Northeastern-Inspired Menswear Brand Corridor is the New Americana

Words: Chris Danforth

Corridor was established in 2013 in New York City by Maryland-born Dan Snyder. From the brand’s Nolita, New York City headquarters, Corridor has spent ten years honing its aesthetic of city-prep sensibilities mixed with Northeastern aesthetics.

Snyder’s focus when starting Corridor was shirting, a category that is still a big part of the brand’s DNA today. The brand’s website is stocked with linen, plaid, denim, and many more options of button-up short-sleeves and long-sleeves featuring palm tree prints, dip-dyes, and psychedelic patterns, all of which speak to the brand’s interests in fabrics as well. Many of Corridor’s fits are created by Snyder himself, who spent the early days of the brand in his apartment hand-sewing shirts based on vintage patterns.

Since then, Corridor has grown substantially, and now the brand serves up menswear staples like sweaters, tailored outerwear, and even footwear collaborations with fellow Americans K-Swiss. But Corridor remains locked down by its New York City and Northeastern roots, which provide an ample source of inspiration for the brand through the region’s unique rugged and rainy climate, its outdoor-friendly and sporty lifestyle, as well as the area’s food and music. But the brand’s vision – sometimes described as the new Americana – is perhaps best represented through a note that Snyder includes in every order, which reads: “Since sitting down to sew my first shirt, I wanted to make beautiful clothing that was easy, authentic, and personal – grinning takes on familiar classics. I was looking for balance – tailored and military, Americana and international, prep and workwear. After living up and down the Northeast Corridor, these unlabeled shirts and I settled in New York City and they finally had a name.”

Snyder’s vision for the brand folds in a diverse range of references, not limited to nature, music, spirituality, and color. A deeper scroll through Corridor’s site will reveal denim, suiting, and even knitwear that fall into curated collections titled “New York New York,” “Handmade,” and “Core.” Featuring basic silhouettes stamped with script logos, the New York New York collection is rounded out by baseball caps and T-shirts with serif wordmarks a la The New York Times. Offering more of a cut-and-sew approach, the Handmade collection comprises Peruvian-made cardigans like the breezy “Evil Eye Cardigan” made from Pima cotton with horn buttons. Lastly, Core serves daily essentials like jeans, striped T-shirts, and a highly requisite item for any city dweller – tote bags.

From this, it’s easy to glean the importance of ethical fashion and community, two themes that are a big part of everything Corridor does. Corridor notes that all of its textiles and garments are designed in-house with carefully selected partners, while Corridor regularly hosts ethical and environmentally sustainable workshops specialized in the best quality weaving, knitting, and sewing. Many of Corridor’s products are still made in the Northeastern United States, in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Connecticut, while the brand also works with overseas suppliers in India, Peru, Italy, and Portugal.

There are a few truly special factors that set Corridor apart, and one of those factors is the humanistic sentiment behind the brand. But perhaps no one could explain that better than Snyder himself: “I want you to find your own take on these garments – the clothes should feel like you. These ideas, spun to thread, dyed to cones, woven into fabric, sewn together, and onto your body are made with positive vibrations, and I hope that they move through you and your world.”