THE ethos behind Cahill Clothiers is to help men regain the pleasure of shopping surrounded by classic clothes from higher end European and international brands.
Named after the woman who fed owner Don Black’s passion for clothes - his late mother Erin, nee Cahill - the shop in Sir Isaac’s Walk, Colchester, focuses on quality and timeless style.
The kind of men it caters for are those who like to mix boutique items with high street and who want a more personable retail experience.
Don, 49, said: “My primary focus is quality so I’m going for classic styles which don’t go out of fashion that men want to buy all year round.
“Fashion is for five minutes and that doesn’t work for me.
“I’m also trying to bring the pleasure back to clothes shopping which I feel has become a bit of a chore for men.”
But classic by no means equates to boring at Cahill Clothiers, which Don believes can cater to everyone from students beginning their first serious job to retired men who still endeavour to look good.
Some of the brands in stock include Selected Homme, Burlington socks, Humble Gents Social Club, Re.Sustain and Armor-Lux which brings a nautical vibe.
The idea is not to be too trend-led.
He said: “From my perspective, I don’t want to constantly be on sale because when you’re only selling what’s on trend, you naturally end up with a big chunk of stock which you’ve got to sell at a lower cost.
“I have to follow trends somewhat but men’s fashion generally is not so much about the style but the colour.”
Being a serial shopper has helped teach former banking professional Don how to be a retailer.
He spent 30 years in the industry before being made redundant which unfortunately coincided with his mum’s death in December last year.
He said: “It prompted me to do something I had a passion for which is clothes.”
He added: “Men generally aren’t as spontaneous as women when it comes to shopping, who go out with a target in mind.
“A man may not know what they want particularly, they just know they need a new jacket, for instance. The way men shop is very different.
“My key focus is customer service, If someone leaves without buying anything, so be it, but hopefully they will have had a good enough experience and come back.
“I’m not trying to compete with the likes of Fenwick or Turners, I just wanted to do my own thing and hopefully bring some of the passion I have for clothes to customers.”
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