Page 110 - Cityview Jan-Feb 2017

Known throughout the country for their fabulously styled “rigs,” M.S. McClellan’s artful presentation sets the store apart from most clothiers.108JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017clothing to work for the long haul. And clothing matched to the man stays current for years. “Classic or traditional fashionis the foundation of this store,” he adds, “and always has been.”Ivy league clothing was all the rage when he opened, but it was overall dark and somber then. And this is where the industry respect comes in, that for a market the size of Knoxville, he went out and found traditional clothing than was “a little more vibrant,” that had “a little more color, a little more zip.”For McClellan, the future is challenging but the industry has always had its ebbs and ows. “I have no reason to absolutely believe that men won’t start dressing again “in the next I don’t know how many years.” He thinks that his store will change to become more sportwear driven and that suits and sportscoats will become less important. But because “they’re part of what we are; we have to show them—we have to have dress clothing, suits, or we’re just the sportswear store.”MY MISSION ISTO BRING TO KNOXVILLE THE FINEST CLOTHING THE MARKETWILL BEAR.—Matthew McClellanOccasionally, he still works as a salesman with a few high-end clients but doesn’t work near as much as he used to. “I’m sort of a Wal-Mart-style greeter now,” he laughs. But don’t you believe it; he remains the face of the company and the fundamental source of every sale. He meets the customer at the door, and thanks them for their business when they leave, whether they have purchased anything or not.When his son is asked about reasons for his father’s success, Matt McClellan’s humility causes him to leave the room.“I think in that he’s built something that this town very much appreciates,” Bob McClellan says. “He has created that culture where everybody here knows what looks good and what doesn’t look good, and I think the other aspect is that you can trust him not to throw something on you and get you out the door.” The advantage one discovers is how well M.S. McClellan gets to know a customer, and that is available neither online nor in a catalog.The challenge is in bringing that online audience into the store so that they can discover that shopping in person is better. As an illustration, McClellan observes that “you can get a beer; hell, you canget a drink. I mean, you know, it’s an experience. I don’t think going online and buying a sport coat is an experience.”McClellan wants to bring the best of tailored clothing and sportswear to the Knoxville market. “We’re a much ner store than you’d expect to nd in a marketCONTINUED ON PAGE 158