General Info:
Barry's Menswear has been a privately owned family company for 4 generations and for over 115 years. At one time Barrys had up to 46 nationwide factory owned and operated mens stores that sold wholesale to the public, the company also has maintained manufacturing facilities in the United States. The retail stores formally Underlineoperated under the names Barry Manufacturing and Zeeman Manufacturing.In 1999 global sales and distribution operations began on the worldwide web under the trade name Barry's Menswear and Bettermenswear.com. Around that time the retail stores where renamed Barry's Menswear. Founder Abe Zeeman immigrated from Russia in 1884 at 17 years of age. Always enterprising, Abe began selling sewing machines to homemakers for whom he would obtain piecework from New York manufacturers. As time went on, Abes reputation for dependability grew, and in 1898 he started a wholesale mens clothing business of his own, insisting on the finest fabrics and using the old world tailoring he learned as a child. The suits were so well received that before long Abes menswear was sold alongside brands like Hart, Schaffner and Marx through the countrys most exclusive mens clothiers and department stores. In 1932 one of Abes three sons Harold Zeeman moved the family business to Allentown Pennsylvania and continued the tradition his father had begun. During the depression, when retail customers couldnt pay their bills, Harold, and his brothers Edward and Jessie began selling direct to the public right from the cutting rooms. The idea caught on and it wasnt long before more factory stores were opened. During WW2 wool became too scarce of a commodity and was no longer available for mens clothing so the company shifted production to the biggest customer available and began making uniforms for the US Army. In the post war years honing the quality even further Harold Zeeman Jr. joined his father in the business and began making private label suits, slacks and sport coats for Americas largest department stores and hundreds of the finest specialty retailers including names like Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdales, Wallachs, Mason Blanch, and Barneys of New York. As sales grew under Harold Jr.s direction, the company found itself in need of added capacity, so in 1964 operations were moved to a new facility in Gainesville, Georgia. Harold Zeeman Sr, at that time decided to change the company name to Barry Manufacturing ,hoping his grandson, Barry Zeeman, who was then 2 yrs old ,would continue in the business. Harold Zeeman JR recently passed at the age of 86, and it is in his honer that Barry Zeeman ,the current President is dedicating the online store, Barrysmenswear.com.