Drinkwater's

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leadlike

Joined 3 years ago

Cantabrigian gem for well-dressed men. Dinkwater's is great for two main reasons. One is that there are not many fine clothing boutiques for men (and this one is local to boot!), and two is the owner Gary Drinkwater himself. I've bought a few smaller items from the store previously, and Gary has always been very friendly, knowledgeable about what he carries, and is a relaxed, unhurried type of salesman.

The shop itself is small, but densely packed with color and texture.The "style" seems to be classic American menswear with a stylish, European flair. The clothes can be pricey, but the quality is top-notch.

I was in recently to explore options for winter footwear that could look good with a suit. As dressy shoes are typically not all that rugged, and vice versa, I was pleased to find a lovely pair of shoes by a French company called Paraboot that appeared to be both. I wasn't familiar with the company and Gary explained all the technical details, history and care recommendations, and answered other questions I had about construction, durability, and resole-ability.

Gary let me wander around the shop (with the shoes on) without any intervention for probably 30 minutes while I mulled over this large (for me) purchase. When I finally bought them, Gary told me to try them out for a couple days, and to bring them back if I decided I didn't care for them, or they hurt, etc., no problem.

Needless to say the shoes are great, and I had no need to return them, but the offer was certainly appreciated!