Eat|See|Style - Chesterfield Mall + Lindbergh

For anyone from St. Louis or familiar with the region, you know its a city that sometimes makes it very easy to create what I'll call an "insulated ecosystem".  What I mean by this is that depending on where you live and work, there are other parts of the region that you just don't HAVE to go to because all the things you need for daily life are concentrated right around you.  

If you've followed the blog for a while, you probably know that I travel for work.  While I live in the city, the airport I fly out of is located in Chesterfield, which is a suburb of St. Louis.  Needless to say, I don't really make any stops on my way there or back as it's a bit of a drive but on every trip, I drive past the Chesterfield Mall.  So I was a bit excited when I received an email from Lindsay at Alive Magazine about a chance to explore what is considered by many a premiere shopping destination.

The next stop was at Evereve, a boutique that specifically curates items for the ever-changing lifestyles of moms.  Meaning "life", Evereve was started by a former 3rd grade teacher in Edina, Minnesota.  While we don't have kids yet, what impressed Patti and I the most was that this was the result of someone chasing their dream with passion to create a different experience.  It's also one of the few stores, if not the only one in St. Louis that I'm aware of that carries Superga's for women which are hands down my favorite sneaker/casual shoe brand because of the simple Italian aesthetic. They also have a solid selection of Brooks sneakers which I imagine come in handy chasing kids down.

The last stop on our Chesterfield Mall tour was Lindbergh, a new menswear store that will be having its exclusive grand opening on May 21, 2015. 

During the course of the evening, I had an opportunity to talk with Terrence, one of the minds behind the brand.  When asked why the name Lindbergh, he explained that as "we at lindbergh contemplated the inspiration for the brand we wanted to create and were going through the research phase, we came across the history of Charles Lindbergh."  He was drawn to Lindbergh's style in the photo and that began the journey to creating a brand that is focused on men who want to build a "wardrobe based on problem solving, finding something cool that fits into their lives."

As part of the experience, we got a chance to put together some looks using pieces from the three labels that make up the Lindbergh brand.  My favorite piece was the light-weight hooded navy windbreaker with orange details.  The first thing that came to mind for me was that it would be the perfect piece to throw over a Breton stripe sweater with some chinos and boat shoes while hanging out on the docks in Maine.  Even though I'm not a denim wearer, I was also drawn to the idea of a classic prep look after spotting a navy baseball jacket with contrasting white sleeves.  I put it together with a light blue oxford cloth button down, some light blue jeans, a navy polka dot knit tie and a pair of brown hightop sneakers, all from Lindbergh.

In checking out the itinerary for the visit, it turned out to be the perfect event to bring my wife with because quite frankly, there would be no blog without her work behind the scenes.  Our first stop was at Sephora.  Now, I've been in this store more times than I count, normally as the husband waiting patiently by the door.  This time while enjoying a glass of wine and some of the best hummus I've had in some time, I got a chance to actually explore the store and learned that Sephora is much more than makeup for women.  Not only do they carry men's skincare products and fragrances but they've developed a tool called Fragrance IQ which helps you identify new options based on inputs such as scents you've used and liked in the past or by answering a set of questions.

From Evereve, our group headed to Pottery Barn.  Founded in 1949, Pottery Barn is part of a family of companies that includes Williams Sonoma, West Elm and Rejuvenation.  When Patti and I first bought our home a few years back, we probably spent more time in home furnishing stores like Pottery Barn than was probably rational but we were excited and Pottery Barn was one of the handful of stores that carried items that fit the aesthetic we were looking for locally.  The best thing about PB is that they offer complimentary design services through their in-store specialists who will even come to your home to work with you to create the kind of space you're looking for.  As with any process, having someone who takes a consultative approach to recommending solutions typically gives the best outcomes and these folks take it quite seriously.  They ask the right questions when necessary but also give you room to figure it out if you choose.

My look of surprise/faux-outrage at the empty decorative bottle of Three Olives vodka.  Seriously though, we love this store.  I'm a lamp guy and it took everything out of me to not want to buy this amazing nautical inspired lamp I came across while checking out the store.  I'll probably go back for it.

The Lindbergh brand is divided into three labels: the Black, the Blue and the White Labels.  Terrence did a great job of explaining the focus of each label and from the Lindbergh website:

"The Black Label is the preppy and classic formal collection of Lindbergh.  A label containing all garment groups where the most essential ones are shirts, suit, jackets and knits.  The label also contains a broad range of accessories to include socks, shoes & scarfs.

The Blue Label is the rugged and casual collection of Lindbergh.  The look is signified by the inspiration of Americana - sporty and army clothing - combined with a vintage denim identity, designed with the highest industrial quality available with key emphasis on the working man. 

The White Label is the fashion formal collection of Lindbergh, with a look that reflects simplicity and coolness.  The most dominating garment groups are shirts, suits, jackets and knits."

It was a great evening hanging out with a few of the best bloggers in the St. Louis area as well as the ever amazing marketing manager of Alive Magazine, Lindsay Pattan while checking out some great spots.  As the perception of men's style in the Midwest continues to evolve, it's great to see stores like Lindbergh arrive on the scene offering options for guys looking to elevate their wardrobe game.  Be sure to stop by their exclusive grand opening on May 21st and while you're there, check out the rest of Chesterfield Mall!