Jockey Club in Buena Park Refuses to Sell Its Small Customers Short

BUENA PARK —  By the time Al Martin’s customers discover Jockey Club Ltd., a men’s clothing store specializing in shorter sizes, they are short--on patience.

They’ve exhausted their search for clothes that fit, says Martin.

“They’ve gone through tailoring that just isn’t right, or they’ve shopped in the boys’ department where the clothes aren’t in proportion to a man’s body and the styling and quality isn’t right,” Martin says. “And what executive wants to shop with a bunch of 12-year-old kids?

“Short guys end up wearing sweats, jeans, shorts. They don’t want to go shopping.”

The Jockey Club often changes all that. The shop, in a plain strip shopping center, attracts customers from all over Orange County and beyond, including some from out of state. Here, among the attractive oak displays and horse-racing paraphernalia, they can find suits, sport coats, dress slacks, shirts and sweaters made for men 5 feet 9 and under.

“So many of our customers are just thrilled (to find us),” Martin says.

“One lady came in here with a measuring tape. She was really scouting us out. She said, ‘My husband and I have been married 25 years and we almost divorced five times”--each time while shopping for clothes to fit him.

“A week later here she comes with him in tow. He’s resisting. Then he tried on a suit and stood looking at himself in the mirror.”

The suit fit, and Martin had another loyal customer.

While many men’s stores carry suits and sport coats in Size 38, 40 and 42 short, Martin’s short sizes go from 35 to 48, including in-between and portly sizes.

“Maybe other stores would have a few of these sizes but we also carry extra shorts for guys 5 feet 4 and under,” Martin says. “Almost nobody has a 34 extra short.”

One unusual find at the Jockey Club: a double-breasted suit in extra short sizes, with double pleated pants in taupe, olive or black wool for $300. Double-breasted suits aren’t usually made in short sizes because the style isn’t the most flattering look for shorter men, Martin says.

“But some short men are slender enough that they can wear it.”

Because many short men don’t realize extra-short sizes even exist, they tend to walk around in sport coats that are too big, making them look smaller.

“Most short men look like they have no legs,” Martin says.

“I tell my customers to wear the shortest coat possible that still covers the seat of the pants. You don’t want it hanging two inches longer than that or it looks like you’re wearing your dad’s coat.”

One customer came in recently asking to try on a 40 short jacket. Martin immediately saw that the coat was too long.

“I said, ‘Let me try something else on you.’ ” Martin put him in a 40 extra-short sport coat.

“The guy said, ‘Hey, this feels different.’ ” For the first time ever, he was wearing a sport coat that fit. He immediately bought an extra-short sport coat and suit from Martin. His only complaint:

“Now every time I wear my other clothes I’ll feel they’re too large.”

Says Martin: “He’ll be mine for life.”

Short men also tend to walk around in baggy pants. If the pants are not made with a short rise, they hang down too low. In addition, regular pants are usually too wide through the upper thigh for most short men.

“Look how wide this leg is,” says Martin, holding up a pair of tan slacks not made in the correct proportion. “It’s like bell-bottoms.”

In contrast, brown wool slacks by Bensol have a short rise and slender thighs. They’re available for $85.

Shirts can pose another fashion obstacle for short men.

“A lot of men will buy regular shirts and the tailor will shorten the sleeves,” he says. “But the pocket is still too low and the tail is too long. It’s not in proportion.”

Jockey Club carries shirts with 30- 31- and 32-inch sleeves, while the average men’s store starts at shirts with 32/33-inch sleeves. Martin has a Gitman Brothers dress shirt in white with maroon pin stripes for $32.50 that has a 30- and 31-inch sleeve.

To complete a short man’s wardrobe, he has short neckties and shoes that start at Size 5 instead of the standard Size 7.

“If their ties are too long they’re tucking it in their shirt or pants,” he says.

Martin opened his first Jockey Club in Puente Hills more than two years ago, then added the Buena Park store in October, 1989.

He had spent 24 years with Sears as a regional merchandise manager, then worked for several years as a retail consultant. He decided to open the Jockey Club after seeing a reference to another clothing store for short men in the Wall Street Journal.

“I’m 5 feet 7 and thought it was a great idea,” he says.

Since opening, his customer list has swelled to 2,500 and grows by 100 every month, he says.

Even before opening the Jockey Club, Martin plunked down $500 to join the Short Men’s Apparel Assn. The 30 stores across the country that belong to the group “are able to get manufacturers to make things to our specifications,” Martin says.

“Manufacturers can’t set up their lines to produce two dozen shirts. Most would just assume not make these sizes.”

By joining together, the stores have enough clout to persuade manufacturers to make some lines in short sizes, but because production is limited they have to meet and decide which styles to carry.

“We have major difficulty if we don’t all agree and we don’t,” Martin says.

Styles differ from the East Coast to the West and everywhere in-between. That’s why Martin’s shop is a little short on the trendier menswear and long on the classics.

“The emphasis is more on styling for professionals, executives and management personnel,” he says. “It’s the traditional, the classic. It’s not Hollywood glitz.”