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How did you get started?
Brian Sacawa: I started He Spoke Style about four years ago. I have always been interested in menswear and style ever since my father made me watch old James Bond movies when I was a kid. I’ve always been a very detail-oriented person and menswear is about attention to detail and being precise, with lots of room to be expressive and do your own thing. I sensed there was a void for menswear online—for a site that combined information and inspiration into something more attainable for the mature, professional guy who was interested in fashion. From the very beginning, we wanted to be a site that offers honest, relatable, and approachable content for the regular guy.

What makes your blog different from others?
BS: I think it’s the personality and the connection people feel to me, because I’m just a regular guy, whereas bigger publications deal with an editor. I’ve also done other web-based projects in the past, so I knew how it works, but getting into the rhythm of seasons and how things work in fashion was different. At first I would just write what I was interested in but, as we’ve grown, I’ve understood the importance of what people are looking for each month.

How did you come up with the name HeSpokeStyle?
BS: Originally it was titled Baltimore Style Guide, because like a lot of my other projects, I’ve started small in the community and branched out. But I had a good friend that hated the name and said I shouldn’t tie myself to the city since style is universal. So I came up with He Spoke Style, it’s a play on bespoke, which is the ultimate of custom-suit making. It wasn’t the original idea, but that’s the one that stuck.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your business?
BS: You’re able to communicate something about yourself, who you are, what group you belong to, or want to belong to, simply by what you wear. We reach over half a million people every month now between our social media accounts and our site. It’s great to know that what we’re doing is actually useful to people.

What are some of the collaborations you have coming up?
BS: Right now were doing a couple big projects with IWC, which is a luxury watch manufacturer. We have a three part content series with them coming up based on a brand new limited edition timepiece that they have. We’re also partnering with brands like Otterbox, and Dom Perignon, and we’re currently a contributing editor to The Rake Magazine, which is the premiere men’s style magazine.

What do you see coming next for He Spoke Style?
BS: I want to increase our YouTube presence. I think there’s a big opportunity for us there, so we’re actually working on a couple different content series right now that are all video related.

Who is your style icon?
BS: My friend Giampaolo Alliata from Milan. He sticks to a blazer, pants, a shirt, and a tie. He’s this put together man, but there’s no flash. It’s all about subtlety.

What is your go to look?
BS: Simple and basic. For instance, a blue suit with a white shirt and a grey tie.

No outfit is complete without?
BS: The perfect fragrance.

What was the most embarrassing fashion trend you have ever participated in?
BS: Skidz. Do you remember those? It was the late eighties or early nineties when MC Hammer pants were in. They were these sort of very wide pajama pants that were plaid or had some kind of weird pattern on them, and then they had that traffic sign with the car skidding on them.

What is your favorite trend right now?
BS: I guess my favorite trend is actually men caring about how they dress and putting some effort into it.

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The store is all about bringing the community together and giving exposure to other Baltimore-based companies, with most of the pieces in the store created or designed locally. Customers are even given a shot of whiskey at checkout to welcome them into the Angel Park family. We met up with owner Justin James to discus the ins and outs of owning a menswear boutique.

What’s it like being one of the few stores in Baltimore that solely sells men’s wear?
JJ: I like it. With the experience that we have, I’m able to go out and find unique pieces to bring to Baltimore that are more unique than what you see in a typical store.

How would you describe your store?
JJ: Fun, creative, full of energy, and very personable.

How did you get the name for your store?
JJ: I was coming home from a trip from Los Angeles, the City of Angels. I wanted to bring all of the inspiration I felt from that trip to the shop. I like having the California vibe brought to the store.

Who is your style inspiration?
JJ: I don’t really have a person as inspiration. My inspiration is that with fashion, you can use clothing as an extension of your character. It’s another way to express who you are and your mood that day.

Current favorite trend?
JJ: I’m really big on accessories for men. I like adding little bells and whistles to make an outfit not so typical.

What’s your guilty pleasure?
JJ: Netflix for sure.

No outfit is complete without . . . ?
JJ: A splash of color and your own personality.

Our top three picks:

(From left to right: Esemplare Coat, $329; Mr. Turk Pineapple Trousers, $268, Tailor Vintage Trunks, $78)

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