For the last two years, Signature Stag Fine Menswear in Lubbock has been voted “Best Men’s Store” by KCBD 11. If you’ve ever shopped at this classy and welcoming men’s boutique then you know exactly why! Their customer service exceeds all expectations and the shopping experience is like none other. If you haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Signature Stag, we’ve got the inside scoop on what makes this local store so special.

Founder and Owner Natalie Huey spoke with us about the store’s origins, the unique shopping experience you’ll get at Signature Stag, and the wonderful ways her store has planted roots in the Lubbock community.

The Origins of Signature Stag Fine Menswear

“My grandfather was an entrepreneur, and I really looked up to him. Out of 19 cousins, I was the only one to go to business school. I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur and a business owner. My grandfather actually passed away while I was in college, but he was so excited that I had decided to go to business school. He actually told me, ‘In order to be successful as an entrepreneur, you have to be willing to take risks, and you also have to find a niche that needs to be filled.’ That was such a valuable piece of information from him.

About seven years ago, my husband convinced me to move to Midland, Texas. At the time I was doing financial services and had my own practice. It was going really well, but I had always wanted to have a storefront or a business of my own. I dealt with a lot of business owners, and I kept hearing over and over from my male clients that they had to go to Lubbock or Dallas to find something to wear for special events. A lightbulb went off in my head, and I remembered my grandfather saying, ‘find a niche that needs to be filled and fill it.’ So I started doing some more research, and I actually wrote an 85-page business plan. Midland had the highest income per capita when I was doing my research. They have the most millionaires and billionaires in a small area, and there is a five to one guy to girl ratio. There are tons of ladies boutiques in Midland, but there were no men’s stores other than JoS. A. Bank and Men’s Wearhouse. I’m the only independent men’s store out there. So, that’s how I got started.”

Making a Home in Lubbock

“I started my business in Midland in 2013, and stayed there for four years. I have a stepson here in Lubbock and that was a big influencer in my decision to come out to Lubbock. I wanted to be closer to him, and my parents live out here as well. I really wanted to be closer to family. I prayed about it a lot, and felt that God opened doors for me here in Lubbock and made it clear that this was the place we should call home. We opened Signature Stag in September of 2017 in Lubbock. We were only open for a few months before we won “Best Men’s Store” and then this year we were voted “Best Men’s Store” again. This was all organic and due to people giving us love and support. We’re a totally different brand and feel than the other options in town.”

Creating the Signature Stag Brand

“I developed the store by thinking, what makes guys want to shop? I thought, they like cute girls, they like beer, they like a “man cave” atmosphere, and they like sports. So my whole entire concept was based around those concepts to make the shopping experience enjoyable for men.

The name has a lot of significance as well. So there’s “Signature” like your actual, physical signature when you sign your name or signature look. Signature describes you as a person. Then the word “Stag” alludes to a social gathering of men that goes back to a place of identity. So that’s how I came up with the name of my store.

Overall, this is meant to be an enjoyable experience for men. I want them to come, hang out, be themselves, and not feel pressured or like they have to dress up. Sometimes, men will come in and say, ‘oh I look so bad today.’ And, I’m like, ‘dude, my store is all about coming in as you are. It doesn’t matter.’”

Signature Stag VS. the Big Box Stores

“In chain stores you don’t walk in and get offered a beer. When I do offer a beer, guys are like, ‘Did I hear you right? Did you offer me a beer?’ It’s complimentary while they are shopping. We also offer complimentary boot and shoe shines, which is kind of unique and different. Another difference between us and the national chains is that we have brands you won’t find in other places. Some of the brands we carry only do independent stores rather than national chains.

In reality, people shop online or at big box stores to try to find a good deal, but we’re more focused on the experience. People choose Signature Stag over online shopping because they are choosing the experience.

One thing that is really helpful and valuable for my customers is that we offer a wish list program. We take notes on the man’s skin tone, their coloring, and the fit that they like. We focus a lot on activities as well. So whether you’re an outdoorsman, a hunter, a fisherman, a college guy, or a golfer; we have a bunch of different categories that are all incorporated on that wish list. Men can circle brands they like or don’t like, and their hobbies or interests. Then, when the ladies or whoever come in to shop for them for birthdays, anniversaries, or Christmas; they have a good foundation to find something their gentleman already picked out or would absolutely love based on his wish list profile. This gives a lot of love and “TLC” to my customers.

We also welcome children in the store. I love kids – I mean the reason I moved to Lubbock was to be closer to my stepson. Sometimes parents come in with their kids and are so apologetic if their kid is crying. I started thinking, what can I do to entertain these kiddos? So we always have snacks and juice, and we have a whole kids area with coloring, puzzles, and all sorts of things to keep children entertained. If the kids are a little older and not into coloring, I have a television with kid-friendly channels and they can watch tv while their parents shop. It keeps them busy and the parents always really love that.”

Natalie Huey’s Highlights as a Business Owner

“I have a wonderful staff, and I am extremely blessed. God has taken really good care of me. I was in Scottsdale for six days recently, and I actually missed my girls. I don’t know if most people actually miss the people they work with when they leave the office, but I really, genuinely do. They’re fun, they’re great, and I’ve been blessed with them.

Another highlight for me is working with wedding parties. We do rentals, and we just started a custom line of engrave-able options. One time, a girl came in and she wanted to get vests for her groomsmen. We went from helping her pick out a vest to finding matching feather bow ties for the whole party. They’re also getting the flasks engraved from us. That was a cool moment because they came in just wanting a vest, and ended up falling in love with the store and what we had to offer.”

Signature Stag + The Lubbock Community

“Both my husband and I are Texas Tech alumni and we do a lot of sponsorships through Texas Tech. We also have our own collegiate line of game day gear we created just for Red Raider fans. And, on all big home football or basketball games, we put on an awesome Bloody Mary bar for a pre-tailgate!

Opportunities to help out in the community is another perk of being a business owner. My husband and I are doing the Make a Wish Dancing with the Stars event. I got volunteered to do that this year, and we’ve already raised a lot of money for the Make a Wish program. We’re also doing some fundraisers for high schools in the area. We do a prom night for each school where they get a discount and part of the proceeds go back to Project Graduation. It’s always fun to get the opportunity to give back to the community.”

Yes, Signature Stag is a wonderful store with amazing products and customer service, but at the end of the day it’s that unique connection they have with the community that makes shopping local so special. You can find Signature Stag Fine Menswear on Towny – the FREE and easy way to explore Lubbock, choose local, and get rewarded for doing so! Find Towny online or download the mobile app to your phone.