News
Time Out Chicago
Chicago father-and-son custom clothing company, Balani, celebrates 50 years in business.
On the next generation of Balani
Sonny Balani, owner: I got involved [with the business] eight years ago. I have an investment banking/trading background. I grew up around the business and had no intention in going into this at all. I think my dad asked me once when I was 16, and I just said “No way.” And he just kind of dropped it. And then around 2003, I came around and saw a potential here. But I really wanted to make it a place where I would want to shop. I wanted to bring a little more hospitality into it. A lot of times people think about custom clothing, and they think of it as stodgy and stuffy. We’re the opposite of that.
On the Balani customer
Sonny …
Crain’s New in Chicago
Crain’s Chicago Business
Excerpt: This family-owned business, which sells custom-tailored menswear at 10 S. LaSalle St., will open a second location at 55 W. Monroe St. on Wednesday (Sept. 15). Owner Sonny Balani says business is booming. “Overall, we’re up 80% over last year,” he says. “There was a lot of pent-up demand.” Customers who had put off clothing purchases during the recession are spending more money now as they dress up, he explains. The company is doubling its workforce and tripling its capacity in 2010. Mr. Balani runs the company with his father, Peter, who started it in 1961. Sonny Balani says the company prides itself on old-fashioned customer service, but the stores have a sleek, contemporary look. The Balanis worked with Apple Inc.’s business-development unit to create “learning kiosks” where customers can see how their custom suits will …
Chicago Magazine’s “Best of Chicago”
Chicago Magazine
Excerpt: It may seem counterintuitive, but Balani Custom Clothiers is having a record-breaking year. By demystifying the custom process and forgoing the usual stodginess of the suit biz, Balani has successfully hooked newbies. Clients begin with a one-on-one appointment that includes having 30 measurements taken and making selections at the fabric bar. The next step is a fitting with on-site tailors, and the finished product is usually available in six weeks. The shop offers suites, shirts, sport coats, slacks, overcoats, raincoats, and casualwear, such as funky shirts with contrasting button holes or collar types.
Read more »Michigan Avenue
The city’s best custom clothiers take fashion off the rack.
by Lisa Skolnik
The Goods:
Anything stitched for men, but they’re especially noted for made-from-scratch suits.
Known for:
An exceptional selection of styles and fabrics, and new-school service that walks you through every part of the process, explaining fabrication and tailoring options over cocktails.
Clients:
Everyone from sports stars to CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.
Costs:
Prices start at $105 for shirts, $795 for suits, and $595 for sports coats.
Favorite Piece:
They love to do tuxedos.
What We Didn’t Know:
Custom, full-service coddling doesn’t have to be inimidating or unaffordable.
Muse:
Men who take pride in the way they look.…
Metromix
This sleek tailor shop prides itself on a young and contemporary vibe. Leather couches and a polished black floor ground an otherwise light and airy atmosphere, while finished samples offer inspiration to customers contemplating a new suit. Clients can choose everything from basic black to pinstripe to plaid, and designs can be selected from a style book or customized based on the client’s own ideas. As well as formal suits for men and women, Balani also offers sportcoats and overcoats. Designer fabrics include Zegna, Holland and Sherry, Thomas Mason and Dormeuil. Visits are by appointment only.
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