Business Profile: Railcar Fine Goods

– Photo by Amelia Favela

By Amelia Favela

Railcar Fine Goods is a retail store that specializes in crafting one-of-a-kind denim garments and accessories. The traditional menswear store, which also carries women’s wear, was established in 2000 by Steven Dang and is located in Old Town Monrovia.

The self-produced denim garments are uniquely constructed using vintage manual machines dating as far back as 1901. The use of the rare machines organically produces traditional looking clothing and accessories. Such as: denim jeans, jackets, shirts, wallets and handbags. The brand also creates leather accessories including belts, bracelets, and key chains, as well as their own men’s hair product, Railcar Pomade.

Railcar Fine Goods naturally came to life after Dang found himself using his creative skills to construct garments. While working as a lead mechanic for the LA Metro, Dang began collecting and restoring old sewing machines as an additional hobby to building old cars and motorcycles. What started as just another hobby quickly turned into a keen interest as Dang began to use his skills as a builder to “build” his own clothing. After opening Railcar Fine Goods, the owner juggled both jobs until taking the plunge to fully commit to his self-made brand in 2010.

– Photo by Amelia Favela

What separates Railcar Fine Goods from other retail stores? All garments and accessories are crafted in-house, meaning; customers can see firsthand where their items are coming from by simply stepping over to the Railcar Workshop located in the back end of the store. “Anyone who wants to buy something can meet the maker,” said Dang. Customers, who are people wanting quality jeans, can also come to this one-of-a kind store for all denim repair needs and alterations, regardless of what brand the jeans are.

Aside from the typical challenges that come with being a small business, especially in California, a challenge that specifically relates to Railcar Fine Goods comes with its style of manufacturing. Unlike major brand corporations that use robotic automated machines to make mass productions, Railcar Fine Goods carefully constructs each garment using authentic manual machines. Although using this hand-guided technique may take more time and effort to fill large orders, Dang said it’s worth it to keep the originality of the clothing.

– Photo by Amelia Favela

The owner said his vision for Railcar Fine Goods is to continue to create items that he and his team like. “We figure we’re ordinary people, so we hope to create what the everyday person would like.” Dang said he would also like to eventually open other locations while still remaining in Monrovia.

Visitors are welcome to come by the store and get a walk-through of the Railcar Workshop to see firsthand how items are crafted. “Anyone can come visit our retail store and we’ll even give them a tour to see how garments and accessories are created.”

You can contact Railcar Fine Goods at (626) 414-4181, via email info@railcarfinegoods.com, or visit them at 800 S. Primrose, Monrovia, CA 91016. Instagram@railcarfinegoods, Twitter@railcar_usa, or www.railcarfinegoods.com

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