BY TOMMY WERNER

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Fashion. What does that even mean? Sure, Charleston's got a contemporary vibe, but what makes it so special? Is it the divide—maybe even the yanking—between what defined the city and what defines it?  The city that started the Civil War has always done things a little differently, with a swagger that's almost perfect for a runway. But in this most fashionable of places, what's a guy to do?​

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     Dress up. Even if there's no place to go.

     How?

     Here are some places where things can get personal.

• For contemporary classic (John T. Edge, Sean Brock and even James Bond), it doesn't get much more constituent-aware than Billy Reid. See Skyfall? That badass peacoat Bond wears at the end? That's a Billy Reid design, shaking and stirring Daniel Craig’s wardrobe with some spitfire Southern spirit. In 2010, GQ selected Reid as one of America's best new designers, and the Alabaman nabbed the 2012 CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year award. His collection contains everything from tweed blazers, hunting jackets and tees with gravy boats on them. The storefront, nestled among antique stores on lower King Street, also has appropriately vintage-inspired items.
• Named for two of the three most lucrative Charleston exports, The two-year-old Indigo & Cotton is Elliotborough's men's fashion outlet, created by New York native Brett Caron. He has an eye for brands that upgrade the local style, which he admits remains a bit undefined. “I go looking for something well-fitting—something any guy can incorporate into his wardrobe,” Caron says. Perhaps the closest you can come to local design is Raleigh Denim, but that doesn't mean Indigo & Cotton’s collection of Gitman Brothers Vintage shirts, Atari-inspired Happy Socks or Birdwell Beach Britches swimwear should be off-limits. The store is organized and nautically themed, appropriate for working, playing or having too much fun.
• K. Cooper Ray, an Alabama native like Billy Reid, brings 13 generations of the South to make bow ties actually look cool. His collection, Social Primer, made it into New York Fashion Week last year, and his website, an homage to gentlemanly etiquette and bravado, is just as fun as one of his patterned ties. Find his newest picks and designs on the site.
• Cartel Supply Co. on upper King is new, unsung and even a bit cutting edge, perfect for longboarders who ride the wrong way and write on the wall. Last fall, it split off from the VILN Collective and has since built its own brand. It is the OBEY flagship store in the city that graffiti artist and OBEY founder Shepard Fairey calls home. “We get to carry stuff that no one else has,” says employee Madison Miller. Cartel is opening its own skate park soon. In the meantime, it’s building hype with inimitable looks.
• Speaking of Charleston class, it would be unfair to exclude the classics in a discussion of men’s fashion—not the New York runways’ definition of fashion but rather the style that’s undoubtedly Southern. M. Dumas, in the heart of the King Street shopping corridor, provides webbed belts, sunglasses strings and bright shirts for those rushing a fraternity or savoring the serenity on the Battery.​

​The overlap (not tug) between skateboard and seersucker is what’s defining this city, and how the two come together might just be how Charleston defines its style. It’s traditionally hip.