My first visit to New York twenty years ago, was of course during fashion week. Finishing my business plan, I felt, needed examples of the industry supply chains. As such, NY I was told is the only market to attend to get a broad overview of the industry, introduce yourself to as many as possible. After all anybody who was anybody in the industry you would find in NY during this week. Overwhelmed by the enormity of the city, and not necessarily the best plan of contact, I nevertheless stumbled my way through. I quickly learned anybody who was anybody was not available to those of us who were nobody’s. But not without exception…allow me to introduce the Gambert’s.
The Gambert name has been synonymous with fine shirt-making since 1933 when 1st generation family patriarch, Joseph Gambert, opened the first shop on Springfield Avenue in Newark, NJ. For 80-plus years, they continue to make shirts in Newark’s Ironbound section of Newark, NJ, USA. They stock an inventory of over 1,500 shirt fabrics sourced from all around the world from Mills like Albini, Thomas Mason, Mileta and Canclini to name just a few. They are known for making a shirt as individual as the man or woman wearing it, meeting not only their fit preferences, but also their styling preferences.
Gambert’s system and patterns have successfully satisfied thousands of clients. They complement their products with an excellent staff to provide the best in customer service. At Mel Gambert they firmly believe that to be a successful manufacturer, they must work together with their dealers and partners. It is their ambitions for all their dealers to operate with the same success, shared values, mutual support, and professionalism.
After graduations from collage in the 1960’s Mel Gambert, having learned business from his father and working in the factory throughout high school, began to improve the size techniques for made-to measure shirts. The first variation was waist and hip tapering. Over the next 20 years, he added shoulder slopes, yoke sizing and postures to help improve the quality of fit. A true pioneer in the industry. Mel Gambert has proven himself to be instrumental and educating hundreds of dealers in using our system in sizing shirts.
Mel’s wife and partner of over 50 years, Lorraine, has been fully involved in every facet of daily operations. An ardent businesswomen and accomplished fashion consultant, Lorraine spent 20 years running over now shuttered retail store before undertaking running the office on a full-time basis. She has incredible insight, both personally and professionally.
Mitch Gambert, who joined the business in 2001, shares his family passion for this industry, having dedicated himself to learning all the tricks of the trade from his father, Mel. Mitch was the first shirt manufacturer to serve as president of industry trade association, the Custom Tailors and Design Association, serving from 2016-2018. Never afraid to try new ideas and meet challenges, he has merged old-school artisanship with modern technology and design.
When many were too busy to visit, my unending gratitude to the Gambert’s for the insight offered during that brief visit in NY. Business plan completed…twenty years later, in business, and pleased to say still in business, I am proud to have the Gambert’s as a custom design partner for Steven Giles every step of the way.