Now Open: Sartorialoft Brings Cooly Conceptual Menswear to Downtown LA

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When it comes to menswear, most LA boutiques tend to stick with safe bets. But for those looking to take some risks without gambling away their dignity, there's Sartorialoft, which opened last weekend across from Downtown's Biscuit and Toy Factory lofts. The boutique, which was previously online-only, carries a tight range of progressive labels from Italy, France, and right here in LA.

"We've curated the boutique to meet the needs of a niche market—one that's looking for unrivalled construction and materials," says owner David Choi. Each piece's ingenuity is subtle, from a dinner jacket by Carol Christian Poell with seams that split and contract as you move, to a multi-compartment wallet by m.a+ made from a single piece of leather. The shop also carries a selection of apparel and boots from the Carpe Diem archive, eco-friendly pieces by Marvielab, and up-and-comers Damir Doma from France and Odyn Vovk from LA.

For the moment, the boutique is only open by appointment, but if you're planning to stop by, we'd recommend waiting until next week. At that time, knitwear line Label Under Construction will be making its debut, suspended in mid-air from a spring system created by the designer himself. This is just a preview of what's planned in months to come, when Choi will be introducing a host of new and exclusive labels for the fall season, along with some unisex pieces so the girls won't be left out. "I want this to be a place where anyone can come and have fun," he explains. We think it's working already—we haven't had so much fun looking at shirts and pants in a long time.