Big box haberdasheries seem to have almost completely wiped out the small town, privately owned haberdasheries. In my opinion, some of my best clothing buys have been from some of these locally owned men's clothing stores. You might pay a bit extra, but the service and ambiance of these stores is second to none. As I travel about the countryside I notice there are fewer and fewer of them. Sad really.
Small town haberdashery
- Thread starter Rusty Blade
- Start date
Sad indeed!!
Well, that and online shopping. I remember “back in the day” the local haberdasher had the best selection, quality, advice, and service available. But recently pressure has come from both ends ... cheap-o suits-R-us stores and online offered palatable alternatives at a fraction of the price, and higher end online stores and discounters offered the sartorially inclined exactly what he sought no matter what ... rather than the now-comparatively-limited selection of the local haberdasher.
But we’ve heard this story before ... in so many markets.
But we’ve heard this story before ... in so many markets.
- Thread starter
- #4
Small town mainstreets are struggling to survive. Young people are leaving small towns for the bright lights of the big city and shops are dropping like flies. It is a shame. I always try to but my fine clothing from a local small town haberdashery. Yes, I might pay a bit.more, but I feel I am doing my bit to help small town shops survive.
The trouble I find is that the big department stores in the big shopping malls are killing the smaller stores as they can offer reduced priced products whereas the typical mom and pop stores cannot do that or they lose their profit margin. I like shopping at both but most of my clothes these days come from thrift stores/op shops. I like to look but I must really like it to buy.
I think the big city lights have drawn the ambitious youth for generations ... really ever since there were "big cities" to begin with. But now, those who DO live in the small town shop in the big boxes there instead of the small shops.
Really, it's a no-win situation.
If they try to match the big-box stores, they have to sacrifice quality and sell the same mediocre stuff the big stores do, and then they are doomed to lose the "small margins and volume sales" game the big boys play. IF they stick to higher quality stuff, and the higher prices, they can't do low margins so their prices have to stay high ... and sales are so infrequent as to make the business difficult to maintain.
Add to that the trend away from wearing suits to work on a daily basis. Fifty years ago, many office workers, even in the small town, would wear a suit on a daily basis ... and so would see the sense in paying good money for a good suit. Nowadays, with most men not needing a suit except for interviews and funerals, and sometimes not even then, it's hard to have $2,000 hanging basically unused in the back of your closet when you can get by with having $200 hanging there instead.
Fully agree on supporting the small shops of the world.
Should you wish to support a family owned haberdasher (or two) that also has an online presence:
O'Connell's in Buffalo, NY: www.oconnellsclothing.com/
-and/or-
Bahle's in Suttons Bay, MI:www.bahles.net
Should you wish to support a family owned haberdasher (or two) that also has an online presence:
O'Connell's in Buffalo, NY: www.oconnellsclothing.com/
-and/or-
Bahle's in Suttons Bay, MI:www.bahles.net
Everyone under 35 in a suit or sport coat seems to be wearing something one or two sizes too small. Is there a connection?
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
The small haberdashers are disappearing from the big cities too, where it’s not so much the big boxes and department stores doing them in as it is the Suit Supplies, J Crews, Charles Tyrwhitts, and even Brooks Brothers. The online M2M places are contributing as well. On the one hand, it’s kind of sad. On the other, modern supply chains enable one to get a quality suit - half canvas, 100% Italian wool - for around $500. As a practical matter, I’ll take that over the nostalgia factor. I do think it’s cool that old retailers like OConners and J Press have found a way to stay relevant . That’s pretty much what any small retailer has to do these days. Fortunately, the internet helps more than it hurts in that regard, unless an old-time retailer just isn’t willing to embrace digital commerce.
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
Since they’re all getting their suits at J Crew and Banana Republic - yes, it’s very much connected! It doesn’t help they are taking their style cues from Daniel Craig’s James Bond and Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark.
Being a laborer I seldom wear a suit. That said I do enjoy wearing one when an occasion arises. Our small town used to have a nice family owned clothing store until the big box stores moved in. It was such a pleasure to shop there. The employees took the time to know what you liked and would coordinate head to toe. The last suit I bought was from Macy’s. I bought a suit I liked that was close to actually fitting me. For alterations I took it to the local tailor shop. Wonderful family owned business consisting of a father and 3 sons. Three weeks and forty dollars later I picked it up. Fits perfectly. The shop does custom suits for people too. Many pro athletes, think 280 lbs +, have suits made here because it’s their only choice.
Reading this, was wondering just what are these "big box" stores everyone is mentioning. The closest we had to a big box store was a small regional chain. They weren't in serious competition with the local men's stores. I suspect that what everyone else is calling a small town is what we called a city.
What's happened here is a change in fashion. Time was you wore a suit to all official functions, such as jury duty, and to your place of worship. Today, it's all casual, even jury duty (though Federal court still requires a tie, or so I'm told). Hardly anyone wears a suit to church anymore, unless it's a funeral or a wedding. There's simply no longer the demand for suits and hats that there once was.
As a case in point, the regional chain that replaced the one where we often bought suits no longer carries them. If there was a demand, they would.
Sigh.
I'd like to have a new suit, but it looks like I'll have to drive an hour or more one way just to get to a place that might sell men's suits. And I'm not sure if they have one of the "big box" stores that are mentioned here.
What's happened here is a change in fashion. Time was you wore a suit to all official functions, such as jury duty, and to your place of worship. Today, it's all casual, even jury duty (though Federal court still requires a tie, or so I'm told). Hardly anyone wears a suit to church anymore, unless it's a funeral or a wedding. There's simply no longer the demand for suits and hats that there once was.
As a case in point, the regional chain that replaced the one where we often bought suits no longer carries them. If there was a demand, they would.
Sigh.
I'd like to have a new suit, but it looks like I'll have to drive an hour or more one way just to get to a place that might sell men's suits. And I'm not sure if they have one of the "big box" stores that are mentioned here.
When I was starting out in my working life, you could get a decent - not superb, but decent - suit, shirt, ties and shoes at J.C. Penny and other similar retailers. Penny sold a re-branded line of Florsheim shoes that were just as good as the "real" ones, back when Florsheim was a high quality shoe; up until 5-6 years ago the Penny Stafford dress shirt was a great buy. Those days are past and gone. Macy's maybe, or Dillards, but their shirts are terrible and the ties are way overpriced. At least Jos A Bank sells a decent shirt - just make sure you get them at the promotional price.
I come from a genuine small town, pop. less than 2500, yet up through the 1980s (at least) there was a men's store. A town of 15000 would have several, including one "really good" one. Since, as pointed out, every man had one suit and more jobs required several there was enough business. Alas, today....
While a lot of the small town stores didn't carry the highest level of goods, they were usually family&friends owned and run, and the staff knew what tape measures and chalk were for. You didn't leave with too-tight or too-loose garments, nor labels still attached, because their pride rode, literally, on your back.
While a lot of the small town stores didn't carry the highest level of goods, they were usually family&friends owned and run, and the staff knew what tape measures and chalk were for. You didn't leave with too-tight or too-loose garments, nor labels still attached, because their pride rode, literally, on your back.
Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
When i started out in one of my first professional jobs i remember going in to the local mens suit shop .The owner was a local "legend" or character . When we walked in he couldn't be bothered was a rude pompous A ...basically walked in and out. I also remember a few years later when he closed up shop and sold his building.
I hear he later opened a hotel.
Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
haha
This "character" wasn't as charming
This thread had me wandering down memory lane.
In high-school and college I was already a cloths horse and loved going to Rob Rae which was the "nice" menswear store in the small'ish city I grew up in. Never had anything tailored there but did enjoy their collection of Polo and Tommy shirts (I really was an 80's preppy worm).
When I left university, started my career and began to build my professional wardrobe I quickly developed a relationship with The Colony Menswear in Edmonton. They opened in 1970 by the Gold brothers and developed a very loyal following. I normally dealt with the older brother Phil, the guy was hilarious and had absolutely no filter. If you tried something on and you looked like hell in it he'd tell you so even if it cost him a sale. His brother David was the more straitlaced one and did most of the buying for the store (I guess Phil had a history of not playing trends well and bought stock that never sold). They carried few lines like Coppley, Strellson and their own house brands but above all they knew how to mark up a suit and always had excellent tailors. Their house brand suits/sport coats were always bulletproof and they would carry fabric from mills like Zenga & Guabello. But it really was the customer service that kept me coming back.
From their original store, Phil is the one on the right.
I would also occasionally patronize Harry Rosen's, a national chain, they carried some of the more upscale brands like Samuelsohn, Hugo Boss, D&G, etc. but they never seemed to give a rat's heiny about the customer and it seems to have gotten worse. I was at their downtown store a few months ago looking for new casual jacket and the level of condescension was off the chart.
In high-school and college I was already a cloths horse and loved going to Rob Rae which was the "nice" menswear store in the small'ish city I grew up in. Never had anything tailored there but did enjoy their collection of Polo and Tommy shirts (I really was an 80's preppy worm).
When I left university, started my career and began to build my professional wardrobe I quickly developed a relationship with The Colony Menswear in Edmonton. They opened in 1970 by the Gold brothers and developed a very loyal following. I normally dealt with the older brother Phil, the guy was hilarious and had absolutely no filter. If you tried something on and you looked like hell in it he'd tell you so even if it cost him a sale. His brother David was the more straitlaced one and did most of the buying for the store (I guess Phil had a history of not playing trends well and bought stock that never sold). They carried few lines like Coppley, Strellson and their own house brands but above all they knew how to mark up a suit and always had excellent tailors. Their house brand suits/sport coats were always bulletproof and they would carry fabric from mills like Zenga & Guabello. But it really was the customer service that kept me coming back.
From their original store, Phil is the one on the right.
I would also occasionally patronize Harry Rosen's, a national chain, they carried some of the more upscale brands like Samuelsohn, Hugo Boss, D&G, etc. but they never seemed to give a rat's heiny about the customer and it seems to have gotten worse. I was at their downtown store a few months ago looking for new casual jacket and the level of condescension was off the chart.
If you want a better British experience go see Mr. Humphries
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