Get In, Get Out — Austin’s Man Outfitters Makes Men’s Shopping Easier

What would it be like if men could shop in the way they prefer — to get exactly what they need and get out? That’s what you get when you shop at Austin’s Man Outfitters.

Shopping Like a Man

Let’s be honest — men (broadly speaking) shop differently than women. Women love to window shop, browse and hunt for a good deal or funky vintage piece. They will scour sample sales in search of that mega-discounted must-have item.

When Gen Z TikTok says abandon the skinny jean for the wide-leg? The ladies abide. Want a sparkly or frilly dress — even when there’s no specific event on the calendar? Just get it, girl.

Men, on the other hand, generally shop for what they need. They shop to replace that beloved shirt that succumbed to a hole in the armpit. Perhaps there’s an upcoming wedding, conference or trip, and they need the perfect outfit.

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What a Man Wants When He Shops

Online men’s retailer Man Outfitters knows the difference.

“Male shoppers want to get in and out,” explains Man Outfitters CEO Jason Klann. “There’s something they want. They want to get it as quickly and easily as possible. Then they move onto something else that’s not shopping.”

Man Outfitters’ clothing selection includes a diverse range of brands, from established names like North Face and Vuori to up-and-coming brands like Cotopaxi and The Normal Brand.

The store presents its active lifestyle apparel as a cohesive collection. Scrolling through Man Outfitters’ outfit gallery on its site or Instagram, it’s a cinch to pick out the right ensemble for a weekend trip to the coast or a running-errands-around-town look.

Shoppers add what they want to their carts. An outfit is ready to go in minutes.

A Flagship Man Outfitters Store To Open

Klann takes pride in simplifying the process of buying clothes for men. He believes in the company’s motto, “Work hard, play hard, shop easy,” which he says is at the core of everything it does.

This summer, the commitment to customer convenience is driving Man Outfitters to open its first physical store at Barton Creek Square Mall. The new store offers a more personal and convenient shopping experience, in lockstep with the company’s mission.

Klann jokes that its in-person shop is antithetical to most stores, where upselling customers is the main objective.

“The store will take the same curated collections, outfit ideas and shop-the-look approach as the website does,” Klann explains.

“The goal is to get customers in and out of the store with what they need as quickly and easily as possible,” he says. “They have other things to do.”

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Fixing a Broken Shopping Experience

Klann, who is originally from Minnesota, first moved to Austin in 1999 on a whim, without visiting the capital city before. An avid follower of Wilco, The Jayhawks and pretty much any band with lots of pedal steel guitar, he loved music. And he was also a mediocre bass player, so why not move to Austin?

After a stint in the Midwest leading acquisition projects for a giant corporation, Klann and his wife returned to Austin in 2008. He began advising early-stage companies on mergers.

He was reminded of his high school and college days working retail at The Gap and County Seat. He felt that the traditional retail shopping experience was “broken.”

In 2018, Klann acquired Man Outfitters and aimed to provide a better way for men to build their own personal style.

Comfortable Core Basics With Personality

While the original owners of Man Outfitters skewed toward preppier wares for younger men, Klann looked to his own vibes for inspiration.

His style focuses on comfortable core basics, made with stretch and breathability — perfect for the Texas heat. He’ll occasionally mix a shirt with a bold print or a graphic tee with a retro vibe.

“My personal style is actually pretty subdued, which makes sense. Man Outfitters is not trying to set new trends,” Klann explains.

“We want to give men ideas on how to style a complete outfit,” Klann continues. “One of the biggest challenges men have is figuring out what goes together.”

In addition to the new Austin store, which Klann hopes to replicate in other major markets, Man Outfitters is also working on a private label brand in the coming year.

“We’ve had women who’ve shopped for men tell us we should do this for women’s clothes,” Klein laughs. “But we’re focused on men for now.”

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