Located in the very heart of Pasadena, the Playhouse District, Mark Piscitelli’s men’s boutique has been welcoming its customers since 1991. By offering them a vast collection of European-style manufactured and tailor-made clothes, it represents an outstanding example of Italians’ best qualities, dedication and love for their work. The owner, Mr. Piscitelli, was born in Naples and lived in Argentina for many years before moving to the U.S.
Just a few weeks prior to the boutique’s big Summer Clearance Sale, we met him and kindly asked him to share with us the recipe of his enduring success in the fashion business.
Mr. Piscitelli, how long have you been working in this field?
I have been doing this for “quite a few years”, since 1962. The boutique opened in 1976 in West Hollywood but, as many things were changing in that part of the city, we moved it to Pasadena in 1991.
Over 35 years is a very long time. What is the secret of your success?
We need to be unique because we are a small boutique. People can find here things they can’t find anywhere else. Basically, we design or choose our own styles of shirts, and we also work with Italian manufacturers when it comes to sweaters and knits, as well as suits, jackets and pants.
This certainly makes you special, but is it enough to compete against big retail companies or the economic crisis?
What makes the real difference is our service, and the way we care for our customers. If they can’t find a certain item here, we try to find it for them. And we are always honest with them: when they put something on, we tell the truth about how it fits them. We really want our clientele to be satisfied and to look good. This is something that people can actually feel, and appreciate.
And in the near future you are going to please your customers even more…
That’s right. We have two main sales every year: one is the Anniversary Sale, which is usually in May, and the other is our Summer Clearance Sale, which will take place at the end of this month with discounts between 50-70%. We would like to provide our customers with the best deals and the perfect clothes. This is what makes us happy, since we love our job and our clients. A few years ago I retired, but it only lasted a couple of months: I missed my customers too much.
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