Lujon
Address: 35 Pleasant St. , Worcester, MA 01609
Phone: 508-752-3289
Fax: 508-752-1002
Website: www.lujonmensclothes.com
Number of employees: 3
Top Executives: Andre Thibeault, Fawaz Hanna, owners
Product or service: Fine men’s clothing
Year founded: 1951
Lujon: A men’s fashion classic
Ever since the gray flannel suit was the height of men’s fashion in the 1950s, style-conscious males have found top-of- the-line quality, personalized service and expert tailoring at Lujon Men’s Clothes. The boutique-sized shop on Worcester’s Pleasant Street, just off Main, offers a selection comparable to designer stores in Boston.Among its prestigious labels, Lujon’s carries Zanella slacks, Ermenegildo Zegna by Coppley suits and sports jackets, Jack Victor suits and sports coats, St. Croix knitwear, Remy leather outerwear, Jack Lipson dress shirts and sport shirts, Kolte ties, Mezlan shoes, and casual clothing by Tori Richard, Axis and Tulliano.
"We maintain a formula that’s been a success for 55 years," says Andre Thibeault, co-owner with Fawaz Hanna. We have high standards and offer high quality. You don’t come to Lujon’s looking for bargains." The two recently purchased the store from John Israelian, whose father founded Lujon’s in 1951. Israelian continues to be involved in the store as a consultant.
Both Thibeault and Hanna have strong ties to Lujon’s. Thibeault was sales manager for 27 years, and Hanna has been the master tailor since 1992.
"We cater to men who like clothes, who want the latest fashion and best quality," says Thibeault. "Our customers are busy guys who want someone to take care of details."
Sometimes this means working with emergencies. Recently, a longtime customer had a death in the family. When he asked if Lujon’s could outfit family members in time for the funeral, the staff worked into the early morning hours to tailor suits for them.
"We don’t just sell a suit, we get to know people," notes Thibeault. "We understand our customers’ likes, dislikes, how will they wear the clothes they buy."
The store’s reputation for extraordinary service has created not only repeat business, but also generations of satisfied customers. Many a stylishly dressed Worcesterite was taken to Lujon’s by his father or uncle to buy his first suit.
Israelian notes a generation gap in men who are interested in fashion. "Those over 50 dress well, but the generation X-ers can’t seem to adjust to wearing business suits," he says. "Younger men just out of college, however, are beginning to get more interested in fashion."
Lujon’s has survived fashion trends and increased competition from suburban malls. Thibeault notes with no small amount of pride that the business has prospered even while bigger establishments, such as Worcester’s Galleria mall, closed their doors.
Another economic challenge was the emergence of casual dress at work - a trend ushered in with the dot-com era. "That caused us to change our emphasis from suits and dress wear to include a lot of sportswear," Thibeault explains. Such fads as "casual-Fridays " were especially hard on traditional customers. "A lot of businessmen hate the casual dress trend at the office," says Thibeault. "It takes too much time to figure out what shirt goes with what slacks. Putting on a suit is much faster."
He notes with some relief that the casual approach to office wear seems to have run its course. "Men are dressing up again," he says, "replacing Dockers with dress pants, and golf shirts with fine knits and well cut sport coats. Men are becoming concerned with looking more professional. Our suit business is up 50% from a year ago."
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