Call it an origin story.
Marc Streisand, owner of Marc Allen Fine Clothiers, was a New York City teenager when an interaction at a local party left him indelibly changed.
He approached a popular girl to strike up a conversation, which ended after she called him “short.”
Streisand returned home later and relayed the story to his mother. She looked at him and said, “Well then, you’ve got to dress bigger.”
Looking back, it was a pinnacle moment.
“I sucked that in like the Holy Grail,” said Streisand, who now dedicates his life to supplying local shoppers “the most sought-after brands in the world.”
First opened in 2005 in Providence, the store recently switched locations, moving next door to a larger space at 204 South Main St.
The earlier “wide and shallow” inventory has been pared down in recent months, focused more on a curated collection marked by classic business attire and other items much harder to find.
A longtime tenant, Streisand finally bought the building from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2022. The new space now boasts a lounge surrounded by a big-screen TV and full bar stocked with high-end spirits. Modern artworks adorn the walls, including a Daliesque painting by the grandfather of Will Arvanites, director of operations.
Streisand likes to joke he is “grooming” Arvanites and Colin Ward, longtime manager and buyer, to take over after he retires.
“They are the succession plan,” he said.
“Customer loyalty is No. 1,” Arvanites said. “It’s not transactional. This should be fun. Let’s not take this more seriously than it needs to be.”
Marc Allen gets most of its collection from a few Italian fabric mills, with the team making regular visits to cities such as Milan and Florence to meet suppliers.
“We pick companies that provide us with a certain type of service,” Arvanites said.
They recently returned from a business trip to Mexico to measure and fit a 40-man wedding party.
The company stresses the personal touch. Streisand and his team are ready to converse with walk-in customers looking to upgrade their attire or those simply curious about what’s going on inside.
“Those relationships help,” Streisand said. “In this industry, it’s about meeting the right people.”
The mission is simple: providing customers with the threads and confidence they believe is fundamental to a well-lived life.
“It’s about getting your customers interested in tailored clothing,” Streisand said. “We are a specialty store selling specialty things. [My customers] are well-heeled people.”
Streisand believes that the modern consumer has traded personalization for convenience. He said the store even makes house calls.
“Help these days is so deficient in everything. It’s just not there,” Streisand said. “Whenever you come in here, you’re going to get one of us.”
Marc Allen employs two full-time custom tailors. And custom suits take between six and 12 weeks to deliver.
“We want to make them feel like they are part of the process,” Streisand said.
The company has also given generously to charitable causes over the years, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of men’s clothing to nonprofits.
“Being humble is crucial,” Streisand said. “It’s about those relationships. The clothing is just the byproduct.”
OWNER: Marc Streisand
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Luxury clothing
LOCATION: 204 South Main St., Providence
EMPLOYEES: Eight
YEAR FOUNDED: 2005
ANNUAL SALES: WND
