CityState : Business
Marc Allen Fine Clothiers has moved into a new , larger space in the former Cable Car Cinema .
Smooth Moves
Marc Allen Fine Clothiers expands its boutique into the old Cable Car Cinema . By Jamie Coelho
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MARC ALLEN FINE CLOTHIERS .
There may not be many local men ’ s boutiques in Rhode Island , but what we don ’ t have in quantity , we make up for in quality . Marc Allen Fine Clothiers has upped its game , moving into the larger space next door , which used to be the Cable Car Cinema . The new location , which sat empty for several years after the cinema shut down , preserves the Providence building ’ s historical details — including brickwork and a six-foot-six-inch door frame that forces its tallest patrons to duck , some of whom require custom clothing to fit their own frames — while putting a modern and intimate spin on personalized shopping .
The previous shop on South Main Street was too small for what Marc Streisand and team had in store for their next phase . When
the RISD landlord suggested Marc Allen move into the larger location , the owner embraced the change .
“ We capped out next door . We couldn ’ t bring in more merchandise , it was too small , there were four of us working inside . There was enough testosterone in that small space ,” Streisand says with a laugh . “ I jumped right on it . It gave us the opportunity to expand and do what we really wanted to do .”
The larger showroom , now has a spacious sitting area with couches and a television , plus a complete bar for entertaining while shopping . Surrounding the seating area are shelves like a library , holding books of custom Italian cashmere , wool and other fabrics for creating suits and high-end clothing items . Past the seating area is the retail space , displaying ready-to-wear items from jeans , blazers and jackets to lightweight , crisp dress shirts , preppy shorts and shoes . Streisand puts the luxury stamp on every item by sourcing rare brands and fabrics that can only be found at this store , including Kiton from Italy , which he considers the best and most luxurious clothing brand in the world .
Suits are also custom made using personalized fabrics , selected from books on the epic bookshelf . Now he has the space to display everything in an organized fashion . There are even framed photographs of clients at their weddings and special events , sporting Marc Allen suits and jackets .
“ We ’ ve created an environment where we can design more of our own stuff , bring in brands we want to bring in , and diversify what we have in here , so it encompasses a much greater depth of clothing ,” Streisand says . “ Service is the crux of everything we do , so we knew with more space , we could actually provide better service for people .” 204 South Main St ., Providence , 453-0025 , marcalleninc . com
26 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l AUGUST 2023