They suit you: Sask. menswear shops swamped as formal events make a comeback

Following a lag after COVID-19, Saskatchewan retailers say demand for formal wear is once again booming.

It wasn’t too long ago when Anthony Graham-Cutts wondered how the pandemic was going to affect his downtown menswear store as shutdowns and restrictions slowed business to a standstill.

On a busy Tuesday morning as Graham-Cutts answers phones to talk to clients and sort through dozens of orders for a myriad of upcoming events in the city, those concerns seem like a distant memory.

“Every year for the last three years we say, ‘It’s not going to get busier. There’s no way.’ And yet, it gets busier, and it gets busier, and it’s happening earlier,” Graham-Cutts, owner of Anthony’s Fashion, said.

Menswear is making a big comeback in Saskatchewan.

Graham-Cutts says the last three years have been his busiest, with each year outdoing the last. Anthony’s Fashion is seeing customers coming earlier than ever for the busy spring and summer season where weddings, graduations and galas demand a more refined look.

“We’re seeing the supply chain really normalize. Everything is kind of back to normal. It’s been different than that for the last few years,” he said. “The advice to a lot of our clients is do it early. It might take a little longer, and that’s just the new way of doing things.”

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Graham-Cutts attributes the surge in demand to a few factors happening at the same time.

After getting used to a lack of events and working from home, many people decided not to freshen up the closet. Now, as formal events have returned to normal — if not increased — he says many are realizing that old suit either doesn’t fit or is out of date for a son’s wedding or graduation.

“We’ve sold out, I think two or three weekends in August,” Graham-Cutts said of his rental supply. “We’re close on one weekend in September. We’re already looking at October and November.”

Another factor to consider is the closure of nearby shops or larger retailers and big box stores. As online shopping is more popular than ever; the industry is finding that the personal touch of an in-person shopping experience is greatly valued.

“I would say this is the busiest in my 40 years that I could ever remember being,” said Fred Matheson, the third-generation owner of Ted Matheson’s Men’s Wear in Prince Albert.

“I can see the tears in the mother’s eyes and the father’s eyes when their son is trying on that suit. It’s that experience not only for us, the experience for the mom and the dad, and especially the individual buying the suit, that you just can’t get that at a big box store.”

While demand is surging and not showing any signs of slowing down, you can expect ties and neckwear to be more absent than usual. Both Matheson and Graham-Cutts noted more men are opting to leave the tie at home for less formal events.

But for the most important days where a groom and his wedding party want to look perfect, they’re not leaving all those details up to chance — they’re seeking out their local menswear store.

“Whether that’s here, in North Battleford or Tisdale or Saskatoon, Regina. Wherever it is — the element of local is still very important,” Matheson said.

“We scramble sometimes on Saturday afternoon for a Saturday evening event. There’s always things that we can do and we’ve seen it all.”

That unprecedented demand is flowing down to the tailors who are making sure all those details look just right. Whether it’s touching up an online order, refitting an old suit or anything in between, places like Tina’s Professional Tailoring are staying busy.

“When it’s too tight, they throw it out. No, don’t throw it. Bring it here, I can let out for you. When it’s big -- big, like Roughriders (shoulder pads), I can take up the shoulders,” owner Robel Fray said.

“That’s why I am here — to help people.”

After surviving the pandemic and its impacts on shopping habits where other companies did not, Matheson, Graham-Cutts and Fray are honoured to see their customers leave happy. But it’s seeing customers leaving with that suit looking perfect for their big moments happening across the province all spring and summer long that fills them with pride.

“That is a proud moment for us because we’ve had a little bit of a hand in helping them get there,” Graham-Cutts said.

“So, it’s really important that clients know that we really do appreciate their support.”