With prom season right around the corner, many teenagers will be upgrading from jeans and t-shirts to gowns and tuxedos. Recently Meriden Patch caught up with the owner of Pietro’s Tuxedo Specialist to see what’s hot for formal wear this year.
Joe Zaccariello has been the owner of Pietro’s Tuxedo (located in the Westfield Meriden mall next to Macy’s) for the past 24 years. The family business was started in 1966 by Zaccariello’s father, Peter, and eventually passed down to his son. What began with just one store in downtown Wallingford expanded over the years to eight stores. However, the Zaccariello family has since sold most of the stores, but kept the Meriden location.
Zaccariello says over the years the tuxedo industry has changed a lot- in both styles and competition. In the 1970s, it was all about bold colors and fabrics. Plaid pants, paired with bright colored velvet jackets and ruffled shirts were not an uncommon sight on the dance floor. Today the trend is a black tuxedo with coordinating colored accessories (cummerbund, ties, vests, and hats.) And the Yankees (Zaccariello’s favorite team) aren’t the only ones wearing pinstripes. That’s also a popular trend when it comes to tuxedos.
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“Our store carries 350 different colors for our accessories. Our display is like one big rainbow. If you have a color – we can match it,” says Zaccariello.
Over the past decades, the competition of tuxedo rental shops has increased a lot. According to one report, there are more than 2,300 tuxedo shops across the country. So how does Zaccariello compete with the larger national chains? He says he focuses on customer service, has the largest inventory in the state, and has all of his stock right in the store- meaning same day service. Some of that stock includes tuxedos by Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis, and Oscar de la Renta.
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Prices for a tuxedo rental range from $89 to $130, and for a pair of shoes it will cost you $12 more. But good news for all those high school students on a budget. The store is running a prom special - $69.99 for a tuxedo rental!
This time of year it’s not only high school seniors coming in looking for the perfect tux. Future grooms are also getting ready for their upcoming summer wedding. Meriden Patch asked Zaccariello who had the final say in picking out the tuxedo- the man (who has to wear it) or the woman.
“They come in to discuss it together, but the bride always has the upper hand,” laughs Zaccariello.
For more information about Pietro’s Tuxedo Specialist, including prom and wedding specials, visit:
