Looking Good

Time was, every town had cobblers and tailors. Fairy tales and
history books alike are replete with references to these noble
tradesmen, who kept people "shodded" and clothed. Today, you can
still look good in a sharp suit and shiny shoes.


Commerce has evolved from local service providers to department
stores, big box retailers and online sites, but, here in Baton
Rouge, although old fashioned businesses have become fewer and
far between, they haven't completely disappeared.


Clyde Lawrence is owner of MIlitello’s Shoe Repair, a venerable
Baton Rouge business that has been around since 1972. Everybody
knows Militello’s and gets their shoes repaired there, or, at
least, polished and shined.


Clyde came to Baton Rouge from his native Bossier City to seek
his fortune in the chemical plants in the mid-1970s. He stumbled
instead into Militello’s and landed a job. He’s been there ever
since. In early 2018, he and his wife bought the business from
longtime owner Fred Militello, who was retiring. Arguably, no one
was better suited to run the service-based business but Clyde,
 at the time, was himself thinking about retirement.
Instead, he jumped in with both feet, took the plunge and today
is not only the local tradition alive, he's growing the
business! 


Geno Brown is co-owner of Brown and Brown Custom Clothiers.


Geno has been a custom tailor almost his entire career, because
Brown and Brown is a family-owned business that was started under
the name Fashion Limited, by Geno’s father, the late Eugene
Brown, who died in 2019.


Today, Geno and his brother, O’Lindsey Brown, run the company,
which was re-branded in 1993 when the Browns moved away from
carrying ready-to-made clothes and started making their own
custom, handmade garments using fabrics the Browns find on buying
trips around the world.


Geno didn’t necessarily intend to be a haberdasher. He went to
Morehouse College and graduated from Southern University with
dual degrees in math and physics, then taught physics for a year
before joining the business. He holds certified master tailor and
certified master clothiers designations.


Out to Lunch Baton Rouge is recorded over lunch at Mansurs On The
Boulevard restaurant. You can see photos from this show at our
website.


Check out Baton Rouge's other premiere tailor Manuel Martinez.


See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.