Two clothing stores in Colorado are making national names for themselves after catching the eye of the New York Times and snagging spots on its list of the 50 best clothing stores in America.
“Walking into a great clothing store is like taking a vacation. A spell is cast,” New York Times reporter Steven Kurutz wrote in the article. “You are transported to a different world, if only for 10 minutes. A great store will make you think about who you are — and may change that perspective in real time.”
Most of the stores on Kurutz’s list were independent small businesses, ranging from a skate shop in Arizona to a Milanese tailoring business in Georgia.
Within the 50-item list, two Colorado stores received a shoutout: Montbell in Boulder, the Japanese cousin of Patagonia founded by Isamu Tatsuno, and Gorsuch’s flagship store in Vail, featuring European skiwear.
Montbell’s Boulder location is the brand’s only store in the U.S.
“Wardrobe gems like fleece tabi slippers, down pants, ripstop tote bags and outdoor hats for a variety of face shapes are among its hundreds of products, which also include tents, glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls, camping chopsticks and watercolor painting sets,” Kurutz wrote.
Roughly 100 miles away, in Vail, Gorsuch’s ski town inventory includes everything from sweaters and winter jackets to baseball caps. The store may very well “transport visitors to the Alps,” according to Kurutz.
The family-run business also rents skis at its locations across Colorado and Utah.
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