{image1}Would you spend $100-$300 on a pair of jeans? Plenty of Milwaukeeans have done it, creating such a successful business for Jesse and Jason Meyer, owners of Detour Clothing, 1300 E. Brady St., that they are opening a second location.
The new premier denim shop, also called Detour, will open at the Towne Centre Mall, 188th Street and Capitol Drive, in Brookfield. Jesse hopes to start selling by June 15, but says July 1 may be a more realistic target date.
Like the Brady Street location, the second Detour will feature approximately 35 different brands of jeans along with a nice selection of European sportswear. However, the new shop will have slightly less emphasis on men's clothing.
"We want to see how men react to this kind of style out there," says Meyer, 29.
The Meyers opened Detour in 1997 and Jesse says that originally it was difficult for Milwaukeeans to understand the value of upscale fashion and high-quality denim.
"Our jeans are more expensive than, say, Levi's because they use better denim," explains Meyer.
There are four grades of denim, with Japanese being the best, followed by Italian, American and Mexican. Most of the jeans sold at Detour are made from Italian denim and retail around $100, but they also carry a few pairs made from Japanese jean material that sell for much more.
{image2}Diesel, Seven For All Mankind and Citizens For Humanity are a few of their most popular brands. "I have a pair of jeans from Diesel that have lasted me five years," says Meyer. "It's like buying a car: You pay for what you get."
Before Detour, Jesse and Jason owned a ski and snowboard business in West Bend and later lived in California. They decided to move back to Milwaukee and open a clothing store similar to those that they appreciated on the West Coast.
"People sometimes compare Detour to a New York boutique, which is flattering, but I wouldn't call it that," he says.
Over the years, Detour has evolved with its customers, many of who changed their perceptions about high quality clothing.
"People really understand what we're doing now and therefore," says Meyer happily, "we sell a lot of jeans."
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
