John McNabb Clothier is hanging it up.
After almost 30 years in downtown Barrie, the 15 Dunlop St. W. men’s wear shop is closing its doors after one more sale, which begins today.
“It’s time. It’s been a wonderful experience,” McNabb, a spry 79, tells BarrieToday. “It’s been a lot of hard work, it’s been wonderful to be in the community, but I’m getting tired.
“I don’t think I could have done anything else,” he says softly. “This wasn’t a labour of work, it was a labour of love.”
McNabb believes a brand of clothing can mean very little without the right advice, the perfect fit and someone to stand behind it.
He recalls the shop’s first day of business as Aug. 19, 1992, at its location near the Five Points.
Although McNabb didn’t get into selling shirts, ties, pants, socks, hats and sweaters right away, there was an indication early in life where his interests would lie, and where his career was heading.
“I guess I could go back to my teen years, when I used to dress with a sports jacket and pants,” he says. “And yes, I was always overdressed probably, but I had interest in it. I didn’t recognize it at the time. Fortunately, I ended up in the men’s wear industry.”
He worked with McNabb’s Hardware (related but not direct family) in Orillia for a number of years while he was going to school and also spent four or five years in the shoe industry.
Hindsight is 20/20, but McNabb saw an opening and walked right in.
“There’s no (men’s wear) independents downtown anymore, and as you know there were probably a half-dozen when I opened up here,” he says. “They all started to close down just about the time I opened up.
“I saw that coming. I was on the road at the time in sales in men’s wear and I happened to see that coming.”
Like many longtime downtown merchants, McNabb has a special affection for the core and many fond memories. He recalls the fun had on the July 1 weekend, such as Promenade Days and Midnight Madness sales.
“It was family time down here then. Back then everybody came downtown,” he remembers. “It was really awesome to see the crowds that were down here with kids. It was all family.”
And although the downtown has had its ups and downs through his three decades there, McNabb sees bright days ahead.
“Right now, looking at the downtown, I wish I had another 20 years in me because I think this is going to be awesome down here once they get the (residential development) buildings going,” he says. “That’s what’s going to bring this downtown back to life again, the way it was 30 years ago as the families move in downtown, the population, because it’s high density.
“That’s really exciting for me to see the entire downtown change, be developed and go forward. It’s very meaningful to have a heart for a community and that’s the downtown. That’s where everyone should be congregating, that’s where everyone should feel comfortable, and that’s got to change down here," McNabb adds.
Closing John McNabb Clothier will be a big change for the man whose name is on the sign. He worked nearly every day of the week for nearly 30 years there.
So what will he do now?
“My wife has gotten a trip put together for us for about a month and we’ll go away. I will just have to remember not to come back here when I get home. It’s become quite a habit,” he says with a long laugh.
The last sale at John McNabb Clothier begins Thursday, May 12 at 10 a.m. and will last as long as the clothing does.
