ABOUT HWY BLUES

unfortunately, due to outside circumstances, we have had to halt operations at hwy blues. while we were so excited to bring the best menswear in the world to new orleans, we just aren't able to at the present time. we appreciate everyone who has supported in any way.

when i was growing up, my parents had a painting of a blue dog hung on a wall in our house my entire life. i didn't know what it was, if it meant anything, or where it came from. every year they would go to new orleans and their tales of those trips became a tradition of their own. the "vampire" tour guide they'd see each trip and keep in touch with in between, late nights sipping wine in jackson square, early morning stops at strip clubs on bourbon street. it felt like another world and as i got older these stories planted the seed for a fascination with a city i'd never seen but felt a kinship to. over the years however, i learned about the culture that had molded new orleans - the music, the history both bleak and treasured, and an unknowable quality that made up one of the weirdest, most tragic, and yet happiest places in the world.

i'd always thought the first time i'd visit would be with my parents, but my dad died in 2011 and it took me longer to make my way than i'd ever imagined. but in the spring of 2018 my wife, debby and i went for our honeymoon. our first night there, with no plan or place to be, we dropped everything in our hotel and caught an uber into the french quarter, telling our driver to drop us anywhere. the architecture, the music in the broken street, and color everywhere made it clear this place was hardly like anywhere else. exiting the car, i turned to find that same blue dog from my parents house, staring back at me from the george rodrigue studio. it felt like i was home again. new orleans is a famously haunted city with no shortage of ghosts, and i think i know which one dropped me at that corner of royal street my first night here.

after that first trip, we began to plot our move from los angeles - and due to extreme luck (good and bad) during the covid-19 pandemic - we had the opportunity at the beginning of 2022 to make our way down here. new orleans is largely a retail desert, especially for men's clothing, and i'd never be able to continue my career in high-end menswear here unless we opened a shop ourselves. so that's what we did.

HWY BLUES aims to be the premier menswear shop in new orleans and online. great design is timeless and an expertly crafted garment can last for decades - developing character that is hard earned with hard wear and tough love. as the world turns, so do fashion cycles, but style is forever. hwy blues is tailored to marry the worlds of trend-driven fashion and old-world manufacturing methods to bring our customers an unrivaled, curated selection from brands across the globe.

HWY BLUES is a labor of love. it's the shop i've always wanted to work at. mostly though, hwy blues is my ticket to new orleans. without it, i wouldn't be able to live my wildest dream in the greatest city in america. every time you support us, you are keeping that dream alive and for that we can never thank our customers enough. we love y'all very much.

-bob