Moonlight Graham is a Playground for Real Men

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Grid View

Expand

Home to one of OC's earliest Ford dealerships in the 1920s, it's hard to overlook the beautiful standalone brick structure with sprawling glass windows at 401 West Chapman. After a series of largely overlook-able tenants, we're happy to report that the building has realized its rugged, manly potential. So long, lawn and garden center, hello Moonlight Graham, and your reverently curated collection of nostalgic memorabilia and menswear.

We recently had the pleasure of chatting with Moonlight Graham's founder and creative director Bart Silberman at his new digs. It's a true man-cave for those of us who aren't fortunate enough to have our own. It's not only a clothing store, it's a clubhouse: the grown-up version of the tree house you and your buddies built in the fifth grade. There's a vintage Ascot sprint car inside the store, for crying out loud.

One of the first things that impress us was the incredibly thorough inventory of Levi's products (the XX line, Made & Crafted, Levi's Vintage). Other winners include hand-picked offerings from Rockmount, Reyn Spooner, Red Wing Heritage and CXXVI. Most notably, the store serves as a flagship brick-and-mortar for their own Moonlight Graham brand. It's refreshing to see a menswear retailer that focuses on quality rather than what's trending: you won't find any RUN DMC t-shirts or shutter shades here. What you will find is a flannel shirt and a pair of Levi's which will probably last you longer than your next two cars will. These are functional clothes for the everyday dude; the stuff in here is timeless.

The same principles are applied to their book and music inventory. Flip through literature on everything from the inception of punk rock to the world's finest whiskeys, or pick up rare 12" vinyl pressings from your favorite bands, past and present. They even carry the California-based Baxter line of premium men's grooming products, making it a one-stop shop for all things testosterone. Moonlight Graham is a much-needed injection of manliness into Old Town Orange's burgeoning epicenter of eateries, grocers -- they're even bringing in iconic musicians for exclusive in-stores and performances in the very near future. The store is open daily from 11 to 6. (Story by Bahram Fattahi)
· Moonlight Graham [Official Site]