Suit up! Atherton’s new Alton Lane has booze, poker and a 3-D body scanner

Colin Hunter and I have something in common: We hate malls.

Hunter used to work in finance down in Atlanta, and he said the idea of going to the mall on a weekend to get new clothes for work was “the closest thing to hell that you could imagine.”

That got him thinking about a new shopping experience for men, and that led him and Peyton Jenkins to create Alton Lane in New York in 2009. Alton Lane offers bespoke (a fancy word for custom-made) menswear, like suits and shirts. The newest location opens Friday in Atherton Mill, and I got a tour of the small shop from Hunter earlier this week.

Let’s talk about this front room.

This is what you see when you walk in.

I stared at the wall for a solid minute until I realized there was a handle in the Wrigley Field-esque vines. The door leads to a larger room with a custom-made wood bar to the left with a TV above it.

Hunter, 34, said he wants it to feel like a speakeasy when you come in, like it’s some kind of secret room. He also wants it to feel like you’re visiting someone’s house or apartment, not a retail store. Comfy couches and chairs fill a back room, with another TV and music playing in the background.

The bar.

Everything starts at the bar — what Hunter calls the Design Bar. The bar does serve drinks — free drinks — but it’s also where the shopping process begins.

“Most guys hate shopping,” Hunter said. “How can we make it not feel like a typical store?”

The bar is one way Alton Lane tries to do that. You come in, get a drink, maybe watch the game on TV, then someone will come talk with you about what you want, asking questions to understand your style and needs: What are you looking for? Is it for a special event? What do you like? Do you sweat a lot? What annoys you about your clothes? What’s your price range?

Speaking of price: Custom shirts range from less than $100 to $500 for some ridiculously fancy fabric. Custom suits start at about $500 and go all the way to $10,000.

The 3D scanning thingy.

Sure, you could get measurements with your standard measuring tape. Or you could stand inside a box and use sensors to capture 300 measurements. Hunter said this allows them to get the measurements — and fit — as perfect as possible.

Of course I tried it. It only takes a few seconds.

(Yeah, I wore jeans and a long-sleeve T-shirt to a fancy menswear shop. That’s how I roll.)

Here’s how the scan looks:

After getting the style, fabric and size, Alton Lane sends the order off to its partner factories, and it comes back in about four or five weeks. (Hunter said he wants to shorten that turnaround soon.)

The vibe.

Hunter thinks business has gotten too “transactional” and not based enough around relationships. He mentioned creating a relationship with the customer over and over again while we toured the shop. Everything about the experience is built around this idea.

– The “secret room” in the back with a flat-screen TV and poker table, that anyone can use for free — even if you don’t buy anything.

– The free booze.

– The table at the front with accessories and gifts: flasks, watches, ties, bar tools and more. Hunter said everything on the table is something he or Jenkins use.

Want to check it out?

Alton Lane (2000 South Blvd. between Big Ben Pub and Savory Spice) opens Friday, Oct. 28. You can make an appointment now at www.altonlane.com. Hunter said the first 100 customers will get something special, but wouldn’t tell me more.

“It’ll be worth their while,” he said.

Photos: Sarah Crosland; Corey Inscoe

This story was originally published October 27, 2016 at 12:48 AM with the headline "Suit up! Atherton’s new Alton Lane has booze, poker and a 3-D body scanner."