Richard Oliver House Moves to Katonah

While some local businesses may be buckling under pressure from the overall economic slump, some have been kept afloat by loyal customer bases.

The Richard Oliver House is one of them.

After 54 years in Bedford Village, the store recently moved to the heart of Katonah—to 151 Katonah Ave., where it will be sharing the space with the now-halved girls clothing store, Boo Girls.

Owners Dorothy Coletta and Susie Wamsley are confident that the new, corner location will bring them greater visibility and hopefully, more business.

"With a historic store and pre-existing customers, we hope the legacy of Richard Oliver will live on and even succeed in this dismal economy," Coletta said.

"Dorothy and Susie have an amazing taste and great instincts about classic fashion," said longtime customer Shirley Bianco, owner of Hudson Valley WoolWorks. "My husband George and I love to shop locally, and now that our son Andrew is 13, we can find things for him here, too.  Plus, we also shop for George's father."

Coletta's advice to budget-conscious customers is simple, if compelling: Hang a few new pieces in your wardrobe, if you can't replace the earlier season's stock altogether.  

Dress shirts range from $90 to $100, Lauren suits are priced at $395, alpaca and cashmere sweaters range from $198 to $295 and ties, belts and wallets start at $35 and go up to $165.

The clothes are for any male between the ages of 25 and 85.  With names like Peter Millar, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, White+Warren and Harris Tweed lining the shelves, there is a wide spectrum of choice. Also, customers may outfit themselves for a range of occasions—from business meetings to casual Fridays to weekend relaxation.

At the Richard Oliver House, the emphasis is on personalized customer service. The owners say they do their best to learn about a customer's lifestyle and color preferences and only then, find them him appropriate sartorial match. And if their stock doesn't accommodate the shopper, they'll do their best to meet someone's needs by consulting their manufacturers. 

"I have a client who is a bandleader. He's got suits and golf shirts and nothing in between," said Wamsley.  "We helped him round out his wardrobe with things he could wear every day, be comfortable in and still look nice." 

The business partners complement each other. While Coletta, responsible for the store's rich look, brings retail experience, Wamsley is the managing partner. Each had personal reasons for buying the business. Coletta wanted to be involved in the Katonah business community and Wamsley had a family connection: her mother had been a previous owner of the store. 

When Richard Oliver expanded his tailoring business to a menswear store in 1955, Susie Wamsley's mother, Betty and her friend Mary Helen Kennedy quickly became loyal customers.  So when Oliver and his wife wanted to sell the business and move to Florida, Betty and Mary Helen couldn't bear to see the store close. 

"My mom and her friend took time away from the Garden Club and Junior League to run this store," said the younger Wamsley.  "I grew up getting off the bus and going to the store."

Only the fourth owners since the store's inception, Coletta and Wamsley are excited about their new space.  "We had to give this a try," Coletta said.  "Susie didn't want to see the Richard Oliver tradition die out and I wanted to be a mom and a business owner in Katonah. "

While they know that success doesn't happen overnight, they feel that Katonah is a genuine retail town where people support their local businesses, and they have history on their side.

"We think we're a good choice because we offer options for classic looks and staying on top of trends," Coletta says. 

The Richard Oliver House is open Monday through Saturday, between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00p.m., and on Sundays, from noon until 4:00 p.m.