Launched By Two Lower Merion High School Grads, American Trench Is Now An International Success.

by Melissa Jacobs

Main Line men have a new place to shop. In mid-November, American Trench opened its first brick-and-mortar boutique in Ardmore. Located at 15 E. Lancaster Ave., the shop features classic, preppy yet modern menswear. Best known for its socks, American Trench also offers coats, scarves, hoodies and other pieces designed by its co-owners Jacob Hurwitz and David Neill, both of whom live in Wynnewood.

This boutique is the first retail store for American Trench. Since its founding in 2013, the company’s merchandise has been sold online and in upscale shops around the world. But the company has been based in Ardmore for a decade. “We ship and store all of our merchandise from Ardmore,” Hurwitz explained. “We outgrew the space we were in, so we decided to open a store to give us both storage and retail space – and a way to interact with customers.”

The shop is a jewel box of expertly – and locally – made décor. Havertown’s Ian Stafford of Wing and Wood made some of the furniture while other pieces are from Philadelphia’s Vintadelphia. Work from local artists Michael Green and Joe Ives is prominently displayed. “It’s been a great creative experience to put the store together because it’s a physical manifestation of the aesthetic of our brand, which has only been online,” Hurwitz said.

American Trench – the company and its name – were inspired by a trench coat. Hurwitz and Neill wanted to create an American version of Burberry’s classic trench coat. Using factories in the United States – specifically the Delaware Valley, when possible – is an American Trench corporate value that Hurwitz and Neill maintain, even as their company has expanded.

But back in 2010, the lifelong friends, both of whom grew up in Narberth and graduated from Lower Merion High School, weren’t quite sure how to create their ideal trench coat. Although Hurwitz and Neill have degrees in art, they had no formal experience with textiles or designing garments. “We are definitely self-taught designers,” Hurwitz said. “We learned about the technical ends and we learned a lot about manufacturing. We’re still learning every day.”

After spending three years perfecting the prototype and finding expert manufacturing for it, Hurwitz and Neill launched American Trench with a Kickstarter campaign for the coat. Socks were an afterthought.

Created as a way for people to support American Trench without purchasing a coat, the socks were designed by Hurwitz and Neill in line with their classic aesthetic. The original sock collection included a single striped sock, a few colors of herringbone socks and some solid colors. “Then, we got requests from boutiques that wanted to sell the socks, and they took off,” Hurwitz said.

Now, American Trench socks are sold in stores all over the United States, and in Japan and Europe. Of course, they are available at the Ardmore shop, as are hoodies and casual wear from Original Equipment, Hurwitz and Neill’s other brand. The store also carries apparel and footwear from other upscale, independent brands, notably Corridor NYC and Greg Cordeiro’s Easy Mocs.

For more information, visit American Trench, 15 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore.

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Want more style stories? Read about Ardmore’s The Dimes Club and the latest trends at Main Line women’s boutiques.

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