Shop for Smaller Guys Moves Into the Big Time

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In Hollywood, Marc Jacobs suits are all but de rigueur. But try to find one with a 33-inch inseam for a TV star to wear on set. And it has to be there yesterday.


For Jimmy Au, the intersection of television and vertically challenged fashionable men has provided a unique niche and provided his business with major boost. He’s opened a Beverly Hills location from which to sell high fashion brands to men 5-feet-8-inches and under.


“It’s been a great year for Jimmy Au,” said Jimmy Au, who moved from Woodland Hills last year to a much higher-profile location with more space on Brighton Way. “The move has been better than I could have hoped for and it is fantastic to see our business growing in so many different areas.”


The store’s niche focus has made it a go-to spot for the wardrobe divisions of several television shows. Au’s wardrobe division has quadrupled in the last year, and now comprises about 10 percent of his revenues. Au outfits actors on “Heroes,” “Brothers and Sisters,” “Medium,” “The Office” and “ER,” among others. He charges between $500 and $5,000 per episode of each show.


“The change of location has brought us into a neighborhood where costume designers do their shopping, so we are in a far more convenient location for a group of shoppers who are often stretched for time,” said Client Relations Director Alan Au, who is Jimmy’s son. He added that the store has taken out ads in trade magazines and added more sportswear, which has also appealed to the company’s TV clients.


Part of the appeal is Au’s well-tailored clothes can make short people look taller, and slimmer. Au has a special section of “extra short” clothing available for men under 5 feet 5 inches tall, in sizes ranging from “athletic” to “portly.” The in-store brands include Jack Victor, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, DKNY and Michael Kors. Kenneth Cole and Henry Grethel merchandise is on the way.


A good fit can also, of course, make taller people look extra tall, Alan Au said.


“As petite as many actresses are, their best chance at looking supermodel tall is to be paired with a shorter actor who doesn’t look short,” he said. “The only way to do that is to have the clothes fit properly, because you can be sure her clothes will be tailored to look perfect. Our clothing collection for men 5 feet 8 inches and under is here to help complete the image that will benefit both the actor and actress who are on-screen together.”

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