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No longer tailor-made for trends

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

When Max the tailor opened shop in 1927, the Polish immigrant had his hands full clothing the men who poured into Akron to work at its growing factories.

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.

 

When Max the tailor opened shop in 1927, the Polish immigrant had his hands full clothing the men who poured into Akron to work at its growing factories.

Get the full article here.



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