why?

40+ years in business

As a kid, Joel distinctly remembers watching his Dad and brothers dress and how they cared for their clothing, shoes and even the tack for their horses. Clothes were hung and buttoned after wearing., their shoes were shined and the tack was saddle soaped. Great lessons in personal discipline. Meanwhile Mom was an accomplished seamstress winning numerous awards for her Needlepoint, Knitting and Sewing. Her creative inspiration runs deep to Joel’s core.

In the mid 1960’s his older brothers were in high school and Ivy league clothing was at its peak. He remembers them in button-down tattersall shirts, chinos, v-neck sweaters and Bass Weejuns and Joel wanted to emulate their style. That classic but playful sensibility runs through his work today.

While attending Marshall University, Joel worked for George H. Wright, a fine local men’s store and was fortunate to be mentored by the store owner who involved him in buying and market trips to New York. The experience and friendships gained “outside the classroom” at the store shaped his career.

After college, Joel managed licensed stores for Ralph Lauren in Washington DC and Atlanta GA as well as several years managing the Southeast for Polo/Ralph Lauren wholesale.

From watching Ralph Lauren and those at Polo during its formative years, Joel learned “everything”; How to paint a picture through a persons clothes, How to create a world wrapped in fabric and that clothing can sometimes be the ONLY part of a dream world someone can experience.

The Ivy League and English Bespoke styles that Polo embodied are deeply ingrained in Joel’s work today.

Sometimes through that one garment our customer plays the role. Leaving Ralph Lauren was hard, it was a culture that you lived and breathed. At times the way the rest of the industry did things seemed foreign. After Ralph Lauren, Joel worked as Vice President of Retail for Alexander Julian, building and operating 3 full price shops and two Factory outlets for this venture capital entity. After two years Joel spent time in the rapidly growing Golf industry as National Sales Manager for Brooks Brothers Golf. Eventually Joel returned to his calling in the men’s specialty world, spending over ten years at one of the country’s premier traditional clothiers as a partner and General Manager.

Over time Joel took the great things he learned in these roles and developed his own way of thinking about style and how to best serve his clients. He is deeply grateful to his father and several other legendary salesmen who taught him to earn the trust and friendship of his clients through always acting with integrity, listening intently and putting their needs first.