The Style Cave

Austin has long been an amalgam of Southern, Western, and Southwestern culture, and South Congress Avenue has lately emerged as the soul of this dynamic junction. So it makes sense that when the five-man brain trust behind the year-old menswear shop Stag was looking for a home, they found it just a few doors away from the iconic Continental Club.

“From the beginning, we said this needs to feel like Austin,” explains co-owner Steve Shuck, a former Gap executive who is also a partner in the local Mercury Design Studio. “It’s not a faddy vibe. It’s derived from a classic American sensibility. It’s got guts to it.” The other members of the team are Austin’s leading interior designer, Joel Mozersky; Bobby Johns, general manager of the swank Hotel San Jose down the street; former antiques dealer Ted Allen; and Louisiana native Don Weir, the group’s designated “hillbilly.”

Housed in a 2,400-square-foot storefront that was once a dry cleaner’s, the shop has a bit of a flea-market feel, offering imported and local oddities such as canvas French Army laundry duffels, Japanese paper hats, and mustache wax made in Austin; it also offers a selection of books, music, and home goods. But it’s the fashion that is hardest to resist, signified by heritage brands that include Rockmount Ranch Wear; Southern specialties such as Houston’s world-renowned Hamilton shirts; and handmade Helm boots.

Catch Weir—or any of the guys— on a Friday afternoon, and he’ll offer to pop you a cold, locally brewed Firemans #4 from the fridge. On the stereo, you stand a good chance of hearing Townes Van Zandt and Patsy Cline. It’s a soft sell, leaving you ample time to peruse the wicker-wrapped flasks in the display case, or handsome leather wallets. On weekends, as the line forms next door at Home Slice Pizza, a mixture of homeboys and good ol’ boys wander in and out with slices.The only thing missing is the smell of barbecue.

For more information about Stag,  go to stagaustin.com.