Today’s perception of the Lower East Side is associated with coffee shops, clubs, and cool kids. However, historically, the LES, specifically the cross streets of Orchard & Delancey, was a menswear haven. Unlike Madison or 5th Avenue, the fashion here was not dictated by the runway but instead was a reflection of the culture that shopped it. In 2025, albeit on a much smaller scale, several of these stores remain open. A testament to the generations of Black and Latino men who, on one street, helped shape menswear globally.
In my time in New York, these are the places that I have come to be most enamored with. Not just for the clothes and merchandising, but the stories that come along with them. Over the years, I have spent much of my free time visiting these spaces and admiring the cast of characters who shop and operate them.
The relationships transcend buyer and seller, and beyond the bartering and negotiating, these places are filled with men who simply care about how they look. When I think of heritage and legacy in menswear, these are the establishments and styles that come to mind. The beauty of these places is the mentality towards style that modern-day retail lacks; it is not the clothes, it is the experience, and it is not the name on the label but the man who wears it.” — Marcus Correa
Blazer, sweater, pants, shoes and bag PRADA. Necklace stylist’s own. Earring model’s own.
Coat, shirt, pants, tie and watch HERMÈS. Bag MONTBLANC.
Jacket, sweater and pants MIU MIU. Necklace, bracelet and shoes stylist’s own.
Jacket, shirt, pants and boots AMIRI. Tie TOM FORD. Earring model’s own.
Underwear UNIQLO. Watch ROLEX. Socks Tom Ford. Necklace stylist’s own.
Jacket, sweater, pants and shoes DIOR MEN. Hat DOLCE & GABBANA. Watch HERMÈS. Necklace and rings stylist’s own.
Coat GUCCI. Top and pants HERMÈS. Necklace stylist’s own.
Shirt and tie DIOR MEN. Jacket DOLCE & GABBANA.
Coat and pants DOLCE & GABBANA. Jacket, shirt and tie BRIONI. Watch and ring VAN CLEEF & ARPELS. Shoes BOSS. Earrings model’s own.
Coat, jacket, shirt, pants, tie, belt and shoes GIVENCHY. Watch ROLEX.
Read the full story in Justsmile Issue 7, available to order here.
