Portland has some pretty incredible taste when it comes to clothes. And I’m not just talking about our vintage and secondhand shops, which I love. We’ve got people designing and making their own clothing, tailoring things that don’t fit quite right, and opening shops full of things you wouldn’t find just anywhere.

There are plenty more places I could mention, but these are four shops I’ve found myself going back to or haven’t been able to stop thinking about. And honestly, the people behind them are a big part of why.

My childhood best friend's wedding was coming up, and the dress code was black tie, no exceptions. I figured it was finally time to pull out a vintage Christian Dior tuxedo jacket I hadn't worn in years. I knew there was a good chance I wasn't quite the same size I used to be, and I needed new pants anyway, so I started asking friends where I should take it. Pretty much everyone told me the same thing: go see Adele at Antoine's Formal Wear on Congress Street.

So I brought her the jacket, which was wrinkled, covered in cat hair, and definitely didn't fit me anymore. I figured she'd be able to work some magic on it, but Adele had other ideas. Apparently I've been lifting a little too much, eating a little too much, and was dreaming if I thought I was ever going to squeeze back into that thing.

The problem was, I was leaving for the wedding in a week, and now I was starting to panic. Luckily, Adele wasn't nearly as worried as I was. She went into the back and came out with this gorgeous black suit with wide-leg pants, long lapels, and silk trim. Somehow, she managed to get the whole thing tailored and ready for me in just a week, which was pretty incredible of her. I can't tell you how much I appreciated that.

Now I understand why everyone told me to go see Adele. She's been designing and making clothes for over 30 years, starting in the Congo, and does everything from alterations to custom wedding gowns. She's an absolute class act, but she's also not going to tell you something looks good when it doesn't. By the time she was done, I was a little worried I might upstage the bride.

And here's a photo of me at the wedding wearing the suit, in case you were curious how it all turned out.

If you ask around about men's clothing in Portland, it won't take long before someone tells you to go see Kazeem at Portland Trading Co. on Market Street. And I can understand why. I think he has some of the best taste in clothing of anyone I've come across in Portland. Between the clothes he designs himself, the brands he brings in, and everything else he's managed to fill that shop with, there's always something I want.

I now own two jackets from Portland Trading Co., an all-black chore coat with these amazing, almost nautical toggles, and one of his Maine Guide field jackets. The quality of both is next level, and I love that he's making his own versions of these classic styles. My only problem with the shop is that I'm genuinely a little nervous every time I walk through the door because there's a pretty good chance I'll want to spend everything I make.

I originally went into Loquat because I wanted to see the cabinets. I'd been doing some research on old Portland buildings and heard that the shop still had the wooden cabinets from Carter Brothers Jewelers, dating back to the late 1800s. I know that's probably a strange reason to visit a clothing store, but they're gorgeous. Honestly, the whole shop is one of the most beautiful in Portland.

And then there's Madison. She's genuinely one of the kindest people I've met, and I have no idea how she finds the time to do everything she does. She and her team are making clothes right there in the shop, sewing, printing fabrics, doing embroidery, all of it. My personal favorite is their block-printed oyster shirt. I never thought I'd have such strong feelings about a shirt covered in oysters, but here we are. Lately, she's also been making these gorgeous bags in bright primary colors, all by hand. I really don't think there's much she can't make.

And on top of all that, Loquat is full of work from dozens of other local artists and makers. I love that she's giving so many talented people in Portland a place to sell what they're creating. It's become one of those shops I always want to stop into when I'm walking down Congress Street.

I swear, every time I walk past 33 By Hand on High Street, there's James at his sewing machine working on something. He's a friend of mine, and I have a lot of respect for how hard that man works. He makes everything from clothing to leather goods, including a wallet we have at home that we absolutely love. He's also regularly hosting pop-ups for other local artists, which is another thing I really appreciate about him.

Now, James and I have pretty different tastes in clothing. His stuff leans more toward streetwear, while I'm somewhere between cowboy Americana and a Mediterranean vacation, if that makes any sense. But there's this green jacket with matching pants that I cannot stop thinking about. I'm not entirely convinced I could pull off the whole outfit, but I'm getting dangerously close to finding out.

I recently learned that Portland's Custom House apparently has dungeons. Actual dungeons.

I've never been inside, but I've seen photos and have friends who performed there years ago. From everything I've seen, the place is gorgeous. There's this enormous two-story hall with black-and-white marble floors, iron balconies, beautiful old woodwork, and an eight-foot clock right in the middle of it. Not exactly what I'd expect to find in a government office.

The building was constructed between 1867 and 1872, shortly after the Great Fire destroyed much of downtown Portland. Back then, Portland was one of the busiest shipping ports in the country, and ships arriving from overseas had to pay taxes on whatever they were bringing in.

By 1866, the city was collecting around $900,000 a year in customs duties. And since some of that money was paid in actual gold and silver, the government needed somewhere pretty secure to keep it.

So they built these enormous vaults, some two stories tall. One had two combination locks, locking mechanisms on both sides, and even more locked compartments inside. There were even armed guards stationed on the balconies overlooking the main hall, keeping an eye on merchants making their payments below.

But honestly, I want to know about the dungeons.

Greater Portland Landmarks mentions them almost in passing on its website. I found an account from someone who toured the building years ago saying the dungeon once held prisoners and was later used to store coal. But I haven't been able to confirm that history, and now I have even more questions. Who exactly were they locking up? And why did a customs house need a dungeon in the first place?

Luckily, Greater Portland Landmarks is hosting a presentation about the building this Thursday, November 5, at 5:30 p.m. at Portland Public Library, followed by rare guided tours of the Custom House on Friday and Saturday.

I'm hoping to make it to one of them, but if anyone manages to find out what those dungeons were actually used for, please tell me. I'm genuinely curious.

🐱 Squirrel – 1 yr
A cat named Squirrel! She's confident, friendly, and has yet to meet many people she doesn't like. Ready to move in, make herself comfortable, and be spoiled rotten.

🐱 Stiletto – 3 yrs
A shy little lady who's learning to trust people. She's gone from hiding to coming out for pets and purring! Stiletto is FIV+ and needs a patient, cat-savvy home without young kids.

If the link doesn’t open anymore, it means they’ve already been adopted!

Hot Mulligan @ State Theatre | 7 pm | 🎟️ $40

Kylie Morgan: The Healed Cowgirl Tour @ Portland House of Music | 8 pm | 🎟️ $25

The Great Experiment @ SPACE | 7 pm | 🎟️ $10

Julia's Afro-Global Kitchen Grand Opening @ Public Market House

Palaver Strings: Inside the Process @ Mechanics' Hall | 7 pm | 🎟️ $21

Marc Maron @ State Theatre | 8 pm | 🎟️ $42

American Ballet Theatre Studio Company @ Merrill Auditorium | 7 pm | 🎟️ $35

3rd Annual Harvest Dinner @ Twelve | 🎟️ $185

WMPG 21st Annual Bluegrass Spectacular @ One Longfellow Square | 7 pm | 🎟️ $30

Long Live the New: A Tribute to Rustic Overtones @ Live at Madrid's | 6 pm | 🎟️ $15

Custom House Conversation @ Portland Public Library | 5:30 pm | Free

First Friday Art Walk @ Downtown Portland | 5 pm | Free

Leslie Jones @ State Theatre | 8 pm | 🎟️ $35

Willi Carlisle with Sparrow Smith & the Resonant Rogues @ First Parish Church | 8 pm | 🎟️ $20

Connor Garvey & Ben Cosgrove @ One Longfellow Square | 8 pm | 🎟️ $30

A Super Fine John Prine Time with Highway Kind @ The Hill Arts | 7 pm | 🎟️ $25

Funk Jerry @ Oxbow Blending & Bottling | 7 pm | 🎟️ $25

Painting with Fire: Pamela Browne with Molten Wax @ 157 Middle Street | 6 pm

Pop-Up Bakery at Frith Farm @ Frith Farm, Scarborough

4th Annual Potato Palooza @ DiMillo's | 🎟️ $20

Jay Leno @ Merrill Auditorium | 7 pm | 🎟️ $59–$99

Gallery Tour: The Wyeths with Victoria Browning Wyeth @ Portland Museum of Art | 11 am

Cranksgiving Portland @ Portland Gear Hub | 11 am

Maine Irish Song Project with Castlebay @ Maine Irish Heritage Center | 4 pm | 🎟️ $25

A Leonard Cohen Celebration @ The Hill Arts | 3 pm | Free

Fruit Bats @ State Theatre | 8 pm | 🎟️ $35

Collective Motion presents Echoes of October @ The Hill Arts | 5 pm | 🎟️ $15

Watercolor Batik One-Day Workshop @ Artascope Studios, Yarmouth | 9:30 am 🎟️ $125

Until next week,
— Jake Newman