Atlantans have had 15 years to discover the rugged, heritage American and European brands carried by menswear shop The TBCo. Heirloom Quality. Tucked discreetly on the second floor of a 1940s-era brick warehouse that was formerly an automotive piston manufacturer, access to the shop is through an unassuming awning imprinted with the word “Vintage.” Through the door is a richly painted dark green hallway and a set of stairs with gilded framed portraits lining its walls. Once at the landing, The TBCo. shop, which proprietor Luis Toache calls “The Tack Room,” unfolds with rugged clothing vignettes and neatly placed and hung vintage and modern menswear items from brands that speak of heritage quality—Stetson hats, Schott leather jackets, Ghurka leather bags, Barbour jackets, Pantherella socks and, of course, vintage finds. Antique shelves lined against charcoal gray walls display sports equipment from the 1920s to 1940s and accessories, such as Pendleton wool blankets, in a museum-like atmosphere. It’s a sportsmen-minded dream store, where men can shop for high-quality clothing in a refined atmosphere. However, as most people shop there, they are oblivious to what is just a few steps away.
Behind a simple door marked “Private” at the back of the shop is an entirely different world. Only invited patrons can enter into this highly personalized experience. Here, Toache features the Reserve Collection, which is comprised of an exclusive made-to-measure program of completely custom clothing tailored to the specific individuals who will wear them. Never fully photographed and only seen by a select few men who are invited into the recesses of The Private Room, the vibe is a throwback to a 1930s Prohibition speakeasy. Securing an appointment via invitation to The Private Room is akin to knowing the secret knock or password that opens the door to the pleasures beyond ensconced in a quaint venue. Though fairly tight-lipped about what awaits patrons of The Private Room, Toache says: “Most people that get to see this room are surprised to discover such an exclusive program in the back of a shop known for its rugged and vintage product lines. There is a stark contrast between the rugged Tack Room and the hyper-refined Private Room.”
Atlanta Style & Design was allowed a peek into The Private Room, a swanky space where crystal chandeliers drip with elegant illumination, gold-framed antique portraits and artwork line the charcoal walls, and heavy Turkish rugs are tucked underneath vintage furniture such as a leather chesterfield sofa. The ambience evokes a classic gentlemen’s club or the living space of an English country manor, where marble, brass and mahogany are at every turn. The posh space is an experience in and of itself, not just an opportunity to have a suit or tuxedo custom made from the world’s finest fabrics and tailoring services. We didn’t get to see it, but we hear there is a bar at the back of the room wrapped in a misty landscape mural and featuring antique Czech glassware and vintage silver barware. It’s where Toache crafts the best old-fashioneds in town for his patrons when he sits down with them one-on-one in a multi-hour session to learn about their particular lifestyles. Over a backdrop of softly playing music, Toache uses these personalized discussions to understand what a particular client needs and how he will wear the custom suit so the Reserve team can design an exceptional fit for that person—a part of the full experience during the appointment.
“I’ll ask my client about his lifestyle and get to know him personally while trying to develop a picture of the person as a whole—how he lives and works, what he drives. That helps me recommend what fabrics will work for his suit and its lining, buttons and all the details. From there, I choose the best fabrics for him, design the suit on paper, take him through a detailed measuring session, and then spend time observing his posture and how he moves and walks so I can tweak the design just for him. It’s all part of the experience,” Toache explains.
Due to its intimate and exclusive setting, it’s no surprise that celebrities and Hollywood producers and directors have found their way to The Private Room; however, value-conscious, career-focused men in the Metro Atlanta area also have discovered the allure of having custom-fitted and -crafted clothing made just for them. “Clients get to explore hundreds of the finest fabrics from the most prestigious mills in the world,” Toache says. He uses Loro Piana cashmere, Irish linen, Drago wool, Harris Tweed cloth, genuine ox horn buttons, and many more fabrics and apparel detailing to design one-of-a-kind clothing that fits the wearer like a glove.
Entrance to The Private Room is by invitation only; TBCo.’s website provides an opportunity to engage with the atelier by providing Toache with the client’s information in order for him to consider appointment requests. “When someone is shopping in The Tack Room at TBCo., I may see he has a need or will benefit from a private consultation in The Reserve’s Private Room and will extend an invitation,” Toache says.
Once admitted into The Private Room, clients also can shop TBCo.’s ready-to-wear high-end clothing lines and accessories, such as Crockett & Jones shoes made in England, hand-rolled Italian silk ties from Paolo Albizzati, and formal and semiformal shirts, trousers and suits that can be quickly custom tailored for those with time restrictions.
“We like to call ourselves the new generation of classic. We come from the Neapolitan school of tailoring; everything we tailor is going to have that sartorial, elegant feel, a little more organic and unstructured, and to that we add a bit of style—a wider lapel, patch pockets, banded waist—things that give you a hint of a vintage feel to the piece. That’s what sets our design approach apart,” says Toache, whose artistic background informs his style sensibilities. “People tell me they’ve never seen a shop like this. We don’t just design and sell clothing, and we don’t follow trends, but instead rely on classic designs crafted with durable and quality fabrics. We select elements [clothing] to create compositions; that’s what makes us different. We create a story around a person’s character—who he is, what he is wearing, and why. Then we assemble the final composition.” *
Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and fine art.
