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Bold but subtle...stand out in a crowd but don't have to be bright doing it.- Chris Bykowski  

Go on google and search for the best men's store in Austin, Texas, and you will discover this one-of-kind shop called Bykowski Tailor & Garb.

Well, let me introduce you to Chris and Wendy Bykowski who are the founders of this modern-day haberdashery gentlemen store. They are local fashion designers that design bespoke and ready to wear menswear items such as suits, casual wear, hats, leather goods, accessories, and boots.

The idea of Bykowski Tailor & Garb goes back to 2009 when Wendy and Chris were planning their wedding. At that time, while living in Los Angeles, CA, they had a difficult time designing the wedding suits. They wanted the suits to have a Prohibition era-style that they both had a passion for. After going through the process, they realized there was an opportunity in the market for this type of inspired fashion. They moved to Austin and started to build the foundation of what Bykowski Tailor and Garb is today.

In this podcast, they shared the beginning days when they would sit in front of their TV's and make bowtie after bowtie for festivals and events. Having only a few pockets watches to display and mainly being just a design house rather than to be able to offer items that were ready to wear. About two years of grinding to build the business, they found themselves ready to open up their official brick & mortar store in the heart of downtown Austin, Texas in 2011.

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We work to live our lives and we love it. - Wendy Bykowski

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Not working for someone else, it's the dream, but you work ten times as hard trying to keep it afloat.

When you walk into their store, you instantly go back in time. From their antique fixtures to the details of their products, it's a store that puts you right into their lifestyle. It's a place where if you want to rock a fresh, nostalgic suit, Chris is going to design something you will be proud to wear. You may even share some bourbon with him as you two design your future suit. Looking for a cool watch, Wendy will show you some timeless pocket watches. Their hats are fabulous, and you will never see so many unique pocket squares.

Being they are in Texas, they also carry curated guns. They don't consider themselves a gun shop, rather a place where you can buy a gun as an heirloom piece that you can pass on for generations. Bykowski Tailor & Garb is all about, embracing the lifestyle, which led them to introduce the Tommy Club. This club gives you a membership for a lifetime discount on Bykowski Tailor clothing and suits, a fully custom 3-piece suit and a real Gold Tommy Gun. It's all about "Shoots & Suits."

Wendy and Chris have created a brand and built a shop that is truly their own. It's an incredible shopping experience when you walk into Bykowski Tailor & Garb. The shop takes you back in time when the details mattered; booze was flowing and being cool was the lifestyle. Chris and Wendy have nailed it in creating a lifestyle brand that you instantly embrace and continue to leave their mark on the heritage wear fashion market.

Enjoy the podcast and do what you love.

In this episode, here are Some Questions I ask & what You will learn:

 Wendy & Chris Introductions. (2:10)
Wendy talks about getting married and moving to Austin. (3:00)
Wendy’s background. (3:40)
Chris’s background. (4:41)
What were they doing before? (6:10)
Chris talks about working on Dr. Dre’s house. (7:15)
 The idea of Bykowski Tailor & Garb. (7:50)
Identifying the opportunity. (9:00)
The details. (10:35)
Designing their first suits while they were in LA for their wedding. (11:20)
Talking to a Michigan suit maker. (11:35)
Are they still using Tailors in the US? (12:50)
 Chris’s process of ordering fabric oversees. (13:10)
What was the Vision of The Store? (14:30)
Chris talks about the industry with ordering suits online. (15:30)
 We talk day to day Operations. (16:50)
The story about one of their vendors going out of business. (18:10)
Wendy describes walking into the store. (18:45)
What’s their secret sauce? (20:00)
The Tommy Club. (21:30)
Talks about curated guns being part of the business. (22:20)
Wendy talks about expanding on women products. (23:00)
What did they wish they had known before they started out? (23:50)
Chris talks about how they slowly built the business. (24:25)
The Hustle of pumping out bowties. (28:00)
How did they learn to make clothes? (29:10)
Being the architect and directing the creative direction. (31:15)
Reverse engineering is the way Chris learns how to build. (32:00)
Wendy talks about loving design and detail. (33:45)
Giving advice to someone who wants to open up a business. (34:30)
Wendy talks about entrepreneurship in Austin. (35:57)
Wendy talks about reinvesting into your business. (36:50)
Chris talks about new start-up businesses that are in Austin. (37:50)
Chris talks about there build-out at the beginning. (39:30)
WIDWID...Being in business with your partner. (40:50)
 Chris’s WIDWID. (42:30)
What is your perfect day off? (43:30)
 They talk about how the home is one of their inspirational places. (45:00)
What’s their cocktail of choice? (46:50)
How do they want to define their legacy? (49:40)
(Answered by Chris) Wendy is...(50:21)
(Answered by Wendy) Chris is...(51:00)

Editor’s Note: This story was shared through a Scotch Parlor Podcast. Photography was done by Rick Scotch at Bykowski Tailor & Garb in Austin, Texas.