Local Spending, Local Economy

When you see this logo, either as it is or embedded on a poster or in a blog like this, know that the business is local. The 3/50 Project advocates for all locally owned businesses across the nation, and we love them. Visit www.the350project.net and learn more about the power of shopping locally. Download the app for your phone, and start seeking out locals, for everyone's sake.

People don't make specific decisions to NOT support local, independent businesses. I mean, I truly hope they don't. No, people simply go where the marketing dollars direct them, and where concentrastions of retail abound. They simply see local businesses as alternatives, especially if the locals are well executed, professional operations.

When local stores are selected, though, more money stays in the local economy. Local companies utilize the services of local CPAs, advertising specialists, attornesy and other service providers. Local stores are significantly more engaged in helping schools and local charities. The money that is spent in a local store, therefore, is reinvested in the community. This simply isn't true about national chains, so when a decision is made to spend money at a national, the result is a proven reduction in local economic activity.

The good news is that it is extraordinarily easy to make an immediate and lasting difference. It starts with the realization that a purchase has a range of leveraging power. The leverage is at it's highest power with local decisions, wherein the monies circulate over and over agion in the local economy. The worst for the local economy is an internet purchase, where the dollars leave the community and the state, and the sales tax revenue is also forfeited. That means less money for police, firemen, teachers, roads and services.

When we ask you to shop locally, we do want you to support us, no question about it. But the import of our message changes quite a bit when we also tell you that we advise local purchases wherever you go. In Howell or Dundee or Petosky or Wyandotte, we tell you that your money is maximized through investment in local businesses. AND, when you shop locally, you'll be spending with people that will thank you, and pay it forward.

Shop Local for selfish reasons! It's nice to do business with people that appreciate it, isn't it?

Chelsea Menswear in Downtown Wyandotte is Pleased to Welcome Master Tailor Nicolo Biundo to Our Staff

Nick has been plying his craft for 40 years at his own Oak Street Tailor Shop in Wyandotte. He has also been handling all tailoring for Chelsea for the past two years.

Well, he's decided to close his shop and join Chelsea on a permanent basis. He will take over management of our tailor shop and oversee Chelsea's growing made-to-measure clothing business featuring garments by America's Hart Shaffner Marx and S. Cohen of Montreal.

Nick welcomes his many customers to visit him at Chelsea for all of their tailoring needs. Call us at 734-285-7020 to schedule your appointment.

Find Your Inner Rebel at Chelsea

Andrew Marc leather jackets and coats are made of only the finest leathers with handcrafted beauty.

Andrew Marc has been representing the rebel in all of us for over 25 years. The Andrew Marc collection includes a combination of luxury materials, innovative engineering and exclusive artisan details distinguishing this brand from all others. Andrew Marc is a true iconic American Brand and is available right now at Chelsea!

Organically grown in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, Kühl is now in its third decade of producing clothing that defines the outdoor lifestyle. The folks at Kühl are avid outdoors people, living the lifestyle and drawing inspiration from skiing, hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, and mountain and road biking. As a result they produce high-quality pants, shirts, and jackets that not only look good on, but hold up to your active daily life. Kühl products encourage people to live and explore their surroundings in comfort and style, from their own backyards to exotic alpine destinations. Will you aspire to the Kühl lifestyle? Come in and check 'em out!

The Difference is in the Details

At Thomas Dean & Co., the difference is in the details. Quality craftsmanship commonly found in hand-tailored garments, from collar to shirttail, present a supremely crafted garment at a great price point.

IT ALL STARTS WITH THE SHIRT - A great shirt is the epicenter of a cohesive wardrobe. So Thomas Dean & Co. designed a sport shirt with dress shirt sensibilities. Their shirts are more than versatile; they move with you from Merrill Lynch to Belicoso, from look to look. Pair one shirt with pinstripes, a cardigan, or jeans. Thomas Dean shirts actually bring your look together, while remaining impeccable throughout the day.

This concept was born of necessity and a wellspring of worldly inspiration. European style and classic tailoring blend with a distinct American spirit to craft the perfect first layer to a life well lived.

Chelsea has a nice selection for Fall. Let us show you next time you're in!

Capture the Spirit of the Tetons

True Grit established its reputation as one of the Premier American Sportswear Brands over the past 20 years. A luxury contemporary collection built tough to last long, yet True Grit has all the sensibilities and elegance found in a better European Sportswear Collection.

The force of this brilliant collection is seen through the vision of the designers Bruce and Liz Bennett. Created in Newport Beach, CA with an eye for fashion in wearable styles and taste for exquisite fabrics and washes. Signature pieces with fabrics from the finest mills of Italy and France with an Americana feel of the great outdoors. Beautiful organic knits and technically inspired fabrics created in contemporary silhouettes. A collection of magnificently constructed pieces designed with unique trims, luxe fabrics and wearable styling. True Grit remains a timeless expression of creative freedom.

Alpine skiers. Urban dwellers and Lifestyle adventurers make True Grit's clothing brand a choice for the finest specialty boutiques and retailers throughout the world. True Grit has been featured in fashion publications, film, television, music and professional sporting events. It is a favorite of celebrities, athletes, artists, professionals and adventurers spanning the globe.

True Grit is an American Icon… and it's available at Chelsea.

Dominic Pangborn, renowned artist and graphic designer, lends his artistic vision to creating distinctive neck ties, silk scarves and other accessories. Each Pangborn design is characterized by intriguing artistic patterns and beautiful, vibrant colors. Pangborn Design ties and scarves are perfect for the person who wants to accessorize with distinction.

Stop in to see his latest collection.

Bugatchi Uomo offers fine mens shirts for those who want to be noticed without being obvious. They combine fashion-forward styles with high quality and feel. Bugatchi Uomo’s goal is to help their customers cultivate an individual sense of style.

Highly inspired by European designs and trends, Bugatchi Uomo collections use some of the finest European fabrics sourced from the same mills as Europe’s highly coveted designer labels. Over the years, they have also specialized in developing advanced, high performance fabrics in the Far East. Detailing is of the utmost importance to Bugatchi Uomo and all of their garments are accessorized with real shell buttons dyed to match.

Come in and have Peter, Gary or Rhonda show you our selection of amazing Bugatchi shirts! They're fantastic!

Save the Date! 4th Annual Dress Up Wine Down Event

This amazing event is scheduled for November 19, 2011 at Arnaldo's Banquet Center in Riverview. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the runway fashion show to begin at 8 p.m. Food, Wine, Champagne and LIVE MUSIC by Hidden Agenda Band. Silent Raffle with extraordinary prizes!

All to benefit the Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital Center for Rehabilitation.

Tickets at Chelsea, Willow Tree and the Office of Philanthropy at the hospital. Don't miss this one. It promises to be the best yet!

Authorized Made in Detroit Retailer!

Kid Rock and his Made In Detroit Clothing Company, with possibly the most recognized logo in Detroit fashion history, are symbolic of the Motown work ethic. Chelsea Menswear is the only authorized retailer for this popular brand in the region! Our selection is amazing. We've got items for men, women and kids, too!

Don't Miss 5th Friday in the 'Dotte

Join us for street performers, music, flash mobs, visual artists, dueling banjos, break dancers, dance teams, singers, dancers and so much more! 5th Fridays are as unique as Wyandotte - and yet another reason to spend some time here!

Make Life One Long Weekend With Tommy Bahama

Fun Fact:
The Tommy Bahama brand has been placed in: Couples Retreat, Meet the Parents (and “Focker’s” sequels) and 50 First Dates; as well as TV’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Scrubs, Dexter, Psych and continually on character Sam Axe from USA Network’s Burn Notice, The Simpsons Movie & Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

It's been a customer favorite at Chelsea Menswear for more than 16 years!

STREET FAIR! July 13-16!

We love the Street Fair. We love everything about it. The city is transformed into a festival with massive crowds and a party-like atmosphere that only lasts four days.

For Chelsea and Willow Tree, there is no bigger 4-Day period in the year, EVERY year. It is great for our business, to be sure, and we prepare for it and gear our entire operations to accomodate the temporary reality of the Wyandotte Street Art Fair. Some don't. Some CLOSE, for crying out loud. Some complain about the inconvenience of it all. We relish it.

But the art can't be ignored. Without the artists, we've got no Art Fair. So we ask you to come out and shop the Wyandotte Street Art Fair's traveling artist community. Buy something from them if you can. Support the Fair, help make it great for everyone that travels from city to city to make their living.

Have a ball. Enjoy the party, the food on the street, the food in the restaurants, the art, the special sales at the stores, the music that Wyandotte pays for to help everyone have a great time. The Art Fair Committee works hard year-round to make this event special. They do a great job, and we appreciate their commitment to the City and our businesses.

Another tip: Go to www.WyandottePatch.com to learn more about the artists you'll encounter. Patch is doing an awesome job too, a great source of information!

Look forward to seeing everyone at the Wyandotte Street Art Fair!



Come on down!

Why Local?

As an independent, locally owned business, Chelsea along with our sister store Willow Tree has a vested interest and is biased in encouraging the support of such businesses as ours over national chains. It can't be denied, nor would we even begin to try.

Our bias is well founded in personal belief. On every front, we find locally owned businesses to be more interesting, more connected to the customers that support them, more connected to their communities, and more supportive of other locally owned businesses that synergistically create and strenghthen the commuties in which they operate. It is almost always so much more rewarding to us to spend our money with them. We support them every bit as much for selfish reasons, and we are proud of it and glad for our selfishness. They matter to us, they satisfy us more, they are important to us. We like them, and we like them in large part because they like us. They love us, they wrap their policies around us, they love the entire act of doing business in the communities they love. So do we.

To focus on just one venue: The food that national chains serve is generally good, if unsurprising. One has to be deliberately contrary to find fault with the product or the service or even the cookie cutter ambiance of Olive Garden or Carraba's or Outback or any of dozens of other chain operations that populate every metropolitan area in the country. It's also clear that they are highly successful, with crowded parking lots and waiting lists on most nights.

But there's no heart. We're all just numbers at places like that. Rattling off examples of local restaurants that know us and connect with us in countless ways is easy, and it's gratifying to do so. If they were to fail and close their doors, it would matter, it would be sad and they would be missed.

So we support them. We do our best to direct the dollars that are our weapon of choice to all the places that matter to us. As often as we can, in every type of store we can, we support the independent, and leave the nationals to fend for themselves through their endless advertising budgets and remodeling efforts.

Every meal at a local restaurant matters. Each trip to the small grocer pays another bill for them, keeping them stronger than they would be without our support. And yes, every suit or shirt purchased at a store like ours matters. It is always a choice that we make, either automatically without consideration, or consciously with intent for the purposess we decide on.

When you see the "Think Local" signs and hear the words, think of it in this way if you can. Each and every one of our decisions has a small but powerful impact on the health of the meshed network of our local community. Multiply it by 10, then 100, then 1,000 and so on, and the impact becomes crystal clear. But it starts with an awareness of the power of our choice, and it hinges on the willingness to voice that opinion and commitment.

More in a future blog. There's much to share. Once one opens the door, it becomes harder to NOT think of the power of their spending. So ours is to open doors.

Visit www.the350project.net. Locals love us more.

MADE IN USA TRUNK SHOW

This Thursday, CHELSEA is hosting our first Made in America Trunk Show, from 5:30 until 9:00pm.

We've already announced the addition of 3 key iconic Made in America brands to our line-up:

Hart Schaffner Marx Suits and Sport Coats, Measure-Up Custom Dress Shirts, and Allen Edmonds Shoes. The response has been great, and this Thursday, we're having a party that heralds this new range of offerings for Downriver's only fine apparel store for men.

In addition to being able to order great items from these manufacturers, we'll be offering nice gifts with purchase. We've also brought in Lions Tigers and Beers to provide great hot snacks!
Discount Drinks will be here as well offering Whiskey tastings.
Do yourself a favor - - - come on down and accept our hospitality. Enjoy a nice evening, learn something, eat something, drink something. If you're so moved, buy something from one of our new partners, but at the very least, check it out.

While you're here, ask to see the other fine products at CHELSEA that are MADE in AMERICA.

CHELSEA has never been shy about exploring new areas of opportunity. This year has already been one of the best examples of this spirit of entrepeneurism. 3 new additions to our roster of vendors and services has created a powerful new foundation on which a very exciting future is being built.

Hart Schaffner Marx is a manufacturer of finely tailored suits, sport coaats and dress slacks. We've added their Custom Box enabling CHELSEA to offer a new level of quality and class.
Measure-Up offers a fantastic service for men that want special in a custom fitted dress shirt, and they offer it through specialty stores like CHELSEA: Incredible quality fabrics in beautiful colors and patterns, made through 14 meticulous measurements to ensure perfect fit. Almost limitless options, to each customer's exact specifications.
Allen Edmonds has one of the very best reputations in the world of menswear. Finely crafted footwear that is worthy of the most demanding and discerning men, Allen Edmonds is in a class by themselves.
The common link? All three are AMERICAN MADE. Made in America is not a distant memory; Fine products are still available if you know where to look, and we're here to tell you that CHELSEA is proud to be your source.

We consider Canadian-Made to be a very close second in preference, and all of our conversations with our customers and clients confirm that sentiment. Canadian manufacturers are special as well, and the combination of these two sources has made for a potent roster of great products. In addition to the three newest introductions, CHELSEA boasts a remarkable lineup, and

S. Cohen makes outstanding suits and sport coats in Montreal.
Ballin's dress slacks are beyond compare, also made in Montreal.
Agave Denimsmith's jeans are made of the finest denim fabrics in the world, and they're manufactured in America.
Haupt is a German manufacturer of incredible shirts. They've also got a fabulous t-shirt, made in Los Angeles. CHELSEA has it.
JZ Richards, Ike Behar and Ted Baker are all outstanding neckwear companies, and all three are made exclusively in America.

We're trying, folks. Made in America is not some abstract concept. It makes us feel good - - - really good - - - to be able to put our money where our mouth is, and offer products that equate to American jobs.

Stay Tuned. And check this stuff out as soon as you get a chance. It's awesome product, first and foremost.

M A D E * I N * D E T R O I T

Hard to believe that this is our first blog of 2011. We'll do better!

2010 brought MADE in DETROIT to Chelsea and Wyandotte, and good Golly, Miss Molly - - - what a home run that brand has been since we introduced it here in August.

We write about it now because on Tuesday, January 25th, CHELSEA will be receiving our largest shipment to date, establishing us a a major hub for Made in Detroit products in the Metro Detroit area, especially Downriver.

Short sleeve and long sleeve tees, hoodies, jackets, track jackets and hats for men AND WOMEN will hit tomorrow!

Get yours right away!

More to follow!