Last Wednesday we chatted with several local boutique owners to find out what was hot for the ladies this spring, and now it's the guys' turn. There are plenty of male fashionistas in this town to give us the lowdown, so read up.

Tyler Reiter
Owner, Moxy
2219 N. Farwell Ave., (414) 220-9910

What they carry
Basics for the guy wardrobe: Dependable jeans, T-shirts and jackets, all in a reasonable price range. Customers are college students and older, so Reiter says he keeps that in mind. "We try to keep a mix of prices; not every shirt in here is $100 or $200."
Reiter also says Moxy's customer service sets them apart. "We've actually won an award in Lucky magazine for our service. Customer service has always been our anchor."

Spring forecast
Graphic T-shirts. "Graphic tees are always popular," notes Reiter. Check out the brand Howe or a new line the shop is carrying called Jedidiah. A socially responsible company, five dollars from certain Jedidiah shirts goes to various charities and one percent of the company's revenue goes to humanitarian groups and social aid programs.

Denim. Reiter says any fit other than skinny does well in the shop: "We don't do a lot of the skinny fit." What they will have: straight leg, relaxed, boot cut and slouchy styles by True Religion and Seven, two best-selling brands. A hybrid of the slouchy/boot cut silhouette, Reiter likes a relaxed, comfortable fit that's not too wide on the bottom.

Woven shirts. A carryover from fall, button down shirts are still strong. "We have a lot of plaid and western-y plaid coming in all different colors by Howe and Ben Sherman."

What he's picking up
Button down shirts. $49-$129.

Howe hooded sweater. "It's a cardigan hooded sweater in Merino wool. Anything from Howe, I get. I like the styling of it." $110.

Seven "Slouchy" jean. "It's my new favorite jean. It has a narrower bottom but a relaxed fit." $150-200.

Jason Meyer
Co-owner, Detour
1300 E. Brady St. (414) 273-5156

What they carry
Known not only for the store's longevity (it's been open 11 years) but its impeccable and well-edited selection of menswear (and women's apparel too), brothers Jason and Jesse Meyer know what their customers like.

Detour's also got exclusivity on hot brands like rag & bone and A.P.C. "Receiving local and national awards and press we're able to carry brands other stores can't," says Meyer. "Vendors are very picky on who they pick (to carry their clothing.)" Meyer heads to market in L.A., Vegas and New York several times a year.

Spring forecast
Cool jeans. Whether it's a dark, clean, no-frills pair of boot cut denim or a slightly distressed looking jean with a dirty wash, denim has cleaned up its act. Meyer names Diesel as a big seller of this look.

"They're not tight, but they're a tailored jean," says Meyer. "These looks have really energized guys again."

Tailored button downs. Details, details, are what guys are going to find in this spring's button-down shirts. Collars have a strip of velvet sewn on the inside and shirt cuffs have a cool pattern underneath.

"(These are) trickle down features from tailored or handmade shirts," Meyer says.

Wear a smaller gingham check or plaid pattern button down alone or underneath a blazer or cool zip-up sweater.

Getting more bang for your buck. Good news: clothing lines are adding more affordable pieces. With the economy in a slump, this is definitely a good thing for the wallet. "A lot of my in-store business is in the $90-$100 range," acknowledges Meyer. "The beauty of it is we are just loving this stuff, including myself." Customers are gravitating toward shirts, blazers and jeans that are cheaper, but definitely not cheaper looking.

Another way to make your green go further? Buying organic and sustainable clothing from socially responsible companies. "It is very important for our customers to feel like they're helping out-even in a little way."

What's he's picking up
A.P.C. "New Standard" jean, $140, and Nudie gray jean. $265.

Plaid button-downs. "I will be picking up many, many of these shirts. I'm a button-down freak." $49-$99.

RVCA windbreaker. $99.

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