Kildare clothes shop celebrates 40 years in business

When Newbridge men's clothier Vivian Clarke turned the key to open his shop on the last day of August, he was beginning the 41st year of his business. To celebrate, the premises on Edward Street sports a new sign.

It has been quite an achievement for the enterprise, established by Vivian and his brother Brian four decades ago, to survive against the onslaught of the big multiples in mass market clothing. The key to success has been a commitment to high quality clothing from a carefully selected small group of manufacturers.

"That's what keeps our customers coming back, year on year," says Vivian, now operating the shop on his own since Brian retired a decade ago. "In fact, I met one man the other day who apologised for not having been in lately, his excuse was the quality is too good and his previous purchases hadn't worn out."

Vivian and Brian are multigenerational Kilcullen residents, but got into the menswear business when they worked in Newbridge for the late Denis Melia, who had a menswear store among a number of other operations. Their decision to go out on their own was facilitated by a helpful local bank manager and a loan from Vivian's late mother in law, Alice Coleman.

The Clarke brothers were young, and their then target customers were young men about town who were quite prepared to spend their spare money on quality trendy stuff. "Levis were big at the time, and I remember talking to a rep from Arnotts, when I had just brought in about three dozen pairs of Levi 501s, and telling him that they were 'gold dust on the floor'."

As the business developed, the Clarkes went into stocking high quality shirts and knitwear producers like Tricot Marine from Blarney Woollen Mills. "We grew then with our customers as they grew older, and stayed with top brands although the brands themselves changed."

Those brands, such as Andre shirts and knitwear, were a deliberate choice, as Vivian and Brian were faced with competition from cheap imports in the bigger shops coming on-stream. "I wasn't prepared to stock the cheap stuff, as we couldn't compete there, and our customers knew that with us they were getting quality."

But paradoxically those same multiples arriving in Newbridge also helped the Clarkes business. "We're located halfway between Whitewater and Penneys, and potential customers passing by remember us when they want something of quality."

It's a very personal business too, which means that Vivian is always there, six days a week. But it's never lonely, as many friends and acquaintances are likely to drop in for a short chat, maybe just a 'hello', or even an actual customer or few. 

"I love talking to people, so they're always very welcome, even if they're not buying at the time." 

He still has a copy of a local newspaper feature article written when he and Brian opened the shop first. It began with the words 'For the Clarke brothers, Vivian and Brian, business is all about customer service'. That's the ethic which keeps you in business for 40 years, through thick and thin.

The thin has included recessions and pandemic, environments which can be rocks in raging waters for a small business. But Clarkes Menswear always managed to keep afloat. Unlike those helpful local bank managers, a species that seems to have become extinct, there's still a safe berth in some places for commitment to customers' needs.