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NAPLES NEWS ARTICLE

Window Shopping: Maus & Hoffman

Open the door to Maus & Hoffman and you feel as if you have stepped back to a time when the customer was treated with deference and was, in all matters, absolutely right. It’s the kind of place that feels familiar, like you’ve shopped there all your life. Or seen the store in the background of a movie, maybe an old British film with a dapper Ronald Coleman or Trevor Howard.

The clothes are classic. Dip your hand into the racks or the neatly stacked shelves and the fabrics telegraph pure quality. The staff is attentive, swimming confidently around pants layered just-so on wood tables; shirts lining the back wall shelves; and jackets and pants hanging neatly around the perimeter of the store.

Maus & Hoffman not only sells the classic design, but is a classic itself. The store started in Michigan in 1934 and today you have the choice of shopping at five stores: Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Sarasota and Naples.

Sales staff Harvey Brenner, Sam Smith III or Allen Wade man the store with the help of master tailor Nino Mistretta, who can alter your garments in house and free of charge. Listen to their opinion because men’s wear is the only career all three men have ever had. Administrative assistant Sally Byrne will check you out at the old-fashioned wood counter in the front of the store.

Prices start at $15 for arm bands to quickly shorten sleeves that are too long to the high of $4,500 for a Bironi cashmere sport coat.

See for yourself how at home you feel when you open the door of the apricot colored building at the quiet end of Third Street South in downtown Naples. With the assistance of one of the salesmen try on a well-made garment that gives you the same comfort as an old friend.

We talked with three of the store’s salesmen about their backgrounds, the store, their views on style and the Big Question: If money was no object, what would you take home with you tonight?

Harvey Brenner, 65, relocated to Naples from Pittsburgh seven years ago. He has been in menswear for 40 years.

Sam Smith, 58, is a native of Tennessee. He’s lived in Naples for 21 years and has always worked in the retail business in men’s clothing. “It is what I love. The combination of people and clothing is my passion.”

Allen Wade, 57, grew up in South Carolina and has been in Naples almost two years.

What trend do think should come back in men’s wear?

Brenner: “The traditional trend never left and that’s what this store is — an updated traditional look.”

Smith: “The preppy look.”

Wade: “The dressing up with a suit, shirt and tie.”

What trends of the past do you think shouldn’t ever resurface?

Polyester leisure suits, all agreed.

What is the style of your store?

Everyone agreed that it is an updated traditional classic look.

Who shops at your store?

Brenner: “We are a destination store. Our customers shop for a wardrobe and for special occasions.”

Smith: “We also have tourists and visitors who have forgotten things at home and need a jacket or shirt in a hurry.”

If you could pick any two items in the store what would you take home right now?

Brenner: “I would pick the Brioni doeskin flannel, navy blazer ($4,250) for its comfortable fit and the way the fabric feels. I think the Stefano Ricci hand woven, cotton, button down long sleeved shirt ($725), feels wonderful on and the multi- colored stripe goes flawlessly with the jacket. Both are made of very high quality materials and both are from Italy.”

Smith: “The V-neck, argyle, 100 percent single-ply cashmere sweater ($475) from Scotland. I love to wear sweaters and this sweater is a very lightweight cashmere. It is so comfortable to wear in the spring and winter season when there are Gulf breezes, and the weather is perfect. I can wear it in the daytime or evening. I also picked the hand-sewn, soft calfskin, black bit loafer ($650). They are a genuine Italian leather, slipper shoe that will never crease no matter how I bend them. The thin sole is a trademark of the Italian makers.”

Wade: “I chose the Solemare royal blue, blazer handmade in Italy. It is a lightweight wool zephyr, hopsack with blue enamel buttons ($2,195). I love the material, the buttons and the color. I wear that color pretty well. I also picked the Stefano Ricci 120’s all-cotton broadcloth in a multi-colored tattersall. It has long sleeves and a buttoned collar and cuffs ($550). The shirt is spectacular and matches the jacket beautifully.”

Source: napplesnews.com 10/23/08

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