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Fairfield- A small custom and ready-to-wear clothing store in
Fairfield has been reaching out to the men of the world via the Internet since 1993.
All the merchandise at Fairfield Clothiers is handpicked by owner and tailor Naresh
Mansukhani, who inspects what he calls the guts- the fabric and workmanship- of each piece
before he’ll allow it to hang on one of his wooden pegs.
“We will like to distinguish ourselves from being trendy,” said Mansukhani, who sells
ready-to-wear classic clothing, which is company’s niche business.
Mansukhani stocks designers like Baroni and Talia, as well as suits from 110-year-old Maryland
Company Hartz. Ready-to-wear suits range from $400 to$2,200, while custom-made shirts start at $750.
Mansukhani came to Bridgeport from Spain in 1989 and opened a small men’s clothing shop called
In Style on Huntington Turnpike in Bridgeport. “It was a moderate priced clothing store for men, but
we also did tailoring for men and women,” he said.
After eight years Mansukhani decided to move to a more upscale location, so he opened the Fairfield
Mens store on the Post Road in Fairfield.
“We wanted to grow further…,” said Mansukhani, who thought there was room in Fairfield for an upscale
men’s shop. A year and a half ago, when Mansukhani started selling ready-to-wear and custom women’s
clothing, he changes the name to Fairfield clothiers.
He officially launched his website, SuitYourself.com, in 1993 but didn’t start offering customers a
chance to create an online account until 1995. In addition to men’s clothing, shoes and accessories,
the site includes articles on Men’s fashion by Mansukhani and others.
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“Our website was the first one recognized in the industry where you could buy our products
online,” he said. “The reason web is important to us is that we have access to the whole world,
while retail is limited to the area you’re in,” said Mansukhani, who declined to disclose his yearly
sales figures.
Mansukhani is getting ready to start a monthly newsletter, which will be written by
Steve Brinkman, who wrote, “The Men’s clothing guide: How and Where To Buy the Best Men’s Clothing in
America.” He will e-mail the free newsletter to all his clients and registered users of the Website.
While Internet remains key for Mansukhani, the bulk of his business remains his 1,425-square-foot store.
“When a customer walks into our store we consider colors, proportions, lifestyle and budget to what he or she needs,” said Mansukhani, who works with two other tailors. “ The beauty of a good quality garment that is made for you is that the more you wear it, the better it gets.”
Mansukhani knows that he must stay one step ahead of his clients, who he describes as being
very well-educated when it comes to fashion and clothing.
“IF we cannot retain our clients, we should not be in business,” Mansukhani said. “I don’t like to do a one-time deal; we want to know their lifestyles, needs, color and proportion to help them create an image for themselves.”
Fairfield clothiers is located at 1551 Post
Road in Fairfield. Store hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday
through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and by
appointment on Sunday. For more information, call 255-8899
or visit www.suityourself.com
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