A JOURNAL BY SHINOLA DEDICATED TO JOY OF CRAFT

Take It From A Local: Today Clothing On Ann Arbor, Michigan

BY Taylor Rebhan

On the heels of our latest brick-and-mortar shop, now open on South Main Street in Ann Arbor, we sat down with Kevin Pearson and Eric Hardin—founders of downtown menswear mecca, Today Clothing—to get their take on the must-try-see-and-do destinations in and around their fair city.

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Since opening its doors on South 4th back in 2013, Today Clothing has been a favorite among locals and makers alike. Their curated selection of men’s wares and goods have made them the go-to shop for style savvy shoppers; while their in-store exhibitions by sculptors, painters, blacksmiths, and the like have made their S 4th storefront a haven for all manner of creative-types. 

So it’s safe to say their point-of-view holds some serious weight in these parts. Which exactly why we’ve tapped their expertise as we invite you to Take It From a Local, and enjoy this highlight reel of Shinola’s new home—Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

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On Eating…

There’s a magical place called Biercamp, a small artisan meat shop on South State Street. It’s a family-run business, and they’ve been in meats for a long time. Everything they do from jerky to bacon, to sandwiches—they even brew their own beer—everything they do is out of this world. On Fridays the special is The Steamship Round, a 12-hour smoked brisket sandwich, if you’re in Ann Arbor you have to try it. It’s a spiritual experience. 

There’s also a new spot called Argus Farm Stop that opened inside an old gas station, just a block from downtown. It’s exclusively Michigan-sourced produce, meats and any other kind of farm provision you could think of. 

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On Watering Holes…

The craft cocktail thing has been happening in Ann Arbor for a while, so there are a few people who have sort of carved out their niche in that department. The Raven’s Club is just a block up from the new Shinola store and they do a really good job with those classic cocktails done right. They were the first place locally to hop on the draft cocktail trend, you can get their Old Fashioneds and Sazeracs on tap now. 

There’s also spot called The Bar in Kerrytown, which is just a little district within Ann Arbor. It’s a kind of quaint little environment, but they are the absolute best when it comes to their own take on cocktails.

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On The Music Scene…

Encore Records has been here for years, and years, and years, and is just the gold standard of a record store. It’s one of those places you can go in and ask for the most obscure jazz record, they’ll pull out three different options—they’ve got the Canadian pressing, the French pressing, and they just know exactly what you’re talking about. It’s insane. 

And Michigan Theater is amazing for live shows. It’s almost a landmark. When it opened back in the 20s they hailed it as “a Shrine to the Arts”, now you can see anything from great classical acts, to someone like Jeff Beck, who was just here a couple of weeks ago. 

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On The One Stop Shop…

Nickels Arcade is an old-school indoor arcade mall just off State Street, and it houses a whole bunch of our favorite things. There’s a classic tobacconist in there, an awesome antique shop, a great florist, and of course Comet Coffee. It is hands down the best cup of coffee in town. 

On Being A Small Town…

Ann Arbor itself is a pretty small town, but we’ve got so many incredible big city amenities, stuff you just don’t find in your average city of 100,000. We’re littered with little parks, at least one in every neighborhood. It’s also super bicycle friendly, all around the Huron River you can find amazing paths to lead you up through hidden recreation areas. And the University adds a great dynamic, constantly drawing new and interesting people—it adds to the overall creative flow and energy of city. All those things, along with the restaurants, bars and shops, in a town this size—it’s just a magical little place.

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