Belk's for men jazzed up

Burberry at Belk? That's just one of the big surprises at the new stand-alone Belk men's store that recently opened in the old Lord & Taylor space at Crabtree Valley Mall.

Here's another shocker: 7 for All Mankind jeans. A few of which sell for $198.

Grandad's Belk? Clearly not.

Finally Belk has done to men's fashion what it started doing for women a few years ago. The new store is a pleasant surprise; a mix of old faithfuls that Belk shoppers grew up with -- Saddlebred, Levi's and Ralph Lauren -- coupled with brands you wouldn't expect at Belk. Among them: Gitman Brothers button-downs, Ferragamo ties, Donald Pliner loafers and Paper Denim & Cloth jeans.

They don't come with traditional Belk pricing, either. The Ferragamo ties sell for $135. Burberry button downs cost $115.

There's still plenty of what we're used to. There are plenty of Meeting Street button-downs, and the store has hundreds of Polo shirts -- so many, the Polo shop is among the largest in the Southeast.

But if you want to take it up a notch, here's the place to look. The store also sells higher-end suits by Burberry and Hugo Boss. The selection of Joseph Abboud has expanded. And there's Tommy Bahama wear both for weekends and for work.

The new space is one of the biggest shops for men's clothing and accessories in the area, taking up 68,000 square feet, more than double the retail space of its old location in the lower level of the Crabtree Belk store.

The changes have been a long time coming. Nordstrom and Saks both came into the market a few years ago stocking trendy, big-name brands appealing to more fashion-conscious male shoppers.

Stay tuned. Merchandisers are waiting to see what customers like. Then they plan to edit the selection once they get a better feel for customer demand, says Travis Groome, a Belk merchandise coordinator.

It's not just a shoe

If you can't seem to part with your most outrageous John Fluevogs from the 1990s, it turns out you're not alone.

You'll likely find other faithful Fluevog shoe lovers at Firefly in Raleigh this month. Store owner Ashley Worley has put together a collection of loaner vintage Fluevogs, some from as far back as 1989, for a new exhibit.

It might seem a little strange to someone who has never owned a pair.

But as Fluevog lovers will readily tell you, they're more than just shoes. For some, they're works of art. Fluevogs are known for their unique side swirls, crazy colors, contrasting stitching, thick, rubbery soles or funky, nontraditional-shaped heels -- all of which are the creation of Canadian designer John Fluevog.

For some, it's the philosophical messages on the soles that make the shoes special. On one pair "To love or hate, the choice is yours," on another "Old friends are good friends."

One of Worley's customers, Nikki Courie, came to her with the idea for the show two years ago. Worley began kicking it around, realizing she had a strong following of customers who loved their Fluevogs so much, they could never part with them. They sat in the closet, too worn to wear but too loved to be tossed out.

"There's something about them that make people want to talk about them and tell their stories," she says. "When you hear people talking about their Fluevogs, they know all about the different shoe families, the different soles."

Worley put out the word last month she was looking for loaners for the show, which opened Friday.

She even has two of her own pairs in the show, including her first pair of Fluevogs -- a pair of black leather and suede loafers bought from Modern Times in Chapel Hill in 1992.

Of course, if you go to the show, which runs through the end of the month, you'll also get to see the latest Fluevogs. Firefly is one of only two stores in the state that carry the shoes. The other is Tops in Asheville.