Vendor of the Week: Kinkade’s Fine Clothing

 

 

A career in the clothing industry that began as a casual college job has turned into lasting success for Keith Kinkade. His work ethic coupled with his graciousness in service to others has made Keith Kinkade a leader in the fine clothing industry. Kinkade’s Fine Clothing is the clothing destination of choice for a gentleman seeking to be sharp dressed man.

How long has Kinkade’s Fine Clothing been in business?

We’ve been in business coming upon 10 years now.

Would you mind telling us more about yourself?

I am a father to two boys, Shelton and Harper, a husband to Missy, a brother and a son. I actually met my wife through one of my customers. I have a twin brother that lives here in town. Sometimes our customers in town think my twin, Kevin, is me and I am him. My brother and I were raised most of our lives in Texas. I attended Ole Miss, but I do like to see all Mississippi schools do well in football.

 

 

How did you get started in the fine clothing business?

Twenty-six years ago, I worked my way through college, while I attended the University of Mississippi. I did not know that I had a love for the clothing business until I started working for a clothing store called Alexander’s Men Store in Oxford. I eventually got out of the clothing business and took a job in working in computer software industry for about 6 months. It wasn’t quite the job that I thought it would be.

Billy Neville in Jackson, who owned The Rogue and Good Company at the time, said that he wanted me to come work for him. Later I left the computer software business and got back into clothing business. I started working at The Rogue and eventually purchased The Rogue in 2005 and sold it in 2008 and then I started Kinkade’s Fine Clothing.

 

Tell me more about Kinkade’s Fine Clothing.

We are located at 120 West Jackson Street in Ridgeland. Our hours are 10 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. We can accommodate a customer and meet him at 9:30 a.m. or one that needs to come in at 6:00 p.m. and stay later. We try to dress down a little on Saturdays to meet what our clientele is wearing. We always believe that we should dress to our customers. Sundays are by appointment.

We moved downstairs to have more square footage, probably shy of 3,500 square feet, about 3 years ago. We made all the dressing rooms ADA (American Disability Act) approved to be a nice and comfortable size. If a father comes in with his young son and they want to go into the dressing room together, they can.

I know that if the kids are happy and entertained the parents are going to be a little more comfortable in the store. We keep a drawer of toys for the young kids that come in. We also have a hug candy drawer with M&M’s, Kit Kat, Snickers, and PayDay, which are my weakness. My boys are responsible for keeping the candy drawer full. We have sodas and waters for the customers. It’s nice to give a young man a small candy bar and bottle water. We also have three televisions where a customer’s child can turn to the cartoon network on and just chill.

What do you like most about what you do?

Our business above everything else is about building relationships. You can go anywhere to buy clothes, but here at Kinkade’s we are about building relationships. I’ve been in the business for 26 years now and David Robinson, our men’s clothing specialist/Manager of Operations, has been in the retail and clothing business for close to 30 years. There has been three generations of families that he has waited on. I have had opportunity to work with second generation and some third generation families as customer. That is the cool part about our jobs.

How did Kinkade’s Fine Clothing become involved in the wedding industry?

About 6 years ago, we had some friends who were getting married. I mentioned to them that for the price they would pay to rent a tuxedo that I could get them suits. It started with that conversation with our friends saying that they didn’t want to rent a tuxedo and have to turn around and give it back 24 hours later.

David Robinson is the wedding specialist within our store along with his co-worker, Vicki Scott, who both hone in on weddings.

Once the bride and groom come into our store and all of us can help pick out what they want. The wool suit has been probably the most popular suit that we sell for weddings. This wool is lightweight 7.5 ounce to an 8 ounce wool. It is going to be a little cold in January and a little hot in August, but that is our climate down here.

They decide on suits with or without vest. Sometimes a groom will get a vest and the groomsmen will not, which makes the groom’s suit a little more special. Vicki Scott and to David Robinson will follow up with each groomsmen after the decision on the wedding attire is made. We will need the groom to provide us with the groomsmen’s names and email addresses. We do the work from there and call them to come in and get their sizes and get tailored.  Each individually pays for their suits unless there have been arrangements otherwise.

What is special is that we have actually had clients who purchased a suit from Kinkade’s for their wedding and after they start a family, the new father wears the wedding suit that he got married in to get the baby christened.

 

What time frame would the groom and groomsmen need to have their suits ready for the wedding?

We like to have at least 60 days, if we have more time that’s even better. Suits are made and are stocked out in California. We actually have to call our manufacturer, get the sizes for the groomsmen, place the order, do alterations, and get the suits back to the individuals. The more time that we have over 60 days, the better we are. Under 60 days can we still do it, but it’s a little harder to do. We are not going to tell a bride or groom no unless there is just no way that we can do it.

If you could give a groom one tip and one bit of advice, what would it be?

Relax. Take your time and enjoy the day above anything else.  This is one of the most important days of your lives.

All the small details will come together, they always do. We at Kinkade’s are a phone call away. If there is any time that there is ever a problem, we are here and can fix a jammed zipper or missing button the day of the wedding. Don’t worry about those details. Kinkade’s wants you to have a great time and a day that you can always remember.

Do you have a special wedding story that you would like to share?

I gave my wife a pearl necklace for our wedding along with a note that said, “I am the luckiest man alive!” When she opened the present in a parking lot as she was leaving a luncheon, she dropped the note and did not realize it until an hour or two later. She went back to the parking lot and actually found the note. It had black tread marks on it from being run over in the parking lot a few times. My wife still has that note and it is framed and sitting in our bathroom by her perfumes.

What advice would like to give to a groom before they embark upon the journey of marriage?

I guess I would say, 99.9% of the time your wife if right. Save that 1% percent until you really, really need it.

 

Visit Kinkade’s Fine Clothing at 120 West Jackson Street, Ridgeland, Mississippi 39157. You can reach Keith and his helpful staff at 601.898.0513 or [email protected]

Hours are: Monday-Saturday
10:00 am – 6:00 pm and Sunday afternoon by appointment.

 

Blog written by: Jenny Cox Holman

Email: [email protected]