Al's Formal Wear Voted IFA's 2007 Retailer of the Year!
From the International Formalwear Association newsletter
Retailer of the Year is an award presented to a formal wear retailer and its owner for exhibiting an outstanding example of professionalism in the formalwear industry. Al's Formal Wear, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is this year's distinct example of industry excellence. Read on and get to know one of your peers and the way they choose to conduct the business we all love.
Al's Formal Wear currently has over 90 stores located in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Al's also has a wholesale division, Ascot Formal Wear, which supplies formalwear stores across the United States with tuxedos. Rounding out Al's services to consumers is Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network (CRDN), which specializes in restoring clothing and other fabric items damaged by fires and floods.
Of all the questions from media, students, and customers alike, the most common question asked is, "Is there a real Al behind Al's Formal Wear?" The answer is yes! His name is Alan Gaylor and it was his vision and hard work that made Al's Formal Wear the tuxedo empire it is today.
From humble beginnings and a dream to provide his family with a good future, Alan Gaylor and his wife Lillian started a tuxedo shop at 712 McKinney in downtown Houston in the 1950s. The shop had 1,000 square feet of space and a rent base of $200. Al recalls at that time, a gentleman could be formally outfitted in a tuxedo for a total cost of only $5.95.
As years went by, the business continued to grow under the Gaylors' hard work and direction. They successfully outfitted customers through many decades and fashion trends in the 50s, 60s, through the 90s and now the 2000s. Many of Al's Formal Wear customers have rented their prom and wedding tuxedos, as well as their tuxedos for their children and grandchildren's weddings
"Our business from day one was built on providing excellent customer service and quality merchandise at affordable prices, and we continue to build our business on this premise today," states Mr. Gaylor.
The business is headquartered in Houston, Texas. They employ over 500 employees and have proudly been serving customers for over 55 years. Al's is a family-owned and operated business. The company also has a unique policy allowing employees' family members to work for the company, so you'll find many brothers and sisters, cousins, husbands and wives, and employees' parents working at Al's Formal Wear. Mr. Gaylor calls them "Al's family" and he means it in every sense literally.
Mr. Gaylor states, "We understand that our employees are the heart of our company. We strive to find the right person for each job and look for long-term employees, not short-term, as we want to provide exceptional service to each customer, and we feel that it begins with our employees." The company is a "team" company so everyone contributes to its successes. From Vice Presidents and sales consultants to drivers and cleaning plant employees - it takes everyone's efforts to accomplish their goals. They also feel that for a special event such as wedding, the customers want to know that their needs will be met in a caring manner, and knowing that Al's is a family-owned and operated business, conveys this to them.
Al's Formal Wear prides itself in carrying quality merchandise. They feature over 70 styles of tuxedos and hundreds of accessories from designers such as Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis and Marc Ecko to their very own line, Doni Barassi. A fun fact about this tuxedo line is that it is named after Mr. Gaylor's first grandchild, Doni. He was in the midst of developing the line when she was born, so he knew instantly what the name should be. This August, the line will turn 19, just like Doni!
When marketing to customers, they keep to the premise - exceptional customer service and quality merchandise at affordable prices. Al's also listens to their customers. This has lead to carrying other products such as invitations and wedding party gifts. The customers wanted one-stop shopping and Al's Formal Wear gave it to them.
In 1995 Alan Gaylor’s philosophies and dedication to his business earned him the industry's Black Tie award of excellence. After over 50 years of building a tuxedo empire for his family, Mr. Gaylor turned over the presidency to his son Stuart in 2001. Since he took the reins, the company has continued to flourish. Al's is currently building more stores in new markets and has plans for many more in the near future.
Congratulations to the Gaylor "family" - all integral parts in achieving the level of formal wear professionalism which makes up the criteria of Retailer of the Year!