Got Clothes? Get Cultured.

Shawn Anglin, business owner of Culture Clothing, said he has always been a dreamer. He said this quality was the spark to starting the edgy, art influenced consignment store that is beginning to make its stamp on the Lubbock community.

After working in banking for six years, Anglin said, he was sick of working a stereotypical job that started before 7 a.m. He said after being fired from his job at Wells Fargo, he woke up on a Saturday morning with an idea for the current retail store he and his wife now own. Anglin said he and his wife had been saving for a down payment for a house, but the funds seemed more fitting for their dream. But the real question is, why consignment and not a normal retail store?

“There’s a middle ground between the stuff you find at the mall or at Malouf’s and Goodwill. There’s got to be something,” Anglin said. “I’m a huge fan of Buffalo Exchange and the way they run their business and the clothes they offer. I mean, from the top down it’s just a solid business. I thought about franchising it, but then I thought, nah that’s going to cost too much money, I’ll just open my own Buffalo Exchange.”

Anglin said he and his wife wanted Culture Clothing to be the equivalence of a place where one could kick off their shoes and talk. He said they wanted it to be an experience more than just a trip to buy clothes.

“From the time you walk in, the smell, the sound, everything you see; I want every sense to be bombarded. I want it to be an experience.”

The physical structure of the store is almost indescribable. Anglin said he and his wife knew they weren’t interested in a cookie-cutter kind of place. He said they wanted something close to Texas Tech that wasn’t a typical retail space. Anglin said it was all about being eccentric, and once they found the current facility that they’re in, he knew it was meant to be. But that was not the only bonus they acquired after deciding to purchase the space.

Rumor has it, the Culture Clothing retail store was once home to a recording studio that the late Buddy Holly once recorded in.

“There’s no way to back this up, but I can guarantee there is a basement with a recording studio underneath,” said Anglin. “I’ve seen it. It’s in terrible shape, but it’s a 10,000 square foot basement; it’s huge.”

Anglin continued to explain that the tall tale might in fact be accurate. Apparently, Anglin said, Holly lived right around the corner from where Culture Clothing is now and he believes the idea is not entirely far fetched.

Not only is the outside eclectic, inside of the retail store is just as eye-catching and authentic. Anglin said his wife is the mastermind behind all of the decorating. He said she came up with everything from their color scheme to Culture Clothing’s logo.

Anglin said they wanted Culture Clothing to be very art-friendly when it came to decorating the store.

“We want it to be about fashion, art and community. Those are our three big things,” he said. “We wanted to meet our culture. There’s a whole culture in Lubbock that wants a place to call their own and that’s what we want this to be.”

As far as clothing goes, Anglin said, they typically look for fashion-forward items. He said their store manager is the brains behind this category. Anglin said she has been in retail for years, has a knowledge of fashion and is passionate about it.

Another topic Anglin said he and his staff are passionate about is the Lubbock community itself. He said he wants to give back to the area just because so many have helped him and his fellow employees through the growth of Culture Clothing.

He described a time where he heard about the guys of “Ultimate Bike Ride,” a group of Tech students who started a bike-riding movement, and wanted to contribute to their escapade. Anglin said the bike riders and 120 fellow participants ride around Lubbock once a month between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. On their most recent ride, he said, the bikers stopped by Culture Clothing and Anglin and his staff provided hot chocolate for them and had the store opened so they could look around and shop. He called the event “organic” and said it was really cool to have different parts of the Lubbock community come together to support diverse groups.

When asked if he ever saw himself doing this, Anglin chuckled.

“No,“ he said. “My mom laughs because she’ll say ‘I couldn’t even get you to hang up clothes in your room, much less hang up other people’s clothes.’“

To help support Culture Clothing and to get a little extra cash to spend on all of those Christmas gifts you need to buy, check out what the retro retail store is looking for to fill up their racks!

• Designer handbags (Anglin said he is dying to acquire a Chanel)
• Fall and winter clothes
• Wallets (for male and female)
• Watches
• Hats
• Designer jeans
• Christmas Sweaters (Anglin said they’re selling like they’re going out of style)