Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Victim of beating in Kent last week is declared dead at Akron hospital
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
Browns' roster nearly devoid of consistent players
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Hitchens leads Zips in second-half comeback
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Holmgren expresses interest in Browns position
Kent State Sports:
Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 47-13
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Four area football teams play tonight
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (69) The Brookings Institute Study on "Bending the Curve" – Four General Strategies
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
After more than 80 years in business, Kenmore Tailors set to close its doors
By Paula Schleis
Beacon Journal business writer
Published on Sunday, Apr 06, 2008
His customers didn't pull their pants and jackets from a rack. They pointed to a bolt of fabric, stood to be measured, then returned for a fitting.
Regardless of what day jobs they held, men dressed up for Sundays, for holidays, for traveling, for eating out.
If that sounds like another world, it was.
We live in a new world, one of casual office wear, khaki-clad church-goers and denim-dressed diners.
Max's grandson, Howard Kent, said it has been painful to admit that the store that Max Kantrovitz built has lost relevance.
This year, he will close the doors of Kenmore Tailors & Clothiers, the last custom men's clothing store on Kenmore Boulevard.
''I probably should have shut down five years ago, but because of the legacy, it was emotional and I let that get in the way,'' Kent said.
Early beginnings
Kent was 7 years old when Grandpa Max passed away in 1969, but he recalls the stories of how the boulevard thrived in its heyday, with as many as five men's stores trying to outprice each other.
Kent's father and uncle, Jack and Mel Kent (their name shortened from Kantrovitz) grew up with the store and learned to adapt with a new generation.
The store was soon full of ready-made clothes, but customers still wanted a custom fit.
''This was before the megastores and discounters. People still were dressing up and took pride in having something professionally tailored,'' Howard Kent said.
Like his father before him, Kent developed an interest in the clothing industry, if not for his grandfather's store.
Eager to see the world and flex his independence, Kent became a wholesale representative for a clothing company, pretty much living on the road for nearly five years.
But the traveling eventually got old and the Kents welcomed their prodigal son home in 1989.
''Business was still good. People were still wearing suits and sport coats. The dress-down mentality hadn't kicked in yet,'' he said.
The family business changed hands in 2001. Howard
Kent became sole owner just before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The decline in custom-fit pants and jackets had been gradual until then. Long gone were the days when men wore suits and jackets to ballgames. Gone were the days when families would dress their best for a trip to the airport.
Things change
But after the turn of the millennium, it seemed like the decline accelerated.
''Casual Fridays became casual every day,'' Kent said.
The rise of the Internet and auction sites like eBay were taking a toll. Kent watched with a sense of helplessness as people bought and sold the very brands he had at his store for less than Kent could get wholesale.
And the growth of big box stores and discount chains cast a shadow over their mom and pop counterparts.
''We can't compete with them. Not with their prices. Not with their advertising budget,'' Kent said.
Kent didn't want the store to close on his watch. But as it became apparent it couldn't last much longer, he made it a goal to reach the store's 80th anniversary.
That was last year.
Kent said he held on for another year, a good month here or there giving him hope that maybe, just maybe, things would work out.
But December was ''horrific. I couldn't even give stuff away,'' he said.
Kent said he knows he's not alone. In his younger days, when he worked for a wholesale clothier, ''We had 150 guys on the road selling.''
The last time he checked, that company had 11 salesmen.
So Kent, 47, is left with memories to cherish, like the time spent with his father, who is now 81.
''He's seen the books. He understands,'' Kent said. ''But we got to work together for years and that was a great thing.''
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com.
Get the full article here.
