Top Hat & Tails' New Location is a Perfect Fit

Horace Kinard has always had a penchant for men's clothing. With more than 20 years of experience, he brings a wealth of knowledge when it comes to helping men look their best.

On November 21, Horace moved his formal and fine menswear store, Top Hat & Tails, to a new location at 1860 Springfield Avenue. It was formerly housed at 1809 Springfield Avenue. The shop is on the ground floor of the recently built Yale Street Commons building. The move has many pluses.

"The visibility and the brand new building were the primary reasons for the change," Kinard said. "The old space was narrow in the front and had small windows. It was an older building with an older façade. With this place, we will get a lot of walk-in traffic." For this new beginning, he has joined forces with co-owner Brian Berry.

Top Hat & Tails has something to meet every need. Their customers range from men looking to purchase their first suit to those going to a formal occasion. The shop provides everything from fine Italian suits, ties and tuxedos to custom shirts and shoes. One of the store's goals is to ensure that each suit is tailored for a perfect fit. To that end, all measurements are taken onsite and alterations done in-house.

Kinard made the transition to the new store after being at the old location for about five years. "The other place was a wedding center," he says. "We accommodated everything for a wedding. We not only had formal wear, but we had bridal gowns too. We had a woman who made custom gowns for customers."

The store also had a resident DJ and provided wedding invitations. "It was a one-stop shopping idea that I came up with several years ago," Horace explains. "So we invited all those vendors in and we shared that space."

Now, for Kinard and Berry, it's all about the clothes. With Kinard's credentials in the field and Berry's business savvy, the pair can't go wrong. Kinard started in the industry back in 1994. "While I was going to college, I started working at Donte's Formal Wear which is now Donte Zellers. At that time, they had about 30 stores. I ended up managing some of those locations."

He later spent nine years at Cozy Formal Wear. He opened his first Top Hat & Tails store in 2004 in Morristown. In 2005, he moved to the initial Springfield Avenue location. Now, located in a building that is new and growing, Kinard is looking forward to big things.

One of those things is to continue to make customers feel at ease with Top Hat's services. During this interview, a customer entered the store with an interest in buying a suit for the very first time. Kinard offered the customer detailed information and assistance about everything from the proper fit to color selection.

"I've always had an affinity for men's clothes," Kinard says. "I enjoy what I do. I just want to make sure that customers who come in will leave looking and feeling good."