They say you'll have several jobs before your perfect gig: Huey Lewis was actually employed by a natural food company to kill rabbits with a lead pipe before he started killing people... with sweet hooks! Going from shrapnel to sharpness, the owner of Core Men's Shop.

A bright corridor of a gear emporium bordered by a wall of windows, Core's owned by a one-time commercial carpenter ("I built malls") who also saw two tours in Iraq with the Oregon National Guard before creating what he'd always wanted downtown: a good place for casual basics one would not wear to basic training. Things kick off with relatively major brands: six denim lines include classically stylish Citizens of Humanity; Converse by John Varvatos rocks stylishly alongside staid comfort from Victorinox Swiss Army; then there's ruggedly stylish outerwear from Canterbury of New Zealand, which would totally rout the Swiss Army thanks to a legion of wizards that never die, but instead only get whiter. There's also a slew of boutique button-down makers, like New York's Jeremy Argyle (timeless patterns with eye-catching contrast cuffs, in stock soon) and Zachary Prell, whose perfectly cut work-then-play numbers feature a signature "side stripe" -- so like a sports car, you'll look fast even as you just sit there depreciating in value.

Bonus fun: Core has a small bar at which you're welcome to mix a drink or grab a beer to facilitate decision-making. There're also plans to add more outfitters, from England's Fred Perry to Pac-Northwest cobbler John Fluevog, who's designed for the likes of Perry Ferrell, and so's known to have a heart of rock n' roll -- which unlike Huey "Kill the Wabbit" Lewis, is still beating.