It was inevitable that Nancy Pearlstein would eventually take the plunge into menswear.
The daughter of legendary merchant Murray Pearlstein, the late owner of Louis, Boston, she began her career working at the family business and served as president of menswear. She pivoted in 1980, launching Louis’ women’s division, which eventually grew to represent 30 percent of overall sales.
But she always had a dream of owning and operating her own store so rather than opening something that would compete with Louis, she brought her retail talents to Washington, D.C., where 26 years ago she opened Relish, a high-end women’s boutique. The store started out modestly in 1,500 square feet in Chevy Chase, Md., and now spans 6,000 square feet over two levels in Cady’s Alley in Georgetown. It has become established as a luxury boutique that embraces artisanal fashion. Top brands include Dries Van Noten, Jil Sander, Joseph, Lemaire, Marni, Nina Ricci, Raf Simons, Sacai and other lesser-known labels.
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When she first opened, Relish offered menswear as well but after two years, she recalled, the women’s had taken off while the men’s languished, so she exited menswear to concentrate exclusively on women’s merchandise.
Fast forward to today.
“In the two decades that have passed since we first did menswear, a new generation of men has come of age with a hunger and appreciation for dressing with style and individuality,” she said. “Lately, men have been walking into the shop, begging us to carry clothes like we have for women, but I kept refusing. I didn’t want to fail again. Whether COVID-19 got me thinking, or the love of menswear got the best of me, I finally relented.” Relish will open a men’s shop for fall.
The climate toward menswear today is different than it was when Relish opened, she believes. “I love what’s going on in menswear today. There’s a new generation that is into dressing now and I believe we can capture a different audience.”
So for fall, Pearlstein will carve out some space on Relish’s first floor for a menswear shop. The initial mix will include similar brands to those carried in women’s such as Dries Van Noten, Marni, R13, Massimo Alba and Song for the Mute. “I want to give it variety,” she said, adding that the assortment will cover an eclectic mix of designer labels, streetwear brands and elegant casualwear. “There will be a nice mix and flow that a lot of guys can appreciate. It will look rich and embrace the season but not be trendy. I want to keep it classy.”
In the future, Pearlstein may also take some chances with how the assortment is merchandised. “The idea of mixing the men’s with the women’s is interesting to me and I want to try it eventually, but in the beginning, I will keep it separate,” she said.
To introduce the men’s department to shoppers, Pearlstein said she’ll have an opening party this fall after the goods arrive and will reach out to local press in the D.C. area. “But it’ll be mostly word of mouth, which is how I built the women’s,” she said.
Although she admits to being a little gun-shy after her initial failure, Pearlstein is keeping an optimistic outlook.
“I’m sitting in the most conservative city in the nation,” she said. “But people travel and are exposed to a lot of different people and cultures. And we also have a big international crowd…and hopefully they’ll get it.”