Drive out Foxon Road toward North Branford and, in the low plaza at No. 827, look for a long white sign with red lettering: “Men’s Fashions, Formal Wear, Alterations.” Plenty of East Haven families know the place without ever having read the sign. It is where the prom tux came from, where the wedding suit got hemmed the week before the big day, and where somebody’s father has been buying sport coats for decades.
That is Attilio’s Men’s Clothing, a family-owned menswear shop and tailoring counter carrying a 4.8-star average across 79 Google reviews. Here is who runs it, what is on the racks, what customers say and how to make the most of a visit.
A family name on Foxon Road
The name over the door belongs to Attilio DelVecchio. Connecticut business records list Attilio’s Mens Clothing, Inc. as an active corporation at 827 Foxon Road, first registered with the state on Dec. 16, 1987, with Attilio DelVecchio and Giulio DelVecchio listed as its officers.
The family’s roots in the trade go back further than the paperwork. The store’s own website, in the version that ran for years under the tagline “Personal attention, personal service,” described it this way: “Since 1956, our family-owned store has been servicing and providing fine men’s apparel.” The same page summed up the approach in one line: “Our philosophy has been the same over the past 50 years: to provide exceptional products combined with exceptional customer service.”
Today, the names customers mention most are Giulio and Paul. Reviewers describe the two of them handling everything from picking out shirts to pinning hems, and several point out that the people helping them on the sales floor are the same people who own and run the shop.
A shop built for the “hard to fit”
Attilio’s has always pitched itself as a place for the customer the department stores tend to miss. Its website said the shop specializes in “the ‘hard to fit’ client with expert tailoring done on the premises,” and that it carries suits, sport jackets, pants and accessories “with a slant towards European fashion.”
That tailoring happens in-house, and it is the reason a lot of first-timers walk in. The store also lists special orders and alterations for both men’s and women’s clothing, so it is not only grooms and prom dates coming through the door.
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Inside the store
Step inside and it is a classic men’s shop: a long, bright room with track lighting, wall-to-wall racks of suits and sport coats sorted by color and size, a rack of slacks with a hand-lettered “Italian slacks” card, and dressed mannequins in three-piece suits and patterned ties standing over the aisles. Shoe boxes are stacked along one wall, and a table near the front is heaped with silk ties and pocket squares in every color.
It is the kind of place where you can be fitted for a jacket, pick out the shirt and tie that go with it, try on shoes and leave with the whole outfit planned, which is exactly what a lot of reviewers say they did.
What to shop for
Attilio’s is not a restaurant, but the question regulars get asked is the same one: what should I go in for? Here is what the store carries and what customers keep coming back for.
Suits and sport coats. This is the core of the business: dark business suits, three-piece suits, windowpane checks, linen for summer weddings and sport coats for dressier dress-casual. One recent customer said he bought a sport jacket a year after being fitted for a suit there and that the shop had “hit another home run.”
Tuxedos, for rent or to buy. Formalwear rentals and sales are a big part of the calendar, especially in prom and wedding season. The store displays the current tuxedo lineup, from classic black to white dinner jackets and colored vests, and fits each one in the shop.
Alterations and tailoring. Hems, sleeves, waists and full fittings, done on the premises. More than one reviewer said they came for the alterations and stayed for the service.
Shirts, ties, shoes and the rest. Dress shirts, slacks, ties, pocket squares and dress shoes, so the full outfit can be put together in one stop.
What customers say
The reviews share a theme: fast turnaround, real attention and the feel of a shop run by the people who own it.
Burhan came in with what he called “a somewhat last-minute alteration” on his wedding suit pants. “Attilio’s was able to get it done in just a few days, compared to other places that gave me a 2-3 week timeline,” he wrote. “I was very pleased with how attentive and professional Guilio and Paul were. Guilio even helped me pick out the perfect shirt to go with my suit! When I picked up my pants, it was even better than what I had hoped.”
Robert bought a linen suit for his own wedding. “Paul took care of me, great experience,” he wrote. “Got a linen suit for my wedding, hemmed and fitted. He also hemmed my son’s suit, everything came out excellent. Paul made it quick and easy, stress free experience.”
Lori brought twins in for prom. “I had twins being fitted that wanted to look different in the same tux,” she wrote. “They accomplished that for us and both boys will look quite dapper on their prom night. Good prices too! We left renting tuxes and shoes for two boys under 400 dollars. Thank you Attilio family!”
Another customer, Chasbo, praised the “low-key approach and the sort of service you only find at owner-operated businesses,” adding that the store has a “wide selection of men’s dress and dress-casual, plus shoes, ties, shirts, slacks.” And Dominick kept it short: “Really love this place. It’s a wonderful store, and excellent tailoring services. Always the best quality of experience every time I visit.”
Why it matters on Foxon Road
Independent men’s clothiers have become hard to find. Attilio’s is one of the few places left in the area where a customer can walk in, be measured by a person, try on the jacket, have it pinned and pick it up from the same people a few days later.
For East Haven, that makes it one of those quiet Foxon Road institutions: not flashy, and the first place a lot of local families think of when someone in the house needs to look sharp.
If you go
- Where: Attilio’s Men’s Clothing, 827 Foxon Road, East Haven
- Phone: (203) 469-1275
- What they do: men’s suits, sport coats, slacks, shirts, ties and shoes; tuxedo rentals and sales; special orders; men’s and women’s alterations
- Tip: For weddings and proms, call ahead to ask about fitting appointments and how much lead time they need. Call the shop to confirm current hours before you go.
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