Randall's Menswear owners Randy and Laura Heinitz prepare for their soft opening today in the Lakewood Mall in Lodi. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

Well suited: Randall's Menswear brings 'old-fashion' into fashion

Randall Heinitz recollects that the last menswear store Lodi had was Squires. Since its closing, he says that men haven't had a store that tailors to their clothing needs.

Since April of this year, Heinitz and his wife, Laura, have labored to open Randall's Menswear. Today they celebrate the soft opening of the store at 231 Lakewood Mall.

Many years ago, Randall Heinitz owned and operated retail stores, but sold them to family in the 1980s. He went into real estate and development, making a lucrative living in that industry.

Although he still works in both development and real estate (he and Laura own Town and Country Properties), and is extremely active in community organizations, Randall Heinitz wanted to give Lodi something unique.

With that in mind, he formulated the idea for Randall's Menswear with suits from Italy, shoes made from buffalo leather, flasks, cufflinks and golfwear.

One clothing distribution representative recently asked how they were able to get Enzo suits from Italy, according to the shop's clerk, Colleen Burlington.

"I told him Randy went to Italy to get the suits," Burlington said. The rep couldn't believe what he'd been told. "Randy and Laura will stop at nothing to bring the best to Lodi."

Randall's Menswear offers fine clothing including Italian suits, suit separates, designer jeans and mens gifts. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

Since the suits are unfinished, patrons need not worry about finding the right size. Randall Heinitz said he has two tailors, one on the premises and one off-site, so that customers can get their custom-fitted clothing as quickly as possible.

"One thing I can sell is service," Randall Heinitz said. "We're going to do it all. It is an old-fashioned store."

Though the suits can range from $295 and up, Randall Heinitz isn't worried about opening such a specialty store in today's economy. He cites opening his real estate business during the early '90s, a time when the market wasn't particularly bustling, and turning it into a successful office.

At the moment, Randall's Menswear carries brands like Enzo, Dion, Trask, Calloway and Cutter, and Buck. However, don't expect that to be all they carry. Randall Heinitz points out that they have new stock coming in all the time — most of it hard to find outside of big cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.

Special orders can also be made from the cozy store, allowing hard-to-fit men the chance to buy separates in their size.

And it doesn't matter if you're a corporate banker or a hard-working farmer, anyone will probably feel right at home in the shop, as Laura Heinitz pointed out.

"I love the warmth. It feels like home," Laura Heinitz said.

Neither of the Heinitzes have plans to slow down anytime soon. Randall Heinitz said not many people start something at the age of 55. And with the help of Burlington, taking care of customers should be a snap.

"My heart is so into this. It's exciting," Burlington said.

Contact Business Editor Marc Lutz at marcl@lodinews.com.