The new Profield Reserve at 2309 Cherokee Street is an “apparel general store” of sorts and stocks wardrobe staples in an array of classic colors and styles. You could call it a one-stop-shop for durable T-shirts, gym bags, hats, socks, and more.
“I wanted to create a brand where you could buy a shirt and basically throw it on,” says Chris Loss, who launched the label with Rachel Polly, his girlfriend of more than nine years, and Ramon Gibbs, his barber of seven years. “Someone can walk in and say ‘I can grab two or three shirts and feel like I got my money’s worth.’”
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Prices range from $3 for a can cooler to $15 for a bucket hat to $39 for a hoodie, with sizes ranging from small to 4XL. The majority of what’s on offer, from logo sweatshirts to baseball tees, is finished in their own studio, located behind a partition at the back of the store. Polly hand-pours their candle selection, which currently includes fragrances ranging from Sweet Cyprus Noir to Fresh Field.
Loss says he got the idea for Profield Reserve after running a former online apparel business for about 10 years. He believed it was time to take his knowledge of and resources in the industry to the next stage. The goal: create a classic, St. Louis–born label with an aesthetic and quality that would have longevity and offer something for just about anyone.
“We’ve sold to anyone from an 8-year-old kid all the way up to a 60-year-old man,” Loss says. “It’s for everybody; we’re not really niche.”
His dream to create an offline apparel destination first became a reality when a space opened up just a few blocks away from Gibbs’ barbershop (where he’s widely known as B. the Barber). “This place had been a salon for years,” Loss explains. “I was walking by and I was like, ‘that’s empty!’ And I immediately sat down in B.’s chair and I was, like, ‘Dude, we’ve got to open up a T-shirt shop.’ I would say [within] six to eight hours, we three decided we were going into business together.”
They started renovating the space in January. But the world had other plans; three months later, COVID-19 hit and their grand opening party was canceled.
However, this is where Loss’ digital retail experience has particularly come in handy. “He was able to set up our online store really quickly and we were able to roll right into offering everything online and for curbside pickup, so that definitely helped,” Polly says. “And so far we’ve really had great support from the community around us. We’ve had a lot of people come in and shop to support Black business. It’s been an eye-opening experience, and it’s been a really positive experience because we know if we can make it through a pandemic, we can make it through anything.”
Eventually, when it becomes safe to do so, the team sees Profield Reserve as a space for community gatherings and events, from art exhibitions to a hangout spot for watching basketball games. “We see this place as a hub where people can come that are like-minded,” Loss says. “You don’t have to go to a bar; you can come here and just kick it with us.”
Until then, they’re giving shoppers a reason to keep coming back—they release new merchandise each week so that there’s always something fresh in the store. “Everything is made in small batches, so you may get something and you’ll never see it again,” Loss says. “But [next week], we’re going to drop something cool.”
