Todd Snyder, American Boy

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As far as fashion brands go, Todd Snyder is about as American as it gets. Snyder grew up in Iowa and, aesthetically speaking, he never totally left. His wool suits and rounded thick frames have the romance of New York and Hollywood as viewed from a great distance. And the denim is simple. Snyder, who is tall, broad-shouldered, and amiable in an uncle-y sort of way, has made a career not overcomplicating things. At J.Crew, GAP, and Ralph Lauren, he iterated. Even now, he’s not in the reinvention business.

He riffs. He appreciates. He revisits. 

The Snyder line expanded during the pandemic. He’s got 15 stores now, including the Liquor Store off Canal in Manhattan, which, in a previous life, was the vibiest J. Crew of them all. The goal is to stay big and to stay wearable. The goal is to do basics well (and, presumably, outcompete Buck Mason). The goal is to provide men with something they can wear out to dinner without thinking about it too much. Snyder doesn’t. His work fits him fine.

SPY: When did you first start caring about style and getting dressed? How old were you?

Todd Snyder: I think it really started in high school. I was always concerned about the way I looked, and I didn’t have a lot of money. My dad had just started his business. Both of my parents grew up on farms. Clothes were more of a utility type of thing. I never really thought that way. This was back in the late 70s. I took it to a different level in high school and all of a sudden, girls were complimenting me on the way that I dressed. In fact, I was voted “best dressed” at graduation. It all kind of started there. 

SPY: You’ve got a pretty incredible resume, with time spent at the GAP, J.Crew, and Ralph Lauren over the years before launching your own brands. How would you explain the difference between the Ralph Lauren and Todd Snyder look?

TS: Well, I’ve always prided myself on the clothes being American, but obviously not quite as preppy. I didn’t go to prep school. I went to a high school with about 880 kids. There’s always been a more accessible approach to fashion and a little bit less rigid. I’ve always been trying to evolve year over year too. For me, my look, I look at it the same way I think about New York. That’s why being a designer based here is so perfect because it’s such a great melting pot. I like to have a baseline of American classics. Then, if I find a Moroccan-inspired trench or an Indian madras texture, something more exotic, I can always add it in. I like to think about the archetype of my guy being Paul Newman. When you see pictures of him in Venice, he’s got a beard and the coolest glasses, and he looks dressed up. And then, you’ll see him in the country with his kids and he’s wearing the Levi’s slim, five-pocket jeans and a sweatshirt. 

When I got started in the industry,I was always thinking about movies and the old Hollywood greats. Now, everyone has a stylist. Those guys were just dressing themselves; they were just a different kind of cool. 

SPY: When you were younger, and first came into some success and had a little extra spending money than you were used to, what was that first big purchase you made?

TS: I remember wanting to have a Rolex early on. I remember getting the J.Crew catalog in the early 90s and on the cover, this girl was wearing a guy’s watch. I thought, “What the heck is that?!” I didn’t know what a Rolex was. I was 20 or something. And I thought it was a really cool chunky watch. Then, I looked into it and it was like, $2,000. Of course, those are now $8,000 to $10,000. When I was working at Ralph Lauren, it was kind of a treat to myself. 

Before that, when I got my first paying job at J.Crew in ‘93, I said, “Okay, I’m going to buy a Tutor.” So I got one. You could say it was the poor man’s version of a Rolex, because Rolex owns them, but I got a big, chunky submariner. I was very proud and it kind of had that look. I upgraded to the Rolex once I got the director job at Ralph Lauren.

SPY: Is there something you’d recommend young people invest in now? Something that every person can benefit from that tends to last?

TS: The reason I kind of started my brand was to answer the philosophical questions, “What is a great jean?” and “What is a great shoe?” Today, it’s raining. “What is a great trench coat?” I’m thinking about those basics and why you’d want to have them forever. I look at almost everything I buy as an investment. I’m going to have it ten years from now. A watch is a great example. It appreciates over time. That’s how I design as well. When I was younger and dating, this one girl said to me, “You can always tell a well-dressed man by his shoes and his watch.” That stuck with me. I think it’s true. You can check out somebody’s shoes and see that they’ve got style. 

After that? For those aspirational pieces, I go to a lot of art exhibits and love going to affordable art fairs. I love the one out in Greenpoint to get some pieces from really amazing, upcoming artists. One of my favorites is Corey Daniels, up in Maine. 

SPY: What’s your favorite splurge?

TS: The thing I’ll always spend money on is a great meal. Discovering new restaurants and design for me is huge. I think I secretly probably wish I was a chef. But those guys work way too hard. 

SPY: What’s the last restaurant you went to that you really loved?

TS: I’m still addicted to Dan Kluger’s Loring Place. I got to meet him when he was at ABC Kitchen and we became good friends. It’s still my number one.