By Ginger DeShaney

The Point Clothing Lounge is a slam dunk for Brendan Carter, a son of South Boston and a former college basketball player and coach.

The recently opened shop at 135 Emerson St. carries high-quality men’s clothing and accessories, but it’s so much more than that. “We want it to be an experience,” said Brendan, the founder and CEO.

“It’s very homey,” said the son of Jean and Paul Carter, who have lived on East Sixth Street (in City Point, thus the store’s name) for 46 years. “You feel like you’re in someone’s apartment; that’s the vibe we’re trying to give off.”

While neighborhood shops cater mostly to women, Brendan created a one-stop shop for men, offering clothes, accessories, skincare products, even wireless charging pads. “We want it to be that whatever the everyday guy feels like he needs, he can come and get it here,” he said. 

The Point offers an atmosphere where guys can sit down and take a load off. Brendan offers complimentary drinks. There’s a TV and an arcade game, which is not only cool decor but is also playable.

Then there’s the amazing product selection. The Point carries more than 20 brands, including Cuater, Oliver Cabell, Travis Mathew, Rhone, The Normal Brand, BYLT, Good Life Clothing, and Faherty. Brendan will be constantly adding new brands and will be surveying clients to see what they’d like to see in the store. 

Many of the brands were direct to consumer and not in stores. “Online shopping and e-commerce have been a big thing over the last five to 10 years,” he said, “but I’m starting to feel like people are trending back toward wanting to get out and being able to see things physically.”

Brendan has always placed an emphasis on self-care, especially when it came to clothing. But everything he liked, he had to drive long distances for. So after seeing a pop-up men’s clothing shop in New Jersey two years ago, “I just kind of got inspired to want to do this around here,” Brendan said.

The Point’s vibe is the polar opposite of the department store experiences he’s had. “I’d kind of feel overwhelmed. There’s a lot to consume and a lot to take in … and you feel like you’re in a claustrophobic setting.”

 The Point is purposely designed to be open and airy so people can walk around, feel like they can see everything, grab a seat, and have a really cool place they can call their own, Brendan said, noting so many of his customers tell him this type of store was sorely needed in the neighborhood.

It’s also a place where women can find the perfect gift for the men in their lives.

Brendan joins his wife, Taylor, as a small business owner in South Boston. Taylor is an owner of Salon 120 West, soon to be renamed “West,” located on West Broadway.

Brendan played basketball at BC High and then Framingham State University. He graduated in 2011 with a degree in communications, taking a job in the corporate world. But he soon realized that wasn’t the path for him. He jumped into coaching basketball, at Framingham State, then Salem State.

In 2012, he started a club basketball program, Rise Above Basketball, and has been running that business for the last 10 years.

As a basketball player and coach, Brendan has always gone full tilt, giving 100 percent effort all the time, and that has translated into how he is as a business owner.

“Doing stuff on my own for the last 10 years has made me realize, whatever it is that you’re putting into that day is what you’re going to get out of it,” Brendan said. “It’s not like a normal job where … you’re going to get paid automatically. If you want to wake up and lift your head off the pillow and say, ‘You know what, I’m going to give 50 percent effort,’ you’re probably going to get 50 percent results.”

Growing up in Southie, Brendan has been a supporter of local small businesses his whole life. So Brendan, who now lives in Quincy with his wife, is doing collaborations with other small businesses in the area, including neighbor Columbus Cleaners (for hemming), Bohdii Boutique, and Publico (he’ll have a pop-up there on Feb. 8). He’ll be doing some Sip and Shops and looking for other collabs.

“The more collaborating and the more businesses helping each other out, I’m all for it.”

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  • Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Website: https://thepoint02127.com/
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepoint02127/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepoint02127