Gary Michaels Clothiers Moves to More Upscale, Smaller, Boutique-Like Location
Like so many businesses, Gary Michaels Clothiers (garymichaels.com) felt the pinch that COVID delivered to the economy, but they made it through and just moved to a new, upscale, smaller, “boutique-ish” location at 5720 Hidcote Dr., STE 102, right off 56th and Pine Lake in Village Gardens. They are leasing space in the brand new, freestanding building next to Lulubee Artisanal Chocolates owned by Gaylene Steinbach, who operates her business in complementary fashion to Gary Michaels offerings. Gary Michaels Clothiers is Lincoln’s longest-running independent men’s clothing store—28 years and counting, during which time 15 other men’s stores in the city have closed their doors. In 2016, they were recipients of Nebraska’s Retail Champion Award (for the second time) and went on to the National Retail Federation contest in Washington, D.C. to be named one of the top five retailers in the entire country!
At their new location, Gary Michaels Clothiers operates in 1,350 square feet, scaled down from 2,000 square feet in their previous location, achieved by eliminating storage and office space and moving their office to their home. During COVID, many businessmen were working from home and not needing more tailored suits, so owner Gary Novotny jumped on the opportunity to scale back on space and expand their inventory to include more casual sportswear, in addition to their suits and sport coats. That includes the addition of men’s five-pocket pants and casual sports shirts that can be worn from office to golf course—reflecting what’s happening in the industry nationwide. Similarly, they remain flexible to change things up with trends in wedding attire—no longer renting wedding suits but tailoring and selling them, as customers increasingly prefer purchasing them for a reasonable price and keeping them.
“We carry a wide range of inventory,” Novotny said. “We had always focused on tailored clothing, with about 65% of our volume as suits and sport coats, with roughly 30% of that being custom made to measure. We are refocusing because we found out when COVID hit, our customers were at home. We’ve adjusted our inventory and reduced our suit and sport-coat volume by about one third and moved it into casual sportswear. That’s what’s happening in the country, and we have been able to remain flexible and adapt. Especially in light of COVID, everyone should be shopping local. If you can’t buy it in Lincoln, you don’t need it.”
Trendy or traditional, Gary Michaels Clothiers specializes in men’s tailored clothing. For a man concerned with looking his best, there simply is no better place to shop. With the addition of world-class tailoring and spectacular personal service from professional clothiers, Gary Michaels is truly the easy choice when you want to look your best. They are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. They are also willing to schedule appointments before or after hours to accommodate people who remain strict about social distancing and don’t want to go into a store if there are other customers there. For more information, visit garymichaels.com or call (402) 423-7848.