mozingo

Charlie Mozingo

Long-time Highland Village men’s haberdasher, Mozingo Clothiers, is making a move to Fondren.

Charlie Mozingo says he will open March 1 in the 1,100 square foot space next to CAET, once occupied by Fischer Galleries and later, lululemon athletica.

“We’re really excited about coming to Fondren, the cool, hip place to be,” Mozingo said. “I love the fact that this space is right on the street. This gives us the chance to revamp, reimagine and rebrand.”

Mozingo says the new location better fits the overall strategy of his successful custom clothing business. “We have too much space here (at Highland Village – 3,000 square feet), want to be more visible and don’t need to be open late hours or Sundays,” he said of the factors influencing the decision. “It’s a bittersweet move, but it’s time to move on.”

Eighty percent of Mozingo’s business is custom made clothing. But the new location will carry the same amount of inventory of ready-to-wear items he currently stocks like jeans, casual shirts and sweaters and accessories such as socks, ties and cuff links in a more curated sort of way.

Mozingo says service is top priority. “You can’t just walk in and help yourself,” he explained of their approach. “You can’t pick out clothing without me or my team (store manager John Wiggins and outside sales representative Matt Ellis) helping you.”

The new store, designed with clean and modern lines by Mozingo’s wife, Ellen, will be approachable, welcoming. “We’ll be behind a long bar and our clients will be catered to, like at a restaurant. It’s a cool concept to be able to serve our customers and take care of them.” He adds, “We’re not pushy sales people, though. We want to know who our clients are, where they are going and what they need clothing for – find the best solutions for that.”

Mozingo, who has been in the clothing business since 1999, said custom made is not as expensive as some think. “Our suits start just under $1,000 and we have that conversation, asking, ‘how do you want it to fit?’ We make custom look good on everybody. We put these men in things that make them feel good about themselves.”

More about Mozingo: mozingoclothiers.com