Located in the heart of the Loop, Syd Jerome is a fashion Mecca for Chicago’s financial and business elite.
“We’re known as the house of the power suit,” says founder Sid Shapiro. “Our focus is clothing, and we hang suits three-high. Our bag is ‘Style with Reservation’. We’re not slick. We cater to the top echelon of the city.” Shapiro believes in carrying complete designer collections. “We don’t carry a designer unless it’s from the socks all the way up.”
The store treats its customers to plenty of trunk shows and dinner parties. “We always do a party with Oxxford, which is near here, where we take 30 to 40 customers right to the factory and they’ll buy their suits right there. We also throw a major dinner party every fall, coinciding with the launch of our big seasonal advertising campaign. We take 100 of our best customers out to dinner, as well as various manufacturers’ representatives, just as a thank you for buying. It’s a good melting pot, and makes for great networking.”
