We recently had the chance to connect with Austin Roberson and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Austin, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me consists of arriving to the shop fairly early and then walking down to my favorite coffee shop called Inclusion and order my usual. A corbano. I then walk back down to the shop and I shot a little bit of content for me and the shop, catch up on emails, and prepare for the day.
No day in retail is the same which keeps things fresh and interesting. From alteration pickups, showing new clients around, and staying on top of recent events here at the shop, you wear a lot hats. It can be tiring, but it can be very fulfilling.
After I get off work, I go home to my lovely wife and we spend the evening together watching the TikToks and Reels (Scavenges we call them) and try to relax. We’re expecting our son in February so we’re preparing for him and we’re so excited.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Austin Roberson, and I’m the shop manager and buyer at The Man’s Shop, a heritage men’s clothier in Arlington, Texas. Alongside my work in-shop, I run my Instagram page @gentlemansavenue, where I focus on classic menswear, personal style, and the importance of dressing with excellence.
What drives both my retail work and my content is education by helping men understand why quality, fit, and craftsmanship matter, not just what to wear. I’m passionate about bridging traditional tailoring with modern life, showing that dressing well isn’t about ego or trends, but respect for yourself, for others, and for the occasion.
Through Gentleman’s Avenue, I aim to create thoughtful, approachable content that celebrates timeless style, heritage brands, and the character that good clothing can help express. Whether in-shop or online, my goal is to inspire confidence through well-made, well-considered clothing.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
That I wasn’t worth living life. That I was forever going to be someone who was less than and wouldn’t contribute to anything.
I was bullied in the church I grew up in and that really affected me for a long time in my life.
I’ve overcome that by God’s saving grace that I don’t deserve. He called me into this industry to bring light into what can be a dark place.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear that held me back the most was the fear of not being taken seriously and of putting myself out there and failing publicly.
Early on, I often waited for permission or external validation before fully committing to my ideas, whether in my career or creatively. I worried that if I spoke too boldly or pursued something unconventional, it might reflect poorly on me or limit future opportunities.
Over time, I’ve learned that growth requires discomfort. The moment I started acting with intention instead of hesitation. trusting my instincts and standing behind my values, things began to change. That fear still shows up occasionally, but now I see it as a signal that I’m moving in the right direction rather than something to retreat from.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I work my hardest to make sure that’s true. I try to be as honest and forthcoming in person as I am online.
I’ve interacted with other influencers who were NOTHING in person like they were online. I try to make sure I’m real online and real in person.
People use social media to create who they wish they aren’t and will never become.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If I laid down my name, my role, and everything I possess, what would remain is my relationship with Christ.
I truly came to take my faith seriously during my first year of college. For the first time in my life, I realized I was no longer following Christ simply because I lived under my parents’ roof. I had moved out, graduated, gone to college, and now had complete autonomy over my decisions and beliefs. If my faith was going to be real, it had to be chosen, not inherited.
During that season, I questioned everything deeply. I explored other belief systems and religions, genuinely asking whether there was something else that made more sense. What I found was that every alternative ultimately placed the burden back on the individual. Attempting to appease a god out of fear, earning favor through works, or declaring oneself sovereign. None of those offered truth, grace, or hope. They were rooted either in fear or self-worship.
Christ stood alone.
He is the only one who made sense to me because He did what no other god claims to do. He laid His life down willingly for people who were in the wrong. Not to be appeased, not to be earned, but out of love. The gospel doesn’t deny human brokenness; it confronts it honestly, and then answers it with grace. That truth anchored me then and continues to anchor me now.
I live my life as a response to that sacrifice. Not out of obligation, but out of gratitude and reverence. I am fully aware of my flaws and failures, yet through Christ I am called holy, not by my own merit, but through the death and resurrection of the Son of God. That reality shapes how I live, how I treat others, and how I carry myself in the world.
When everything else is stripped away, Christ remains; and that is the legacy I hope endures.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://themansshop.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gentlemansavenue/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-roberson-992387136
- Twitter: gentlemans_ave
- Youtube: gentlemansavenue
