The denim Standard

Farshad Arshid was tired of seeing the same old thing when it came to menswear in Atlanta. So, he applied some of what he learned from working at Versace in ’90s, and in 2003, opened Standard. His idea was to bring new men’s fashion lines to Atlanta.

“We opened during the premium denim craze, so it was difficult for us to get those big brands. We wanted to find a ‘house’ denim brand and really liked G-Star’s aesthetic so we started building that business with them right from the start,” explains Arshid. They’ve since grown that G-Star business into a Q-Store (a G-Star shop-in-shop that usually makes up more than 50 percent of an independent retailer’s selling space). “We do a huge business with G-Star, so when an adjacent space became available, we decided to try out the Q-Store concept. We basically took all of the G-Star merchandise off of the main floor and opened a 730 sq. ft. shop-in-shop.”

Farshad says in addition to G-Star, they do well with brands like Mark McNairy, Edwin, Nudie, BBC and Amongst Friends. “Shoes are another big category for us (about 40 percent). Interestingly, out customers are looking for something more refined in terms of their footwear. Guys who were buying $100 sneakers are now buying $350 brogues. Kids are growing up and looking for something different. If we want to keep them as customers, we have to continue to grow and change with them. We’re constantly looking for new assortments and ways to keep things moving forward.”

Standard ATL: 3393 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, Ga.