It was a Fool’s Spring day like any other in New York: 68 degrees, sunny, and an overwhelming amount of feral energy on the streets. I was looking for a new pair of black leather shoes and spent a good 20 minutes scrolling endlessly on Ssense and other e-tailers. Inspiration wasn’t striking, so I pilfered through my Instagram’s harrowing “For You” page and was left with the feeling of seeing the same five people wearing the same five items, or resharing the same five pictures of Jacob Elordi and Harry Styles on the streets (no shade to those stylish kings). The algorithm was doing exactly what it was built to do: feed me familiarity rather than inspiration. This regurgitation led me to ask a handful of the stylish guys I follow in fashion, art, and media about their physical shopping must-sees and what they’re buying this spring.
If 2025 brought the rise of AI slop, 2026 is all about IRL. Finding that holy-grail product isn’t going to happen in the sea of Insta-Tumblr-TikTok content; it’s going to come from your friend’s cool older brother, seeing a random person on a street you’ve never walked down wearing something you’ve never considered, or strolling into a boutique with zero expectations.
The men we profiled walk the walk online, but also talk the talk in person with recommendations that range from dead-center basics to freaky silk scarves. Read on to discover how the guys we follow — both in digital and physical realms — are shaping their wishlists and swiping their cards at top destinations in New York, Los Angeles, and beyond.
Terrence O’Connor, creative director
His shopping philosophy: “I avoid online shopping like the plague. For some reason, I’m incapable of properly checking out via an online interface. Something is inevitably being delivered to an old address, an ex, etc. So no eBay for me, sadly :/”
His favorite stores:
Ending Soon, Los Angeles: I go all the time and never leave empty-handed.
Rose Bowl Flea, Los Angeles: Honestly, I only go like three times a year, but when I do, I try to do a serious haul. I’m overdue.
What he’s shopping:
Deon Hinton, photographer and art director
His shopping philosophy: “I shop mostly in-person. My overall style is an accumulation of studying my interests, body stature, and overall feeling. Instagram will feed into the popularity of familiarity within fashion. There’s not a ton of inspiration pulled here for me, given it’s often a regurgitation of what I and so many others have seen.”
Favorite stores:
Lemaire, Paris: I love shopping in-person here; seeing the direction designers take collections in real life is always inspiring.
TAGE Gallery, Tribeca, New York: Vintage furniture, art, and objects here feed my style sensibility beyond clothing.
What he’s shopping:
Ben de Almeida, content creator
His favorite stores:
Mintage Mall, Vancouver, BC: When I lived in Vancouver, I would raid this place biweekly and those raids account for a good 30% of my closet to this day. Just a great collection of vintage anything and everything.
Dover Street Market, multiple locations: Imagine my sorrow when I stumbled across the CDG-affiliated Dover Street Market in Ginza knowing that I would forever have to go to Japan to see clothes this fly. Now imagine my subsequent unbridled joy when I learn there’s outposts in New York and LA. You will discover pieces that you did not know could exist.
Value Village/Savers, Vancouver, BC: People are doing this new thing where they are making personalized funeral t-shirts and then dropping them off at Value Village like a hot potato after one use. I have been buying and wearing them half for fun and half because I think it keeps their memory alive. It’s better on me than the person who thought Grandma’s legacy belongs in the bin. Alternatively, you do not understand the meaning of the word exhilaration until you stumble across vintage Miu Miu in a Value Village thrift store in a city of less than 100,000 people.
What he’s shopping:
Ethan Gaskill, content creator and founder of Elsewhere Fragrances
His shopping philosophy: “I gather inspiration from a few different places: runway collections, Pinterest, a handful of people whose style I connect with. I always try to buy for long-term wearability, so my style isn’t always the trendiest or fashion-forward, but the payoff of having a wardrobe centered around this approach is that I really wear the hell out of (and love) everything I own. I try to shop for things that get better with age.”
His favorite stores:
MyTheresa: My go-to for online shopping. I feel like they always get new arrivals before anyone else, carry every brand I care about, and the shipping is always so fast it blows my mind… oh, and they ALWAYS have my shoe size which I appreciate. I usually shop in-person (especially during spring when the weather is nice out) but online is always there.
Mohawk General Store, Los Angeles: This store is super close to me and where I go for all my favorite brands, ranging from The Row, A.Presse, Our Legacy. They have a solid fragrance and accessory selection with cool jewelry, shoes, socks, hats, and wallets. It’s the kind of store where you go in for one thing and leave with a few others.
Maxfield, Los Angeles: It’s such an experience to shop in. They carry an eclectic mix of designer brands, smaller brands, and vintage. The staff here is super sweet and always eager to help you find your next wardrobe staple.
Club Ena: A London-based online shop specializing in designer bag brands like Hermès, Chanel, Dior, etc. The curation is exceptional and the buying experience is seamless. The team is fairly small but so kind and responsive, and will send videos of bags if you want to see close-ups or specific details. If you’ve been sitting on a dream bag, I recommend looking here.
Mothfood, Los Angeles: My favorite place for vintage tees. You can shop in-person by appointment or online. I genuinely don’t know how they curate as good of a selection as they do, but I always leave with four or five things that I know I’ll wear until they fall apart.
What he’s shopping:
Thomas Christos Kikis, stylist
His shopping philosophy: “I’m constantly introduced to new brands and designers. After show season, I’m left inspired, but rarely persuaded to stray too far away from my uniform and the brands I’m loyal to — vintage Levi’s, Church’s loafers, a Prada or Margaret Howell knit. The constants hold, but occasionally, a new brand or designer breaks through and becomes an instant essential.
His favorite stores:
Cubitts, multiple locations: The brand founded by architects and engineers, and they approach eyewear with discipline: precise proportions and multiple sizes of each style. I wear the “Turnbull.”
Thom Sweeney and Brooks Brothers, multiple locations: With wedding season approaching, you can’t wait until the last minute to get a suit or tuxedo. Thom Sweeney and Brooks Brothers remain dependable and affordable. You’ll no longer panic every time you receive a save-the-date.
What he’s shopping:
Caleb Hahne Quintana, artist
His shopping philosophy: “I’m a big eBay shopper, so I’m mostly looking for well worn vintage tees or vintage Ralph Lauren oxfords. It’s hot in New York after about two weeks of spring, so I need clothes that breathe and that I can beat up in the studio. If I were to make one big purchase this spring/summer I’d probably get a pair of Belgians. They look good with everything and it’d be nice to take a break from my boots.
His favorite stores:
C’H’C’M’, NoHo, New York: C’H’C’M’ walked so the rest of menswear shops could run.
Self Edge, SoHo, New York: It has the two things everyone needs for an outfit: blank tees and good denim. Can’t go wrong.
What he’s shopping: