HOW DID YOU GET HERE? FEATURING BRIAN DAVIS OF WOODEN SLEEPERS STORE
NAME: Brian Davis
OCCUPATION: Owner of Wooden Sleepers
LOCATION: Red Hook, Brooklyn, NYC.
IG HANDLE: @woodensleepers
WEBSITE: wooden-sleepers.com
Brian Davis runs a small vintage store in Red Hook, Brooklyn; a quaint part of the City which is situated on the water and inhabited by small independent stores, bars and restaurants. Although only a stone’s throw from downtown Manhattan, Red Hook feels like it’s in a world of its own.
It’s the perfect place for a store like Wooden Sleepers; a highly curated space which highlights the best that North American vintage clothing has to offer. From Carhartt workwear to military OG-107s and Brooks Brothers shirting to khaki chinos, it is a veritable treasure trove for any vintage and style enthusiast.
Visiting Wooden Sleepers makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time, to a small northeastern town on the coast, where style runs the gamut from traditional workwear and military clothing to summer Ivy and prep. And that’s very intentional - it’s the environment which Brian grew up in. Wooden Sleepers is an incredibly personal journey for Brian and the store is just as humble as the man himself. It’s filled with understated garments which pack a punch, but in a modest and under-the-radar kind of way.
We were inspired by not only the store and it’s offering, but Brian’s path which got him to where he is today. He has a craft for taking us back and sharing his upbringing in rural America in a way which makes you feel like you’re right there with him. So rather than us ramble on, read on, and hear this inspired story from Brian himself.
Q: Who is Brian Davis?
A: My name is Brian Davis and I run Wooden Sleepers, a vintage menswear store located in Red Hook, Brooklyn. I grew up on the North Fork of Long Island in a rural town called Cutchogue. I was never very good at school. I spent most of my teenage years skateboarding, going hardcore shows, and swimming in the Peconic Bay. I got my first real job when I was 12 cleaning up people’s lawn’s with my friend’s dad’s landscaping company. It paid just enough to buy bad pot, skateboards, movie tickets, CD’s, and deli sandwiches - basically I was living like a king. After that I worked every shit job you could have in a small redneck town. I stocked sodas and mopped the floor at the deli, I served slices at the pizzeria, ripped ticket stubs and cleaned up the trash at the movie theater, was a lifeguard, cleaned old cars at a used car dealership, and so on. I guess I was always sort of a hustler. My parents weren’t around and I lived with my grandparents, so I was always trying to make money one way or another.
Q: Tell us, have you always been into clothing and menswear?
A: I always loved clothing. From a very young age - second grade or so, I had strong feelings and opinions about clothing, particularly what I thought was cool or not. I won’t front like my personal style was fully formed, it wasn’t, but I had an interest and a sort of visceral response to clothing. I liked the way it made me feel. Especially growing up without much money, clothing was armor, and a way to project a version of yourself that you wanted the world to see.
Q: How did you get into buying / selling vintage clothing?
A: I was always buying and selling stuff as a kid. In forth grade, my school banned this candy called “Warheads” because they were supposedly dangerous. Of course, that just made kids want them more. So, I figured I could buy them at the deli for a nickel or whatever and flip them for 50 cents a pop. My first lesson in good margins! Anyway, the vintage stuff came much later. I was shopping in thrift stores on Long Island from the time I was in Junior High, but it was just a personal thing and a way to express myself. I basically just wanted to look like Kurt Cobain. It wasn’t until my first trip to Soho as a freshman in high school that I learned about “Vintage” stores. I saw a pair of $700 Levi’s and my head nearly exploded.
Q: What advice would you give to someone starting out on a similar journey?
A: With vintage, you have to love it. No one is getting rich doing this. You must have a genuine interest in this stuff. If your heart doesn't race when you pull a gem off a rack of garbage, don’t bother. If you just want to start a business - open a laundry mat or a Dunkin’ Donuts franchise. Don’t get into vintage. You need the passion. And for God’s sake - please have a point of view!
Q: What would you tell your younger self?
A: A better life exists and you will experience it.
Q: If you weren’t slinging vintage, what would you be doing?
A: I always thought I would end up the editor of a small town newspaper. Maybe my final chapter.
Q: What is special about vintage clothing to you?
A: The hand, the provenance, the construction, understanding the history of a brand, the way it looks, the story, the scarcity, and the hunt.
Q: Give us your 4 best thrifting tips and what you look for when you’re buying vintage?
A: 1. Buy what you like, not what you think is valuable 2. Early bird gets the worm 3. Be nice to people 4. Leave no stone unturned.
Q: Second hand is no longer second best - Do you think thrifted and vintage clothing has become the new environmentally friendly way to shop?
A: People are starting to question the overconsumption cycle and the psychological effects of hyper-consumerism. Minimalism is trending. People are purging their closets. Brands like Patagonia are even marketing “buy less, buy better” or “don’t buy this at all!” and they're setting up repair stations. This is all very positive in my opinion. The stigma of used clothing is over, thankfully. People are starting to ask - why is this so cheap? Where was it made? What are the conditions workers’ face?
Q: How important is denim to the history of American clothing and the vintage offering of the store?
A: Denim is one of America’s most important cultural contributions and exports. Look at any influential actor, musician, artist, writer, etc. and they wore blue jeans. With that said, when I opened Wooden Sleepers, I felt like every vintage store I went into had a wall of expensive vintage Levi’s and being a punk kid at heart, I thought “fuck this” and I chose to not stock any denim as sort of a reactionary thing. Instead, I focused in military khakis, OG-017 and HBT, wool and camo hunting trousers - things that were not necessarily getting the same level of attention. I wanted to elevate items that were getting slept on.
Q: What are some of the most popular denim pieces that you have in the store?
A: I love denim chore coats and try to always have a range of sizes and styles available. People love them. I’m not just talking the super rare, old shit either. Sears chore coats from the 70s were amazing.
Q: What has been your favourite vintage score over the years?
A: I still get so excited when I find a great piece. That feeling of being a teenager digging through t-shirts in a church basement thrift store has not left me. I love all of the pieces we stock, but most recently I found 1950s L.L. Bean half-moon olive canvas fishing vest that I am excited to wear this spring over a chambray work shirt or vintage Brooks Brother Oxford Collar Button-down (OCBD)
Q: What is a typical day for you and is Wooden Sleepers your full time pursuit?
A: Wooden Sleepers is my full time career. Sometimes I question if it was more fun as just a hobby and not my primary source of income, but I do love the challenge of running a small business in NYC. It’s a grind, but at the end of the day, it is mine. I don’t have to answer to anyone and that freedom comes at the cost of a comfortable and stable job that pays a bi-weekly salary. A typical day usually involves tending to the store - merchandising, helping customers, cleaning up, photographing/editing/listing items for our web store and socials, sourcing new items, cleaning/mending, planning our private label “souvenirs” and packaging orders. My wife and I also have a pretty robust candle making production going for the shop. I have a 15 month old baby girl at home, so I try to spend as much time at home with her, while still driving the business. Finding that balance took a year, but I feel like we’re in a good place now.
“Buy what you like, not what you think is valuable”
BRAIN DAVIES OF WOODEN SLEEPERS
Q: What made you decide to have a brick and mortar store?
A: I love shops. I don’t shop online, I never have. I think the best way to experience a brand and product is in a store. I want to interact with knowledgable staff. I want to touch things, try things on. Immerse myself in it. See the edit in a physical space. Particularly with vintage, I felt like I could do it differently. When I opened Wooden Sleepers, I had a list of all things I hated about vintage stores and I tried to deliberately do the opposite. At the end of the day, I love having a brick and mortar shop because I like interacting with people. I like having conversations, whether it’s with a vintage connoisseur who want to really nerd out, or someone who is just getting into it. I love talking about this stuff.
Q: You’re based in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Tell us more about this area and why you chose it for Wooden Sleepers?
A: I wanted to be part of a small business community and Red Hook is very much that - independent shops, restaurants, artisans, bars, etc. It’s a bonus that it is quiet, surround by water, and has a very old feel - the area actually dates back to colonial times. I hate chain stores and had no desire to be in a popular shopping district.
Q: Wooden Sleepers has a distinctly Northeast American aesthetic. How did you approach curating the store and it’s offering?
A: It’s very personal. Where I grew up, it was mostly working class people, but it was also a destination for affluent people with summer homes. So I saw how both sides lived, and what they wore. The “Summer People” wore madras shorts, Alden cordovan loafers, white polo shirts, seersucker jackets, etc. The working “townies,” the clamers, the fishermen, the farmers, mechanics - these guys wore vintage military, denim, Carhartt, boots, etc. I was most certainly a townie, but I took things from the summer people. I have always liked taking things that weren’t necessarily for me and making them my own. Anyway, the northeast isn’t all golden retrievers, Jeep wagoneers, and lobster rolls - there’s a grit there too. I try to show both side with Wooden Sleepers.
Q: If you were putting an outfit together, what would be your 3 go-to vintage items?
A: Since we are in spring, I’ll say - vintage Brooks Brothers OCBD, vintage OG-107 fatigues or 50s military khakis, and a light jacket - maybe an HBT N-3, P44 or bleu de travail.
Q: What are your favourite things about running Wooden Sleepers?
A: Freedom and meeting interesting people.
Q: You grew up and were involved in the punk scene in and around NYC. How did this impact your personal development and any future endeavours?
A: DIY, punk, and the Long Island Hardcore scene influenced me in a profound way. Everything from my diet (I have been vegetarian and on again/off again vegan since first hearing Earth Crisis, “All Out War” as a 13 year old) to the way I shopped, favoring smaller independent business to big chains. It taught me to question things and not wait for anyone to do something for you. The idea that if you want to do something, you can do it, was very liberating. For example, if I waiting for some venture capitalist to give me a million dollars to launch Wooden Sleepers, it would not exist. Instead, I took what money I had and I did it.
“ The stigma of used clothing is over, thankfully! People are starting to ask - why is this so cheap? Where was it made? What are the conditions workers’ face? ”
BRIAN DAVIS OF WOODEN SLEEPERS
Q: If you had to pick a song to describe yourself, what would it be?
A: Bad Brains, “Attitude”
Q: Favourite record of all time?
A: Too many to choose - Silent Majority, “Life of a Spectator”, quintessential Long Island Hardcore album.
Q: Best Italian food in NYC?
A: I am not an authority. Is a plain slice from Joe’s a cop out? When I was working late nights doing the WS buildout, I would stop at Joe’s at 2 or 3 in the morning for a slice. They were always very nice and I think it’s my favorite slice in the city.
Q: Breakfast of Champions?
A: Two cups of coffee and 100 pushups.
Q: We’ve got a day free in NYC. What should we do?
A: Come to Red Hook! Get BBQ at Hometown, a cocktail and oysters at Fort Defiance, hit Steve’s Key Lime Pie for desert, and Sunny’s for a pint. Oh, and obviously Wooden Sleepers for your vintage fix.
Q: Most inspiring place you’ve visited?
A: Home with my family because I am so lucky to have them.
Q: Favourite city and why?
A: NYC because I came here to escape and do my own thing and no one had a thing to say about it.
Q: Best vacation spot?
A: What is a vacation? Just kidding, if I can get back home to the Peconic Bay once or twice a summer, I’m happy.
Q: Where do you get your morning coffee?
A: Lately, my kitchen.
Q: What does the future hold for Brian Davis and Wooden Sleepers?
A: Well, we are in the midst of a global pandemic, so hopefully I will still have a store and business to return to once all is said and done. In the meantime, I am so grateful for everyone who has purchased something online while our store is closed. You are literally keeping us afloat so - THANK YOU. Aside from that, I hope to just keep growing Wooden Sleepers at a manageable and responsible pace. I am not interested in being a big company. I am happy being small and running things myself.