Consignment shop on High caters to men's fashion

Among new business licenses issued in Jefferson City

Owner Steve Gilpin stands inside High Handsome, Men's Exchange & Consignment Clothiers, his shop on High Street in downtown Jefferson City.
Owner Steve Gilpin stands inside High Handsome, Men's Exchange & Consignment Clothiers, his shop on High Street in downtown Jefferson City.

Although approximately 90 percent of retail shoppers are female, new business owner Steve Gilpin said he's happy to cater to the remaining 10 percent.

The Mid-Missouri native opened High Handsome, a men's exchange and consignment shop, in late January. Playing off of its address, 205 E. High St., the shop found its name.

The local retail establishment is one of only 30 stores like it in the U.S., a "gently, preloved" clothing store featuring only men's apparel.

"We are very particular and focused," Gilpin said of the selection that hangs on racks and sits on his store's shelves.

Gilpin noted that he opened High Handsome after previously opening a western tack store in Madison, Wis. He added a small suit section featuring resale items, and it "took off," leading him to the current shop.

"Working in the health care field, I was going broke buying suits," the shop owner noted.

Now retired from health care, Gilpin said he loves having something to do with his time and is glad to provide a much-needed service to the Jefferson City area. Because of the downtown location in the Capital City, Gilpin said his selection features suits from all over the state, and even surrounding states.

"Because of the Legislature, we have a regional influx of inventory."

He said the store gets a lot of street traffic and is in just the right location.

"We genuinely want to contribute to the growth of the downtown area," the storeowner said.

The new resale shop sells professional and casual wear, as well as shoes, cuff links and other men-friendly items. With name brand suits such as JoS. A. Bank, Brooks Brothers, and Burberry, customers can leave looking sharp, without spending the extra dough.

Whether looking to fill their closet with suits or just a decent outfit for everyday or a night on the town, High Handsome has something for every man who likes to look sharp. The resale shop humorously declares "We fix ugly; that's our job." Gilpin said he sometimes even talks men out of purchases if the piece doesn't look nice.

"We want them to leave here looking good," the owner said.

Having been opened for six weeks now, High Handsome has been right on track to what Gilpin expected. Although some women have walked through the downtown doors, local men are proving that they too like to shop.

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The following is the list of business licenses granted by the city from the month of January.

• Summit Mechanical Inc., 5324 Algoa Road, contractor

• Mid America Prosthetic Center LLC, 1735 Southwest Blvd., retail

• Promise Land Bookstore LLC, 911 Leslie Blvd., retail

• BKT Construction & Drywall, 3221 Cassidy Road, contractor

• Roadshow USA, 3514 Amazonas Drive, temp lic

• Heartland Handpiece Express, 210 E. High St.

• High Handsome Men's Exchange, 205 E. High St., retail

• Mason's Place LLC, 126 E. Dunklin St., consum, retail

• Distler Brothers Enterprises LLC, 2073 Turkey Gulch Lane, lawn

• Keith Lesko Architect, 2538 St. Louis Road, architects

• Relleum, LLC, 2707 Lola Drive, paintwall

• Barnhill, Judy, 3218 W. Edgewood Drive, insurance

• Lothen Construction Inc., St. Elizabeth, contractor

• Syntel Limited, Troy, Mich.

• Weight Watchers North America, Inc., 915 Eastland Drive, retail

• Iogee LLC, 619 E. Capitol Ave., retail

• Allen Bailey Construction, 1003 Geneva St., contractor

• Schwartz Consultants LLC, 1908 Whitney Woods Drive, contractor

• ecoATM Inc., 3600 Country Club Drive.

• Bernskoetter, Michelle, 1411 Missouri Blvd., trade

• Erick Bryan Construction, 5608 Potter Hill Court, contractor

• Jessi Rose Photography, 114 E. High St., photo

• Classic Contracting LLC, Lee's Summit, contractor

• Foley's Handyman Services, 1503 Edmonds St., contractor

• Thrifty Designs, 212 Landwehr Hills Road, artists

• Capital City Council on the Arts, 1203 Missouri Blvd., liq picnic

• Mid-America Karate Academy, 2636 Industrial Drive, karate

• CFG LLC, Chapman Heating & Air Conditioning, Columbia, heat air

• PSC Holdings Inc., PSC Environmental Services, Kansas City