A Woman’s Work: GotStyle

Melissa Austria has turned GotStyle into the place to shop for modern suits in Toronto.

GotStyle owner Melissa Austria has been helping Toronto men elevate their style for almost 10 years. She opened her first men’s-only store in 2005, and then a second location (which also carries women’s) in the trendy Distillery District in 2013. Here, Austria shares her insight on the modern man.

How do you describe the modern look?
The modern look is basically clothes that fit properly, not tight but trim. It’s a movement away from the relaxed look that dominated menswear for the past decade. He’s a guy as young as 16 years old, buying a suit for graduation, to the 50-year-old CEO who wants to look less conservative. Our sweet spot in suits is $700 to $1,000 (Canadian); best sellers are LAB by Pal Zileri, Tiger of Sweden, Without Prejudice and Hilton.

How has your tailored clothing/furnishings assortment changed in the last five years?
In tailored clothing, we used to be split 50/50 modern/classic, and now we are about 70/30 modern/classic. We only carry slim-fit shirts, but we offer different degrees of slim in order to fit a guy with an 18-inch neck or a 14.5-inch neck who wants a super-slim shirt.
 
What’s next for this customer?
Out next goal will be to educate the younger guys on the importance of wearing a blazer out at night. We’re also finding that our early adopters who bought the modern suit from us nine years ago are looking for something different and are getting excited about relaxed, three-button, pleated-pant suits!