Men S Wearhouse

Most retailers struggled through the recession. Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. thrived. While other men's clothing chains were shutting stores and cutting costs in the face of shrinking profits, the Hampstead-based retailer was expanding and investing. Jos. A. Bank opened new stores - 110 nationwide since 2008, bringing the total to 527 - broadened its product line, started outlet and tuxedo-rental businesses and announced plans recently to take its e-commerce site international.

On Feb. 10, the Patterson Mill High School Class of 2013 held its fourth annual Senior Fashion Show & Prom Expo, "Red Carpet Affair!"  With over 570 guests in attendance and 109 models participating, including seniors and faculty, the afternoon was a huge success. This event is sponsored by the PTSA Chemical-Free Senior Events Committee to help fund the chemical–free After Prom Party at the Bel Air Athletic Club and After Graduation Cruise on the Spirit Baltimore at the Inner Harbor.

Filene's Basement in Baltimore's Inner Harbor will remain open after all, since a new buyer emerged Monday for the bankrupt off-price retail chain. Discount retailer Syms Corp. and Vornado Realty Trust won an auction for the New England-based chain in a $62.4 million deal to buy 23 of the retailer's 26 stores, said Gerry Corrigan, managing director of Abacus Advisors, which is helping Filene's with the restructuring. The deal, which is expected to be approved by the bankruptcy court as soon as Thursday, comes less than a week after a winning bid by Men's Wearhouse, which would have closed the Baltimore location in mid-June, was declared invalid by a judge.

Most retailers struggled through the recession. Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. thrived. While other men's clothing chains were shutting stores and cutting costs in the face of shrinking profits, the Hampstead-based retailer was expanding and investing. Jos. A. Bank opened new stores - 110 nationwide since 2008, bringing the total to 527 - broadened its product line, started outlet and tuxedo-rental businesses and announced plans recently to take its e-commerce site international.

On Feb. 10, the Patterson Mill High School Class of 2013 held its fourth annual Senior Fashion Show & Prom Expo, "Red Carpet Affair!"  With over 570 guests in attendance and 109 models participating, including seniors and faculty, the afternoon was a huge success. This event is sponsored by the PTSA Chemical-Free Senior Events Committee to help fund the chemical–free After Prom Party at the Bel Air Athletic Club and After Graduation Cruise on the Spirit Baltimore at the Inner Harbor.

You detest shopping. You can't shake those memories, when your mother stuffed you in a jacket and tie for junior high school graduation. Yet that dreaded day has come: You must buy a suit.For the apparel-paralyzed consumer, at least one potential solution is arriving in the Baltimore-Washington market: "trained wardrobe consultants," courtesy of the Men's Wearhouse. The retailer -- among the nation's largest discounters of men's tailored clothing -- has brought its West Coast act to the mid-Atlantic region, opening six shops, including a Pikesville store, and it plans to operate 10 by year-end with sites in Towson, White Marsh and Columbia.

Men's Wearhouse Inc., the men's discount clothier with more than 370 stores in 36 states, plans to expand in suburban Maryland and Virginia, the Houston-based retailer said yesterday.The company, which has opened 21 stores in the region since entering the market in 1996, plans to open about 10 more stores -- at least five this year.The retailer is considering sites in Frederick, Montgomery and Prince George's counties, said John Meyer, retail leasing specialist with KLNB Inc., the real estate brokerage firm assisting with site selection.

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc., a Hampstead-based men's apparel retailer, defied an overall gloomy August for retailers to post a 14.6 percent sales increase in stores open at least a year. Bank, which has 147 stores in 29 states, said sales rose in every major category, particularly in suits, shirts and sportswear. Total sales jumped 20.3 percent last month to $14.3 million compared with $11.9 million in r the corresponding period a year earlier, Bank said. Combined catalog and Internet sales climbed 11.3 percent.

Driven by strong demand for tailored apparel, sales rose 9.2 percent last month at Hampstead-based Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. The men's apparel retailer, which reported monthly sales yesterday along with most national retail chains, beat many of its competitors in the percentage increase in sales at stores open at least a year. U.S. retail sales rose, on average, 1.5 percent, according to a tally of 79 chains by Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd. Yesterday, Bank's shares rose $1.76, nearly 10 percent, closing at $19.52.

Continuing a streak that now stands at four months, Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. said yesterday that its same-store sales increased 2.4 percent last month. That helped boost sales in the third quarter 7.8 percent, the company said. Company officials were pleased with gains made at the Hampstead-based men's apparel retailer. "This is a continuation of a good trend for the year," said Chief Financial Officer David E. Ullman. "We're pleased we're beating last year's numbers. ... The market for tailored clothing isn't growing, so we're getting the business from some of our competitors."

William L. Jews, the former president and CEO of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, has joined the board of advisers of software development company Healthcare Interactive. He will help with business decisions and development in his new role. Clients of Healthcare Interactive include the United Way, The Men's Wearhouse and the Washington Wizards and Capitals. As president of CareFirst Jews sparked controversy with his attempt to convert CareFirst to a for-profit entity and sell it to a California company.

Judge approves new owner for Filene's Basement NEW YORK - Filene's Basement has a new owner. A bankruptcy judge on Wednesday approved Syms Corp. and Vornado Realty Trust's $62.4 million bid for the company. The off-price chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May and sought a buyer. After Filene's announced last week that Men's Wearhouse was buying it, other bidders objected and said Men's Wearhouse didn't meet the court's requirements. A judge in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., directed Filene's last week to reopen the auction.

Filene's Basement in Baltimore's Inner Harbor will remain open after all, since a new buyer emerged Monday for the bankrupt off-price retail chain. Discount retailer Syms Corp. and Vornado Realty Trust won an auction for the New England-based chain in a $62.4 million deal to buy 23 of the retailer's 26 stores, said Gerry Corrigan, managing director of Abacus Advisors, which is helping Filene's with the restructuring. The deal, which is expected to be approved by the bankruptcy court as soon as Thursday, comes less than a week after a winning bid by Men's Wearhouse, which would have closed the Baltimore location in mid-June, was declared invalid by a judge.

Filene's Basement will soon shutter its downtown Baltimore location, nearly two years after the retailer's arrival was held up as a sign of a new shopping era in the city. The store on Pratt Street, which will close in mid-June, was not included among 17 to 20 Filene's stores that an affiliate of Men's Wearhouse will buy as the winning bidder in a bankruptcy auction of the retail chain. Filene's entered Chapter 11 court protection in May in Delaware bankruptcy court. The New England-based off-price retail chain closed stores in Columbia, Hunt Valley and Towson in January, leaving the downtown store, with 41 employees, as the only one in the Baltimore region.

GLIMPSED! AT THE CAPITAL GRILLE COLLEY BRUCE THE CAPITAL GRILLE IS A great place for Baltimore professionals to see and be seen. Schering-Plough pharmaceutical sales rep Colley Bruce is definitely one of this particular evening's top sights. Why does this 29-year-old Patterson Park resident prescribe a daily dose of good fashion sense? "When you look good, you're more confident throughout the day," he says. Age: 29 Residence: Patterson Park Job: Schering-Plough pharmaceutical sales representative Self-described style: Laid-back, but outgoing The look: Navy pinstriped Michael Kors suit.

Would it matter to you if Oriole Park had a corporate name attached to it? It's always going to be referred to as Camden Yards, both locally and nationally. Although the Men's Wearhouse at Camden Yards has a nice ring to it. Chris R. Buchar Baltimore

Would it matter to you if Oriole Park had a corporate name attached to it? It's always going to be referred to as Camden Yards, both locally and nationally. Although the Men's Wearhouse at Camden Yards has a nice ring to it. Chris R. Buchar Baltimore

Judge approves new owner for Filene's Basement NEW YORK - Filene's Basement has a new owner. A bankruptcy judge on Wednesday approved Syms Corp. and Vornado Realty Trust's $62.4 million bid for the company. The off-price chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May and sought a buyer. After Filene's announced last week that Men's Wearhouse was buying it, other bidders objected and said Men's Wearhouse didn't meet the court's requirements. A judge in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., directed Filene's last week to reopen the auction.

Retailer Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. reported yesterday a 50 percent increase in earnings in its fourth quarter as the company continues its expansion. The Hampstead men's apparel chain posted net income of $9.6 million for the fiscal quarter that ended Jan. 31, or 85 cents a share, compared with $6.4 million, or 59 cents a share, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2002. Sales for the period rose 30 percent to $100.9 million from $77.9 million last year. That gain reflected an 11 percent increase in same-store sales.

The severe snowstorm over Presidents Day weekend kept shoppers away from Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc.'s stores, crimping February sales at stores open at least a year, the Hampstead-based men's apparel retailer said yesterday. The company said that same-store sales - a key benchmark for retailers - decreased 1.9 percent last month. But total sales for the retailer, which sells suits, casual clothing, sportswear, footwear and accessories, rose 7 percent, from $14.4 million to $15.4 million, as Bank gained additional sales from newly opened stores.