L.L. Bean Brand at The Mate Gallery Hold onto your holidaze ‘jammies’!

The Mate Gallery co-owners Matt Albiani and Ron Brand have confirmed with me on Monday, November 25, L.L. Bean will be sold for the first time in a California retail store at their Mate Gallery in the Montecito Country Mart! 

In the store will be L.L. Bean’s Boat and Tote open top tote bag, classic boots, assorted flannel shirts, shearling-lined slippers, men’s Classic Ragg Bird’s-Eye sweater, Fisherman sweaters, chamois shirts, socks and knit caps. Their store is affectionately titled, “The Preppy Handbook” and suits the L.L. Bean brand which was established in 1912 in Freeport, Maine.

Albiani is a fashion photographer for such designers as Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Elle magazine and for the past six years – L.L. Bean – who chose to have his store be the first in California to offer the brand. He is a Bostonian who rowed crew at Fordham University, and shares, “The L.L. Bean fisherman’s sweater is a wardrobe staple.” His partner Ron can be found in Albiani’s ad campaigns wearing just that. 

L.L. Bean now joins classics in the shop like the original Miramar Hotel baseball caps, menus and matchbooks; vintage oil paintings, books ends and unique finds. I asked Mate Gallery’s six-year faithful shopkeeper Robin Lill to pose for our readers with a few of the top notes in the shop. 

The owners and their store appear as a local small business. They have, however, been featured in the Financial Times, LA Times, WSJ, Coastal Living, and Goop – and now with L.L. Bean in the mix, have created a legend in our town.

411: @mategallery