A new store with Lawrence roots is now open at Bradley Fair

It’s a few months later than planned, but the W 1857 menswear store is now open at Bradley Fair.

The store is something of a spin-off of the Lawrence shop Weaver’s, which bills itself as the “longest continually operating department store west of the Mississippi.”

Weaver’s president Brady Flannery and his wife, Molly, a Wichita native whose maiden name was Maloney, opened W 1857 in the one-time Trio’s space by HomeGrown.

When announcing the store earlier this year, Brady Flannery said the W can stand for Wichita or Weaver’s or even another word.

“We’re kind of leaving that open to interpretation.”

He said 1857 stands for the year Weaver’s opened.

Flannery said they saw a need for a men’s clothing store in Wichita.

There are casual items and more elegant pieces from brands such as Vuori, Faherty, Peter Millar and johnnie-O.

Even before the pandemic, Flannery said the way men dress was beginning to change, and a lot of what a man wears needs to be able to transition from a work environment to more casual and family outings. “We . . . want to embrace all that life is from morning to night.”

Flannery previously said there will be trunk shows and pop-ups that may include items for women, children or even homes. He said he wants to leverage the store’s relationship to Weaver’s for some of that.

“Weaver’s in Lawrence is just a proud Kansas store, and we have customers all over the state and all over the region, and many good customers and friends in Wichita.”