Haberdashery News — June 2024

Give It a Minute

This is the slogan that we Dallasites live by.

I am saying this again for those who have arrived within the last few years: With the ever-changing weather, we always need to remember to just give it a minute. We can literally go from extreme heat to cold, from massive thunderstorms to rainbows, within a few moments.

This year is reminiscent of one not too long ago, where we had mini flash floods, the Trinity river getting close to cresting, a wind shear storm, and a tornado!

Knowing all of this, your local haberdashery is always prepared with clothing for each and every weather occasion.

Need a raincoat and an umbrella, or a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, or a lightweight suit and shirt for the summer heat?

Your haberdashers are here for you, every minute of every situation.

Open During Construction

Back in 2018, we began renovations to the haberdashery. In 2020, Covid forced us to press pause.

We are finally getting back to work to improve the flow of the shop, so you can have an even better experience! While less dramatic than the updates we made over five years ago, these changes will still make a big impact.

One of the major areas of renovation will be at our front desk. We also plan to tweak other spaces in the shop, but hopefully those changes won’t be as noticeable. Our goal is to seamlessly integrate the updates, so you feel like they’ve always been there.

We will be open the entire month of July as we work through our improvements.

Father’s Day Is Coming!

Father’s Day is on Sunday, June 16th. Keep an eye on your inbox for our Father’s Day Gift Guide!

“He was there when I didn’t understand, he was there when I was wrong, he was there when I cried, he was there when I lied. For some reason, my dad was always there, when I needed him the most.” —Michael Jordan

“When you teach your son, you teach your son’s son.” —the Talmud

Three Iconic Dallas Men, Remembered

Dallas has lost three iconic men in the first half of this year. It is difficult to believe that they are no longer with us to regale stories, jokes, and their unique way of relating to generations of clientele, who became lifelong friends. They were Dallas community builders who helped pave the way for us in the business today.

David Smith began Pockets Menswear with his wife Margaret in 1974. Before Pockets, David was in Old Town Village with a store called Clive Campbell. This is also where Marvin Brown, Mark Burns, and many others began their haberdashery journey. Many of our best haberdashers came from that shop! David was always a gentleman, and kind to all. He was renowned for his selling techniques, and for the ability to connect with both his vast clientele and his team. He was especially keen on bringing Italy’s finest offerings to Dallas.

One of my favorite memories was when David called to ask me to dinner with him and his lovely wife Margaret. He found out that I was recently divorced, and a single dad. He wanted to make sure I was doing okay, and could handle the responsibility of two young children. We all had so much fun being together that evening! No matter how much time had passed, David always remembered our conversations like they happened yesterday.

David passed away mid-May.

Charlie Bergin was the iconic gent at Culwell and Sons. Charlie would always tell you how he felt, especially if you were wearing something that didn’t correspond with the day’s clothing standard. Even though he was stern, Charlie was kind and had a great sense of humor. Over the years, we often saw him and his son Jay at the markets. They would stop to talk shop, chat about Dallas, and trade jokes. Charlie was known throughout the industry for being a master merchant in this business.

When I was a young child and needed some dress clothes, my mom took me over to their shop. I still remember Charlie assisting us with some plaid pants that I absolutely loved. I wish I could remember the banter between my parents and Charlie!

Charlie passed away in March.

My dad, Ken Helfman, is the third of these iconic gentlemen, and yet the first to have passed this year, back in January. He is continually missed, and yet still with us daily. We continue to tell Ken’s stories, jokes, and especially Ken-isms. Like the other two men above, my dad was known for many things, but his professional specialties were twofold. First, he was the most amazing salesman ever to have lived, combining the art of conversation with a flair for showing beautiful merchandise. He would assemble clothing ensembles in an easy-to-grasp way that was both fashionable and classic. He would also remember every single item he had ever sold you!

Second, Ken was known throughout the industry as a visionary. He found so many little darling brands that grew up to be powerhouses. He took a chance not on the brand, but rather the people behind the brand, based on his intuition when meeting them. Some of the names he brought to Dallas include Oleg Cassini, Ralph Lipschitz (Lauren), Jhane Barnes, Equilibrio, Ted Baker, and many more.

May their memories be a blessing.

As always, thanks for reading and being part of the Ken’s community!

– Kory Helfman