Billy Reid in the East Village.   (Photo: Courtesy of Billy Reid)

• Billy Reid

  54 Bond St., nr. Bowery; 212-598-9355

  Cashmere hoodies and distressed denim, your day is done. From the moment you walk into the Billy Reid store, you will feel more like a gentleman. The place is civilized, like the parlor of an elegantly time-worn southern manor. Reid, who once had a promising women’s line under the label William Reid, now designs clothes for both men and women from his base in Florence, Alabama. His clothes combine the best aspects of old Dixie and urban elan, including detail-perfect cotton shirts (in the $150 neighborhood), sturdy khakis that will last decades ($145), slip-on Roper boots that you’ll want to be buried in ($395), light wool V-neck sweaters with four-season utility and an irresistible shearling coat (recently on sale for a steal). Reid does leather goods, including luggage for men who wouldn’t be caught dead with a rolling suitcase, and there’s a separate custom line that is a world unto itself. Billy Reid is nothing less than a Paul Smith for Americans, and they’ll happily share a snort of bourbon with you, whether you’re buying something or not.

From the 2009 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine