Photo: Decision fatigue can be wearing, especially when it comes to choosing what to wear from work day to evening events. Excelsior’s Big Wood Collective has a remedy. Photos: Chris Emeott
Excelsior shop showcases versatile menswear.
Even for the most style-savvy among us, it can be difficult to know how to dress in a post-pandemic world—where we take meetings via Zoom in our PJs and transition from work (at home or at the office), the gym and dinner out all in the same day.
To help men navigate fashion’s (admittedly confusing) new era, Nate Nicklaus decided to open his own clothing store. Big Wood Collective in the heart of Excelsior’s Water Street shopping district offers menswear from dozens of premium brands and Nate’s personalized guidance to go with it. “I really love interacting with people,” Nate says. “I want to help my customers achieve their goals whether their style is simple or more in-your-face fashion.”
Dressing with style runs in the family with Nate (son) and Mike (father) Nicklaus, accompanied by Jack (7-year-old English springer spaniel).
The 1,000-square-foot store opened in April and is attached to office space that belongs to the Nicklaus family business, Big Wood Timber Frames; the timber business is owned and operated by Nate’s father, Mike Nicklaus.
Nate grew up in Excelsior and graduated from Minnetonka High School. As a young adult, he helped with Mike’s business and worked in e-commerce for salon and spa products. “I knew I always wanted to do something on my own,” Nate says. “When we got this space, I walked around Excelsior and thought, ‘What’s missing?’” He realized there was a lack of shops dedicated to menswear and that he could fill the niche. “In Excelsior, we’re a community where everyone likes to interact,” Nate says. “This was a perfect fit.”
Accessories, especially for work or school purposes, are at their best when they lean into style and function. Who doesn’t want to look good while toting around the day’s must dos?
While building out the retail space, Nate paid homage to the timber business: There are rustic, rough-hewn floors; beautiful wood beams; artfully lit shelves for accessories; and a cozy fireplace that makes the shop both masculine and warm. “There’s a really cool hat room where we have our baseball caps displayed,” Nate says. “The room was supposed to be my office, but I didn’t need an on-site desk. Everyone really enjoys the hat room.” For accessories, Big Wood Collective stocks hand-forged knives from Canadian brand Viking, Portuguese sneakers from Algori, candles, fragrances, lake-life staples (beach towels and blankets) and more.
Lake Minnetonka is always welcome in any shape, form … or scent!
Nate says his archetypical customer is in his 30s or 40s and works in an office with a relatively casual dress code. He often needs a “boardroom to dining room” look—maybe hopping from a business meeting to dinner at a nice restaurant. For an outfit that can do both, Nate first suggests a timeless top. “I always love a good polo,” he says. “You can’t go wrong.” Big Wood Collective’s most popular polos are from 7Diamonds, a brand that makes comfortable shirts in a variety of colors and prints. “Then, I’d go for a chino,” Nate says. “You can go more sedate or more fun. Industrie is a brand that makes some really fun, colorful patterns.” He notes that Industrie’s chinos tend to be a little oversized, which keeps them feeling modern. The shop also stocks brands like Marine Layer, Ranger Station and TravisMathew with a common focus on craftsmanship at a mid-range price point.
While outerwear vests have long been de rigueur for fall, winter and spring, Big Wood Collective offers updated takes on the fashion staple that can carry the look all year if needed.
What’s on the horizon for menswear? This fall, Nate sees vests having a moment. “We have some really great vests from Madison Creek Outfitters that incorporate leather and different fabrics,” he says. “[Its] line is inspired by Wyoming and the West.” Big Wood Collective also carries Madison Creek’s popular button-up shirts and jackets. For a go-to autumn color, Nate likes green—there’s a hue for everyone, and it’s an earthy alternative to truer neutrals like gray or black.
While his business focus is on men’s fashion, Nate Nicklaus appreciates the spirit of community. “In Excelsior, we’re a community where everyone likes to interact,” he says. “This was a perfect fit.”
Family Tree(s)
Big Wood Collective is just the latest branch from the entrepreneurial Nicklaus family. Nate Nicklaus’s father, Mike Nicklaus, is the owner of Big Wood Timber Frames, which designs and builds timber-frame homes and produces timber beams, flooring, trusses and other components. Mike founded the business in 1991 and, in addition to milling timber building supplies, has specialized in reclaiming timber structures—like barns, granaries and timber cabins, some more than 100 years old—and preserving the wood to be reassembled in a new location.
Mike had a longtime office (which was sold in the spring) in St. Paul and a timber shop in Brainerd; when office space opened in Excelsior, it meant a chance to bring work closer to home. “My family’s always lived near Lake Minnetonka,” Nate says. “When this opportunity [for the Excelsior space] arose, it was a little bigger than what my dad was looking for for an office, so I suggested we open something in retail, and we both really liked that idea.”
Big Wood Collective
Instagram: @bigwood.collective
Big Wood Timber Frames
Instagram: @bigwoodtimberframes
