Arlington · Est. 1972
Choosing aclothing store
What separates a menswear store worth returning to from one that simply sells clothes.
The Man’s Shop is an independent menswear store at 100 S. West Street in downtown Arlington, serving Arlington since 1972. Tailored clothing, sportswear, shoes and custom work, with our own tailor on site. Monday to Saturday, ten until five.
How to judge one
Worth knowing
- Is there a tailor on site
- The single most useful question. A store with its own tailor can fix what it sells; one without will send your garment away and hope.
- Do they measure you
- Being handed a size is not a fitting. Anyone selling tailored clothing should put a tape on you.
- Do they say no
- A store that talks you out of something is worth more than one that agrees with everything.
- Will the same person be there next year
- Continuity is the difference between a wardrobe and a series of purchases.
- Can they handle what you already own
- Alterations on garments bought elsewhere is a fair test of whether they want a customer or a transaction.
What continuity looks like
Who you will deal with
- Wally Hardin
- Owner. Has been fitting customers in this building since 1972 and is usually in the shop.
- Austin Roberson
- Store manager and buyer. Selects most of the range and runs the Private Label line.
- Patrick Milligan
- Haberdasher, and directs our ladies’ made-to-measure work.
- Enrique
- Master tailor, over twenty years with us. Every alteration is done by him, on site.
- What that means
- The person who measures you is the person who sees the order through. It is the main practical difference from a department store.
Common questions
The shop, answered
What should I look for in a men’s clothing store?
A tailor on the premises, someone willing to measure you rather than guess, and staff who will tell you when not to buy something. Those three predict the experience better than the brands on the rail.
Are independent stores better than department stores?
For tailored clothing, usually, because the fitting and the alterations sit under one roof and the person who sells you the suit is still there when it needs adjusting. For everything else it matters less.
How do I know if a store will still be there?
Ask how long they have been trading and who owns them. Menswear is a business where a shop that has survived fifty years has done so by keeping customers rather than finding new ones.
Should I buy online instead?
For anything tailored, the fit is the product, and you cannot assess it from a photograph. For basics it matters far less and we would not pretend otherwise.
Do you alter clothing bought somewhere else?
Yes, routinely. Enrique works on garments from anywhere, and it is often how new customers first come to us.
Arlington to Arlington
Book with Patrick or Austin
Or walk in. Monday to Saturday, ten until five.
Book with PatrickBook with Austin
100 S. West Street, Arlington, Texas 76010
Mon–Sat 10am–5pm · Closed Sunday
(817) 265-1116