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Counter Culture: Twill
Minnesota Monthly, March 2005

Well, clutch my cravat and snap my suspenders: Dayton’s is back. Not literally, of course. George Draper D’s great-great-grandson is running this show, and rather than a full-fledged department store, it’s a men’s clothier. Here you’ll find that impeccable eye for display, exceptional quality goods, and salespeople who actually want you to know what makes an Old English-style seven-fold tie so cool.

The entryway is dominated by a color-coded tie grid from red-hot Vineyard Vines. Owner Scott Dayton handpicked each tie, then created a shimmering transition from blue to yellow to vermilion. Once you’ve passed this point, eyesight might be optional: a touch is all you need to know you must have a Scott Barber sport shirt (those buttons!), an authentic Carstarphen Sea Island cotton polo (the cashmere of cotton), a Hickey Freeman suit.

Twill’s well-tempered variations on traditional professional attire give men crisp options beyond blue, French blue, and somewhere in between. Private-line items are sourced to be top quality and reasonably priced. Plus there’s a flat-screen TV that’s always tuned to the game or golf. And that should thrill guys down to their Pantherella Egyptian cotton-clad toes.