Thursday, May 15, 1997

F&S Clothiers marks 35th anniversary

By BOB BRUCE

Senior Staff Writer

Generally speaking, fashions rotate on a 15-year basis, says Bill Standly, owner of F&S Clothiers, which has just marked its 35th anniversary.

For a good example at how clothes come and go, take a look at local high school graduation pictures over the years, Standly suggested.

Standly, 59, has had ample opportunity to make that fashion observation - he's been working in the same clothing store for nearly 40 years.

It was Whitehurst Clothiers then, owned by the late M.A. Whitehurst in downtown Abilene. Standly went to work at the store in 1958 when he enrolled at Abilene Christian University, moving here from his native Hillsboro.

Standly and a silent partner bought the store in 1962. Ten years later Standly and his wife, Charline, became outright owners.

Consumers today are "much more educated and knowledgeable" than 30 years ago, according to Bill.

"Used to, manufacturers and styles people dictated to the customer what was in fashion. Today the customer pretty well wears what he likes. The consumer dictates what he wants. It's reversed itself," he said.

Suits and sports coats are still being worn but not every day like they once were, he said.

Folks now dress down to a more casual lifestyle, Bill said, noting that the trend has extended into business and the workplace.

He hinted, too, that perhaps it is a trend gone too far.

"Performance levels are higher, they go up when you dress the part," he said. "Colleges and big companies have proven that."

Other things have changed, too.

Small businesses don't operate like they did years ago. For one thing, pricing is different, Bill said.

"Most independents today belong to buying groups so that they have buying power," he said.

F&S belongs to JBG, whose 450 members are menswear retailers.

The family store no longer features women's fashions, having discontinued them in 1987.

"The majors were getting were getting priority shipments and we couldn't stay competitive on a small store basis," Bill said.

F&S, which does about $750,000 a year in gross sales, has four full-time employees: Bill and Charline Standly, their daughter, Karla Brown, who is the store manager, and Margaret Loya.

It has been located in Crossroads Shopping Center since 1981. Before that it was at 274 Cypress. At one time, from 1976-81, a third store was located in Westgate Shopping Center.

In the spring of 1988 the original F&S Clothiers was closed downtown and its inventory moved to the Crossroads store.

Bill Standly's philosophy is simple: "The customer is king." Put another way, customer satisfaction is paramount.

The store's bread and butter is its suits and sports coats. In addition, tuxedo rentals "are becoming a revenue source," Bill said.

"I enjoy what I do," Bill said. "I like the contact with the people, with the customers."

He quickly identified a major dislike: "The battles we have to go through with suppliers of all types to be treated on an equal basis with the large stores. On all levels, we have a hard time not to be treated differently." And that includes buying, billing and borrowing, he said.

Bill said his daughter "runs the store" and owns 10 percent, purchasing it in the fall of 1994.

Karla said her father has taught her "everything - everything I could possibly know about men's clothing."

Karla has a degree in criminal justice, received in 1994 from McMurry University.

How does she plan to make use of it?

"I can use it for a fallback if I need it," Karla said.

Business hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.