Old House Provisions

Wander into Old House Provisions, and you will find a carefully curated assortment of menswear clothing, where natural textures and timeless designs make for must-have formalwear. Founded and operated by Drew Altizer, this immersive store brings Alexandria a collection of high-quality dress shoes, patterned ties, sophisticated dress shirts, and other menswear items from around the world.

In a digital age, the store offers something increasingly rare: the chance to witness the tradition of bespoke shoemaking up close. Peek around a corner and you’ll find Drew’s shoemaking studio, quietly standing as a window into one of humanity’s oldest art forms. Roam inside, and you will discover a studio that is less of a room and more like a map into his mind, where every scrap of leather, scattered tool, and unfinished project is a trace of thought in motion. “I want to show people that there’s dignity to shoemaking as it relates to the very artistic kind,” says Drew.

It all started in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just like so many of us, Drew fell down a YouTube rabbit hole during lockdown. A quick search for office shoes turned into an obsession with the art of shoemaking, a niche profession that contrasted his background in data analytics. “I always thought I wasn’t very artistic because all throughout my schooling years, I was drawn to more analytical stuff, like there’s a right answer and a wrong answer.” It was a mixture of emotions, the chaos of lockdown, and a desire for greater personal fulfillment from his career, which created a sort of obsession in Drew to learn the art of shoemaking for himself.

So, he took the leap, went on unpaid leave, and enrolled in a 10-week shoemaking course in Italy at Stefano Bemer. From immersing himself in classes in Florence to apprenticing in Japan with a master shoemaker, Drew built most of his formal training in shoemaking through short individual sessions. “It seems like the only way to pursue trades these days, like shoemaking, which is so close to dying out, is through the high-end way, where it’s almost more of an art than a trade.”

When reflecting on his background, Drew shares how the decision to pursue this career path wasn’t easy, in fact, at the start, he grappled with feeling like he was throwing away a golden opportunity with his stable career in business, not because anyone told him otherwise, but because that’s how he felt. With Old House Provisions, Drew hopes to spotlight trade professions, highlighting shoemaking as meaningful for young creatives and neurodivergent minds. “I want to eventually push people further to think of shoemaking as a potential profession. I am dyslexic, but for anyone else like me who has trouble in the classroom, maybe they’d be interested in a hands-on profession instead of getting a desk job.”

At Old House Provisions, Drew showcases the enduring legacy of shoemaking and its global influence on menswear. While he would like to spend more time in the studio, each piece in the shop reflects techniques, traditions, and stories from across the globe. Visitors are invited to discover menswear through the eyes of an expert craftsman, appreciating the skill and passion behind every item.

Visit Old House Provisions located at 315A Cameron St. Alexandria, Virginia