Paul Stuart is a men's luxury clothing

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

founded in 1938 in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and owned by

Mitsui is a Japanese corporate group and '' keiretsu'' that traces its roots to the ''zaibatsu'' groups that were dissolved after World War II. Unlike the ''zaibatsu'' of the pre-war period, there is no controlling company with regulatory power. Ins ...

since 2012. The company has four standalone boutiques in the US and one in Japan.

Sanyo Shokai Sanyo Shokai () is a Japanese apparel maker and distributor founded in Itabashi, Tokyo in 1943 and currently headquartered in Shinjuku. Its trademark rainwear is mostly sold in department stores stores such as Nordstrom, Barneys, Saks Fifth Ave ...

has been its sole distributor in Japan since 1991. Paul Stuart's style has been described as a blend of “

Savile Row Savile Row (pronounced ) is a street in Mayfair, central London. Known principally for its traditional bespoke tailoring for men, the street has had a varied history that has included accommodating the headquarters of the Royal Geographical ...

, Connecticut living and the concrete canyons of New York.” The Paul Stuart logo is a drawing of fictional character Dink Stover sitting on the

Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...

fence.

History

Harry Ostrove started Broadstreet's men's clothing stores in New York City in 1915. Ralph worked for his father but left in 1938 to start Paul Stuart, so named for his son, Paul Stuart Ostrove. The flagship store opened on March 7, 1938 and has continued at the same location at the intersection of 45th Street and

Madison Avenue Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, New York, that carries northbound one-way traffic. It runs from Madison Square (at 23rd Street) to meet the southbound Harlem River Drive at 142nd Stree ...

. The company was helmed by the legendary merchant and CEO Clifford Grodd from 1958 until his death in 2010. Paul Stuart Ostrove, the brand's namesake and executive vice president, had died on November 21, 2004. In fall 2007, Paul Stuart launched its ''Phineas Cole'' range, which is luxury clothing with a slimmer silhouette designed to appeal to a younger, less conservative clientele. The retailer remained a

privately-held A privately held company (or simply a private company) is a company whose shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in their respective listed markets. Instead, the company's stock is ...

family business A family business is a commercial organization in which decision-making is influenced by multiple generations of a family, related by Consanguinity , blood, marriage or adoption, who has both the ability to influence the vision of the business a ...

until December 2012, when it was sold to its long-time Japanese partners,

Paulette Garafalo, formerly of

Brooks Brothers Brooks Brothers Inc. is an American clothing brand founded in 1818 which is the oldest apparel brand in continuous operation in the United States. Originally a family business, it is currently owned as a joint venture between Authentic Brands G ...

and

Hickey Freeman Hickey Freeman is a manufacturer of suits for men and boys, which was founded in Rochester, New York, US, in 1899, and operated a factory there from 1908 until 2023. In 2023, ownership of the brand name and the historic factory diverged, with pro ...

, became CEO of Paul Stuart on June 14, 2016, marking the first time someone unrelated to the Ostrove family led the company. The company offers

bespoke tailoring Bespoke tailoring () or custom tailoring is clothing made to an individual buyer's specifications by a tailor. Bespoke garments are completely unique and created without the use of a pre-existing pattern, while made to measure uses a standard-s ...

Oxxford Clothes Oxxford Clothes is a luxury men's suit and sport coat manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois. Individualized Apparel Group currently owns the brand. ''Forbes'' magazine has rated Oxxford as the best American-made suit. Oxxford Clothes was call ...

. In 2019, the company began offering a

made-to-measure Made-to-measure (MTM) typically refers to custom clothing that is cut and sewn using a standard-sized base pattern. Suit (clothing), Suits and sport coats are the most common garments made-to-measure. The fit of a made-to-measure garment is expec ...

service branded as customLAB, including luxury MTM

jeans Jeans are a type of trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with the addition of copper pocket rivets added by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and patented by ...

service. In 2019, the company celebrated the redesign and launch of its

omnichannel Omnichannel is a neologism describing a business strategy. According to ''Frost & Sullivan'', omnichannel is defined as "seamless and effortless, high-quality customer experiences that occur within and between contact channels". History "Omnis" i ...

e-commerce E-commerce (electronic commerce) refers to commercial activities including the electronic buying or selling products and services which are conducted on online platforms or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile co ...

website with home delivery via vintage

Packard Packard (formerly the Packard Motor Car Company) was an American luxury automobile company located in Detroit, Michigan. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Packards were built in South Bend, Indiana, in 1958. One ...

automobile. On July 1, 2022, Paulette Garafalo stepped away from day-to-day operations and assumed a new role as Executive Chairman. Trevor Shimpfky was announced as president and CEO, and oversaw the addition of new stores, the ceasing of womenswear production, and efforts to attract a younger clientele. Prior to joining Paul Stuart, he served as vice president of wholesale for North America at Ermenegildo Zegna for 16 years. The

creative director A creative director is a person who makes high-level creative decisions; oversees the creation of creative assets such as advertisements, products, events, or logos; and directs and translates the creative people who produce the end results. Creat ...

is Ralph Auriemma, who was originally hired away from Ralph Lauren Purple Label in 2007 to develop the youthful Phineas Cole sub-brand. In 2024 and 2025, Paul Stuart dressed jazz singer

Peter Cincotti Peter Cincotti (born July 11, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter. He began playing piano at the age of three. While in high school, he regularly performed in clubs throughout Manhattan. In 2003, Cincotti's debut album, produced by Phil Ramon ...

for his

Café Carlyle The Carlyle Hotel is a luxury apartment hotel on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1930, the Art Deco hotel was designed by Sylvan Bien and Harry M. Prince, with interiors by Dorothy Draper. It was named after the Sc ...

residency, and sold a limited-edition

vinyl album A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The gro ...

recorded live.

Retail locations

Paul Stuart has standalone shops in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Washington DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

Southampton, New York Southampton, officially the Town of Southampton, is a town in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town had a population of 69,036. Southampton is included in the stre ...

, and

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. Since 1938, the original New York City

flagship store A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

has been located at the corner of

and 45th Street. In the fall of 2008, Paul Stuart relocated its Chicago store from the

John Hancock Center 875 North Michigan Avenue (officially known until 2018 as the John Hancock Center and still commonly referred to under that name) is a 100- story, supertall skyscraper located in Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Magnificent Mile district, the ...

on Michigan Avenue to Oak Street. In the spring of 2011, Paul Stuart opened a second Chicago location in The Loop, at the corner of

LaSalle Street LaSalle Street is a major north-south street in Chicago named for René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, a 17th century French explorer of the Illinois Country. The portion that runs through the Chicago Loop is considered to be Chicago's f ...

and Adams Street in the

historic History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

Continental and Commercial National Bank The Continental and Commercial National Bank is a historic office building located at 208 S. LaSalle Street in Chicago's Loop. The 21-story building was built in 1911–1914 for the Continental and Commercial National Bank, at the time one of th ...

building designed by

Daniel Burnham Daniel Hudson Burnham (September 4, 1846 – June 1, 1912) was an American architect and urban designer. A proponent of the ''Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts'' movement, he may have been "the most successful power broker the American archi ...

, currently anchored by

JW Marriott Hotels JW Marriott is an American luxury hotel brand owned by Marriott International. History The JW Marriott brand was established in 1984, with the opening of the first hotel in Washington, D.C. It was named as a tribute to J.W. Marriott, the foun ...

. Both Chicago stores were broken into and looted during the George Floyd protests in Chicago, and the Loop store in the JW Marriott was permanently closed. In 2024 the Oak Street store was relocated to a 5,250 sq ft space spanning two floors at 822 North Michigan Avenue in front of

Chicago Water Tower The Chicago Water Tower is a contributing property and landmark in the Old Chicago Water Tower District in Chicago, Illinois, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built to enclose the tall machinery of a po ...

, and opposite its original Hancock Tower location from decades prior. The store in Washington, D.C. opened in spring 2015 in

CityCenterDC CityCenterDC, colloquially called CityCenter, is a mixed-use development consisting of two condominium buildings, two rental apartment buildings, two office buildings, a luxury hotel, and public park in Downtown (Washington, D.C.), downtown Wash ...

. Paul Stuart shoes and boots are sold at

Bloomingdales Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain founded in 1861 by Joseph Bloomingdale and Lyman Bloomingdale. It was acquired by Federated Department Stores in 1930, which purchased the Macy's department store chain in 1994, ...

and

Saks Fifth Avenue Saks Fifth Avenue (Colloquialism, colloquially Saks) is an American Luxury goods, luxury department store chain founded in 1867 by Andrew Saks. The first store opened in the F Street and 7th Street shopping districts, F Street shopping distric ...

. On 1 September 2020, Paul Stuart opened a 846 ft² popup store in New York City at 505 Broome Street which focused on the brand's CustomLab entry-level

tailored clothing. On July 1, 2020 the brand opened a shop in the Hamptons in Southampton. The Tokyo flagship store is located in

Kita-Aoyama is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Education Minato City Board of Education operates public elementary and junior high schools. Kita-Aoyama 1-2-chōme The Japanese addressing system is used to identify a specific location in Japan. Whe ...

near

Gaiemmae Station is a subway station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, operated by the Tokyo subway operator Tokyo Metro. Lines served : * Station layout The station has two side platforms serving two tracks. Platforms File:Gaiemm ...

. The brand is sold nationwide at Japanese department stores including

Daimaru is a Japanese department store chain, principally located in the Kansai region of Japan. The chain is operated by Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores, a subsidiary of J. Front Retailing. At one time Daimaru was an independent company, , hea ...

Keiō was a after '' Genji'' and before '' Meiji''. The period spanned the years from May 1865 to October 1868. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * May 1, 1865 (''Genji 2/Keiō 1, 7th day of the 4th month'') : The new era name of ''K ...

, Keisei,

Isetan ( unlisted on March 26, 2008, ) is a Japanese department store. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Isetan has branches throughout Japan and South East Asia, including in Jakarta, Jinan, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Shanghai, Singapore, Surabaya and Tianjin, ...

, Matsuya,

Matsuzakaya (Tokyo Stock Exchange, TYO: 8235, delisted) is a major Japanese Depato, department store chain operated by Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores, a subsidiary of J. Front Retailing. When the chain was an independent company, , it had its headq ...

Mitsukoshi is an international Department stores in Japan, department store chain with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Its holding company, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, is a member of the Mitsui, Mitsui Group. History It was founded in 1673 with the (sho ...

, Seibu, Sōgo,

Takashimaya is a Japanese multinational corporation operating a department store chain selling a wide array of products, ranging from wedding dresses and other apparel to electronics and flatware. It has more than 12 branches in Japan located in 2 region ...

, Tōbu,

Tōkyū The , a contraction of and formerly until 2 September 2019, is a Japanese ''keiretsu'' or conglomerate headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. While a multinational corporation, its main operation is , a wholly-owned subsidiary operating railways i ...

, and others.

Clientele

Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for founding the brand Ralph Lauren (brand), Ralph Lauren, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He stepped do ...

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz, May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, actor, singer, musician, choreographer, and presenter, whose career in stage, film, and television spanned 76 years. He is widely regarded as the "g ...

Mel Brooks Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman and politician. He is the majority owner and co-founder of Bloomberg L.P., and was its CEO from 1981 to 2001 and again from 2014 to 2023. He served as the 108th mayo ...

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...

, and

Billy Taylor Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the a ...

have been customers of the brand.Clifford Grodd, the Driving Force at Paul Stuart, Dies at 86
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', WILLIAM GRIMES, MAY 26, 2010 Paul Stuart's style has been described as a blend of “

, Connecticut living and the concrete canyons of New York.” In its early years, Paul Stuart was known as "the poor man's

"; later its prices rose, and for many years it has been more expensive than Brooks Brothers.

In popular culture

Paul Stuart dressed

in Hitchcock's ''

North by Northwest ''North by Northwest'' is a 1959 American spy thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason. The original screenplay written by Ernest Lehman was intended to be the basis for ...

''.PAUL STUART: NEW YORK'S NEW DANDY
''The Rake'', CHRIS COTONOU, October 2019 The brand has been worn in ''

Succession Succession is the act or process of following in order or sequence. Governance and politics *Order of succession, in politics, the ascension to power by one ruler, official, or monarch after the death, resignation, or removal from office of ...

''.Let’s Talk About the Yacht Clothes on “Succession”
''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'', Rachel Syme, October 14, 2019

References

External links