Inside Chittenden County

Winner:
Michael Kehoe

Runner-Up:
Banana Republic

Outside Chittenden County

Winner:
The Men's Store

For guys looking to deck themselves in something other than Carhartts and flannel, Vermont is a bit of a fashion desert, at least outside the Burlington area. That may be why Montpelier’s The Men’s Store opened last November “with a bang,” according to Manager Marin Bowman. In Birkenstocks central, “Even the most laid-back dresser occasionally would like something to spruce up their wardrobe,” she says. And the clientele has been as broad as it gets, from teens browsing local designer Colin Arisman’s graphic T-shirts to a certain tax commissioner stocking up on professional separates. From urban streetwear to Calvin Klein suits, the styles are definitely diverse. The Men’s Store was conceived by Salaam owner Andrea Miksic, who’s started a line of men’s shirts in her signature fabrics. So, has Bowman had the opportunity to turn any central Vermont hippies into hipsters? “A little bit,” she says with a laugh. “One by one.”

- Pamela Polston