Blake

Blake– where am I going to go now that you are leaving! I just received an
email that tomorrow and Sunday are the last days of your namesake store.
You have always been spot on with my jeans (and I have to say my ass looks
damn good at your selections) Please recommend where to go after the store
is closed. I beg you! Love. Stephanie G

Super cute store for men and women. Lots of higher end denim, quality jackets, cute tops and dresses and a Pendleton section in front.
The only shoes they have are Toms — wish they had other brands.
Nice sale section too!

Blake is a genius, and the store’s cool too.

Bought my first pair of fancy pants jeans here at Blake! I love how they look and feel. I also know they were worth the price, for the quality (not mass produced in China). The sales guy picked out several pairs he thought I might like. I found one that worked, and I will be back for more I’m sure!

Read the review and knew this is where my husband needed to go. Within minutes, he had found one pair of jean that was perfect, better than anything he’s owned in the 20 years we’ve known each other. Then, one more pair, and we were done. These are expert sales people. I mean, people who know fit and will make any doubter believe that this is the only way to by denim, especially if your wearing it to work.

A seriously better alternative to hitting up Nordstrom for jeans.
I decided recently to treat myself to new jeans, now that I’m done having kids (good reason, no?) and instantly thought of Blake. Before the kiddies and the terrible economy, I had made a point of supporting this store for my jean needs and have 3 – 4 pairs from their old location. Blake (the owner not the store) is almost always there himself and in addition to having great taste, is really, really good at helping you find what you’re looking for. He’s like a denim doula. (Yes, birthing humor — I’ve earned it, trust me. Well, I had epidurals and every other available drug, and a REAL DOCTOR — so maybe I haven’t «earned» it Portland-​style, per se.) Anyway, in addition, Blake (the man) is also really charming, down to earth, and funny. Makes for a fun shopping excursion.
Altogether, what I like about Blake (the store) is the comfortable atmosphere, even among the beautiful, stylish and kind of pricey things. The new space is huge, really well-​designed (not stuffy, not hipster) and houses cool nicknacks and pieces of furniture in addition to the clothes and AWESOME selection of denim. My only regret is that my disposable income isn’t what it used to be during the «good times»… booo!
So… go here and buy jeans. Support a local store and get a good experience at the same time.

Blake helped me find a perfect fit in denim and I will always be grateful for this, as now I actually buy jeans that fit me! The men’s collection is amazing and the women’s is pretty good, too (great sales) but the employees and the owner are what really make me want to come in and spend my money here. Even though this shop is way out of my way (I live in SE) I would prefer to shop here instead of Local 35, who also has a great selection of women’s clothing, because of the non-​existent attitude. Great eye for style!

Blake offers a chill place to shop for fantastic jeans with very knowledgeable staff ready help you find the perfect fit show off all your favorite features.
However, Blake should also be given credit for their other exceedingly fashionable clothes (both for men and women). The selection of clothes reflects impeccable taste and an eye for detail and trend. However, as un-​chic as I can often feel, the store isn’t intimidating. The staff know their business and with a quick look you to help you pick the perfect size and fit of jeans (or any other item of clothing) for your body type and sense of style.
Don’t despair if seems out of your price range, because some nice jeans can just be expensive, but you might get lucky and find a pair of jeans on sale — they always have a series of stacks of men’s and women’s jeans for the stylish but thrifty among us.

A very nice selection of denim for men, and if you’re shopping for your girlfriend or wife, there’s a nice selection of waiting for you on the opposite-​side of the shop; ask for help if you need it, the staff is nice and happy to help.

After visiting some friends in Portland this weekend, I stopped by Blake on my way back to the airport. A bunch of great stuff is on sale right now, though what jumped out to me most was [unfortunately] not a sale item. I’d seen the RRL Officer chinos online, but they look absolutely incredible in person. I spoke to Blake who said he’d had a tough time photographing them to get the color to appear correctly and trust me, the photos do not do them justice. The color is a great dark british khaki and the fabric is beefy and thick. They must be seen in person.
Blake (the store) had a really cool atmosphere and setup, and Blake (the man) provided great customer service, was extremely knowledgeable and obviously passionate about what he’s selling. I’d highly recommend stopping by if you’re ever in the Portland area.

Come here if you know EXACTLY what you want– They’ve got a nice sale section, but the last time I was there I didn’t really find anything so disastrously fabulous (at such an unbelievable deal) that I just had to have it.
I feel about Blake the same way I feel about «Oh, Baby,» the lingerie store down the street– It’s high-​end merchandise, and going in, if you have $$$ to plunk down and you’ve a particular high-​end item you’re looking for (e.g. the perfect pair of denims or the perfect black corset), these stores should be your #1 stop.
And I should note that Blake’s store is impeccable and beautifully presented that it makes it so appealing to sift through the merchandise.
Yet another store on 23^rd that makes it easy for me to empty my wallet.

Every time I go down to Portland, I have to go to Blake. To me, it’s not Portland without Blake.
My most recent trip down, I found out they have moved to a bigger location. (dear gps, 23 Avenue is not 23 Place). Finally found the new storefront and was amazed with the new layout.
I can always depend on Blake for a great selection of winter jackets, jeans and nondescript G*star clothing.
Thank you Blake for my simplifying my life, everything I want in one place!

Blake a.k.a The Jean Whisperer.

The owner emailed me, apologizing (thank you), miss-​communication.
I’ll stop by Blake next time I’m in the PDX and hope to find some delicious designer denim in my size.

This place is awesome. I actually have never been to the store, but I called up to order some Wings and Horns and they had great prices on some hoodies in stock. They didn’t charge me for shipping, and there’s no sales tax in Oregon — awesome! Highly recommended — if I ever make it up to Portland, I’m hitting this place up in person.
Obviously, the stuff they sell here is not «cheap» by any means, but the quality, fit, and styling of the brands sold here, such as Engineered Garments and Wings+Horns, are head and shoulders above what you could get at say, the Gap.

Great little boutique. I was visiting Portland and needed a pair of APC jeans, and they happened to have them. Well, why not save the $ 15 in sales tax I would spend and get them in PDX. I called earlier in the week and one of the employees put them on hold for me… I know the sizing on them is a bit funky but I knew what I needed already since I had a pair previously (unfotunately I had a rare rip on them somehow).
Brands were good but UNFORTUNATELY they were having some kind of sale so I suspect they were just clearing out old stuff. i want the new stuff dammit :). But they did have some really nice deals on stuff… so can’t knock them for observing black friday/​saturday/​sunday.
I did notice the sales staff were very helpful. and they did stock some nicer brands of street-​gear and denim. I’ll probably come back when I go for Christmas to get that rare Japanese shit at retail prices! The recession’s gotta be over!
Neighborhood was really cool too… just hard to park.

Their jeans selection is almost out of control.
Out of control in a very good way. Good selections. Good brands. Good crew.
Almost every item is an eyecandy. I’ll go broke if I buy everything. The jackets are awesome as well. Winter accessories are nice to have as well. T shirts, catchy. Shirt selections are nice too.
Word to the wise: This is not your run of the mill boutique and expect items to be dirt cheap. They are not. After all, you’re paying for quality, premium items.

I have been in desperate need for a new pair of jeans for a good year. And I don’t mean any pair of jeans, I mean the jeans you buy to outlast whatever else you wear. Jeans that you can count on for years that will survive the ebb and flow of the low-​waist flare to high-​rise cigarette. I asked around and found that Blake’s was the place for me.
I went in on a Sunday and was helped by Blake himself. He listed to what I wanted and brought me jeans based on what he interpreted my needs to be. Turns out he was right on. I tried on about 10 pair of jeans and ended up buying the first pair he picked out for me. Not only did he know my size by just looking at me, he was able to tell me what I thought I wanted in a jean when I know I have no idea how to talk about what I actually want in a jean. I thought he was amazing.
In all it was the first positive experience I’ve ever had buying a pair of jeans.

We met with Blake himself. Very in tune with what I needed.
This is a great shop with a decent selection. Extremely good service, however. I had about 10 pairs of recommended jeans pulled for me and ended up picking one that was an awesome choice. Thanks, Blake!

My sister has been banging on about this place for years. She is a seasoned shopper and really knows her stuff, so when we were in Portland together this weekend we made a visit to Blake’s number 2 on our priority list. (Number one was eating our grandmother’s chicken soup.)
The store owners are lovely — helpful and not intrusive, they have a good selection of jeans, jackets and a few dresses and played great music. It was an all around positive shopping experience!

FANTASTIC store. i came in here looking get some high-​end jeans that look great on me, despite the fact that i have no clue about high-​end denim, and did not leave disappointed.
blake himself did most of the suggestions on jeans, assisted by the really cute salesgirl, and was really friendly and patient. i ended up leaving with 2 pairs of jeans, plus some good-​looking t-​shirts from their sale rack. there wasn’t any pushiness to buy that much stuff, but their selection was great, and i know when it’s a good time to stock up.
the best denim store i’ve been to, even preferable to A.B. Fits in my old hometown of San Francisco. blake rocks!