Professional attire squeezing out the casual look

By ANDREW BELL

The Daily News

Professional dress is making a comeback, and as it does, suit stores and tailors are the main financial benefactors.

At Michael C. Thomas Signature Shop at 1155 Union Ave., co-owner Mel Gaston said every indication suggests that his industry is gaining momentum.

He cited the cause as a social trend that began several years ago and relaxed the unspoken rule to always dress professionally.

It was business-casual day that started a few years ago that just got out of hand, he said. Employees first began wearing just khakis and button downs but then began wearing blue jeans and other clothes. There were no exact definitions to follow.

(Employers) didnt like it but said, Hey, we did tell them it was casual.

That trend is now beginning to diminish, Gaston said, as employers gradually eliminate casual days.

However, the amended work force dress etiquette notwithstanding, the passage of time, the turn of a new century and other events have tended to dictate a more serious approach to apparel.

Mark Stephens, president of the New York Suit Exchange, 310 Union, said business was 20 percent ahead of last years projections and is ahead of projections again this year.

The store opened in Memphis last year.

The days of wearing a nice suit are definitely on the way back, he said. People are wanting to take their jobs and their lives much more seriously, and they want to be taken much more seriously.

Stephens said in a society in which people are uncertain about future events, they want to feel prepared for the unexpected, and dressing appropriately is the first step to helping them feel that way.

Although Hollywood might say otherwise, in the workplace, the current fashion is to wear simple, very conservative suits, he said.

Nonetheless, Gaston said, television remains inseparable from his line of work.

People watch unique stars on television like Michael Jordan, and they desire to dress unique like him, he said.

Gaston said his store has done business with several Memphis Grizzlies basketball players, but also receives a lot of business from lawyers, real estate agents, court clerks and mortgage lenders.

He observed that, although the economy influences tailor shops and other apparel businesses to a certain extent, as long as there are professional jobs and churches, apparel shops will have a niche in the marketplace.

Food, shelter and clothing people will always need those necessities, he said.