Roy is the man. Check this place out, great selection and he will surely have a great conversation with you as well

We were headed to a concert at the Greek Theater when we realized we left our jackets at home. Being on the fluffier side, it's tough to find spots that carry 2X or larger, but we found this place on Google and knew it was worth a shot. The shop has a gate out front--which is a little different than what we're used to--but once we rang the bell, a friendly gentleman let us in and welcomed us warmly. Inside, we found a solid variety of larger-sized jackets, vests, and workwear. We ended up grabbing a Carhartt light jacket and a heavier plaid one. At checkout, we were helped by an older gentleman who was personable and easy to talk to. Great service, solid selection, and just an overall good experience. Highly recommend for anyone in need of quality workwear, especially if you need extended sizes. read more

Great store! Open days listed on Yelp are incorrect but can't be updated. They are NOT OPEN ON TUESDAY. Open: Wednesday-Saturday 10:00-16:30 Closed: Sunday - Tuesday. read more

I love this place. I really like to find unusual Carhardt clothes. The owner is always there and a great guy to converse with. I will shop there as long as they are in business. Thanks for your great attention to customer service. read more

Back again. Love this shop and you will see why if you go check it out. Always feels like ur with family here. Ben Davis, cathart, bladerack, pendleton....old school, high quality gear. Glad this shop is here ... read more

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I need work pants for the new year. Looked up Dickie clothes near me. It recommended me this place. Website said it was open. So I make the journey up the I-80 north with the infamous slow crawl of traffic to University exit. Find this store, never been here before, would of been my go to store for work clothes instead of Work world. But Nope. Closed still. Thought it went out of business. But there was a hand written sign at the door, that I could read through the security gates they have up. Said they were closed till the 4th, taking some time off. Wish the website would of reflected their time off. A waste of a drive up here. Pretty annoying for Wednesday the 3rd, 2024 read more

Roy is a stand up guy that runs a stand up store. They have a WIDE selection of work wear. Came in today to check it out and he did not disappoint. Great deals on Detroit jackets here and a good size run on just about everything. The best work wear store on this side of the bay. I highly recommend this place. I knew it was a good spot cause I saw stickers from just about every union around the bay on the counter read more

I received Great service. They have a nice selection of work gear. Very limited hours.

Well stocked work clothes, what more do you want?! The store survived the demic, might look closed because of the fence but is open.

once agai n roy owner of this awesome work clothes store was open for me and my son. I have been coming hear for decades now and never walk away with less than 10 star service. they were scheduled to close at 4thirty and I had to pick up my 3year old at same time and when I called he said come on in and he would wait for me-i was traveling 600 miles to go work in portland on Sunday and wanted very badly to buy my new uniforms from him since the store is always full of everything a working person can need!!! and all my sons and workers agree especially my youngest who did make more work for roy since he was crawling around everywhere read more

Halmar Work Clothes Centers - Men's Clothing Near Me - Berkeley, California

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the best workwear store in town. the owner is awesome at being welcoming and has great customer service. they have all the workwear you will need. read more

When I'm in Berkeley I go to the North Face Outlet for my girlfriend. Halmar is where I shop for Men's Clothing in Men's sizes and great selections. The owner is great doing his best despite COVID. It's a classic store with the size selection I need that North Face forgot about years ago. And then there's E and J BBQ in the same parking lot to help me fill out my new work jacket!! read more

Very good clothes I love this place very good for Edgar's beautiful service best place

Large inventory of our favorite work brands. I wish I could say enough good things about this place and staff. Good'ol customer service pared with knowledgeable folks. There's a lot to be said when coming into a local shop instead of ordering online. Try on new styles and pick up a new look. THANKS HALMAR read more

Great place to get all work attire and more ! The owner was very helpful since I had never needed to shop for this type of clothing before ! Great energy in the store, gave me small town helpful energy in the heart of Berkeley ! I've seen this store for many years and finally had a reason to go inside because of my new job. As far as price the numbers for items I thought were great comparing to some online options. Plus I enjoy supporting small businesses ! Also the owner had his daughter in the store working as well and they were both following COVID guidelines and had a limit of people in the shop at all times ! I got a whole bunch of stuff like work pants, work shirts, steel toe socks , belts and even a Shirt-Jacket LOL never owned one of those until now ! Thanks again ! I will be back!!!! read more

This is the only nearby place to get Ben Davis clothing, so I've been shopping there in spite of the owner's rudeness. I'm done with him now, because when I went into the store today he padlocked the only exit. I told him I didn't think he should lock customers in. He didn't give me a chance to explain it's a fire hazard, but opened the door and put me out. I probably should notify somebody at city hall, but dont know who read more

All the one star reviews are from liars who hate the owner because he isn't a leftist sheep. It's simply political BS. Great store, great selection! I'll do my business here. read more

Halmar Work Clothes has become my go to store when it comes to anything workwear. They have a great selection of top brands like Dickies, Ben Davis, and especially Carhartt. The owner is a very nice and helpful person. He goes out of his way to make sure you find what you are looking for. I've now been here three times and each time I leave as a happy customer. Support your local small businesses! read more

Great selection of work clothing with good inventory, the place to go for the working man or woman

They have a great selection of workwear, and I have been in twice looking for really specific things -- and both times they had exactly what I needed. I appreciate finding stuff like this locally since so much retail has been eaten up by Amazon and co. Make sure to check out the sales table at the back. read more

A Berkeley staple! Excellent quality products for us blue/gray collar folks and others who need durable clothing for whatever reason. Family business I believe that should be supported in this age of the big box retailers. Support the locals! Get the best quality work wear! It's a win win! read more

Great selection Carhartt everything, Ben Davis, Pendleton, safety clothing, work, sport clothing and a ton of accessories. Jackets, vests, coveralls, overalls, shirts for days. Available parking in lot, friendly knowledgeable owner/manager. I don't know what those one star guys are talking about, not my experience. If you want good MENS clothes come to Halmar, if you want fluff and smiles from plastic sales personnel head over to the boutiques on College Av. or Montclair Village and get yourself a blouse. Dave H. read more

Halmar Work Clothes Centers - Great selection, Carhartt, Ben Davis, Pendleton, Jackets, coveralls, overalls, tons of accessories. Sport clothing too. - Men's Clothing Near Me - Berkeley, California

We have been customers of this place for years. So appreciative that Roy and his store are still open during these turbulent Covid days! I called ahead, they have the item in stock, Covid precautions were in place when I arrived, felt very safe, it was really nice to catch up with Roy and I was on my way. Looking forward to returning! read more

Love this place. Always great interactions with the owner. Great selection. Very helpful.

I been coming to Halmar since the 1990's it was always our go to place to get Ben Davis Dickies etc. I recently came in here to buy a Solid Black Pendleton board shirt and a Ben Davis beenie. People say the owner is mean and a republican but he has always been friendly to me since I was a teen and i'm a Mexican who kinda leans left and he has always been helpful and friendly. read more

Expensive, but well worth it. I swear Roy knows his stock by heart. Yes, he's gruff. Yes, he's gotta deadpan sense of humor. Yes, he's a republican. If you dont like his politics, fine. I've gotten into it with him a few times myself. He's actually a pretty smart guy who can talk, when he wants to. But I'm not gonna lie, the idea that Berkeley residents are giving a great, independent, local shop bad reviews because they dislike his politics, but were too scared to actually say anything to him makes me a little ashamed to live in Berkeley. read more

Zero stars - while they have nice stock I will not give this homophobe my money. One time I was in there, Carhartt jacket in hand, approaching the register and the owner was ranting to another customer about how gays (and as I remember he used a less positive word) had no business adopting children because they were not fit to be parents and would teach their depraved ways to the kids, etc. etc. I was shocked and gently laid the coat on the counter and calmly said, "I won't be supporting your business" as I exited to him yelling that he didn't need my money...good thing 'cause he won't be getting any. Go to Pacific Apparel in San Leandro or Siegel's in S.F. instead. read more

Used to be my go to for work wear even though they're a little over priced and the owner is loud with his opinions about liberals, gays, etc... but it was very conveniently located so I overlooked it. I now regret that I ever gave them any of my money, and I wonder if the people giving them 5 star reviews are also right-wing bigots or just ignoring the owner's wretched behavior in favor of not having to drive to San Leandro. The last straw for me was having them lock me in the store while I was shopping because I assume they thought I was going to steal from them somehow, even though there two men working there and I was by myself. I didn't realize they'd locked me in until after I'd paid and was trying to leave. The guy behind the counter didn't even have the sense to be apologetic about it. Just looked at me like, "hey you understand, right darkie?". If they'd done like some jewelry stores where they buzz you in and out it wouldn't have bothered me, but I got a definite sense of being profiled. So I guess if you're cool with that kind of thing, feel free to continue giving them your business and your 5 star reviews, but it might suggest some less than great things about you as a person. read more

I used to shop here but have now taken to buying my Ben Davis and Dickies clothing online instead because the shopping experience at this store is not a very good one and the prices here are high. Further, they often don't have my size in stock and they say they can order it but I have to pay in full first and then wait for the order to come in, no thanks. Not to mention the guy who runs this place is a bit strange. He talks really loud, like as if he wants everyone in the store to hear him and what he says can be quite odd. Like he will talk about how he doesn't like certain types of people such as gays, etc. I'm frankly much happier not shopping here. read more

Today was my third visit to the store. I'm a home inspector and occasionally need clothes and boots for crawlspaces when I don't have time to order on-line. They have never had the particular boot I like (no laces, pull-on hiking style and waterproof) but have the coveralls for sure and carry a very good selection of high-quality work clothes that I haven't seen anywhere else in the Easy Bay. REI has the boots, so I repeated a Halmar/REI run I did a few years ago. The owner is a right-wing, America- Love it or leave it kind of guy and he's not shy about that. I suggest you mention the Yelp comments, as I did, and Roy will share with you social and political opinions that I thought were banned in Berkeley. While talking to Roy, be sure to peruse the fliers scotch taped under the counter glass like: "My SUV Loves Iraqi Oil". I was going to give the store 4 stars because I had to go to REI for my boots, but Roy is a straight-shooting guy running his store the way he wants. Don't like it, just leave. I don't have to agree with his politics but I like his style and for that Halmar Work Clothes gets one extra star for a total of 5. read more

They guy was chill and helped me find the expensive work boots I was looking for. I can understand why some people don't like him. He definitely seems like the kind of guy who gets a little sweaty. Didn't see any trump stuff, but he is certainly conservative, and if that's gonna piss you off, don't go. read more

2 weekends ago I left my wallet there on a Saturday afternoon & didn't figure it out until late that night after they closed. Since they're closed Sunday I left a couple of messages on the store's phone & searched everywhere else and hoped against hope that my wallet was actually there. Monday morning a booming voice called my cell phone- "JESSE, I'VE GOT GREAT NEWS FOR YOU!" Yes, it was Roy (not introducing himself, even though I've never had a personal conversation with him), and yes, I'd left my wallet on his front counter. My plans for a dreary day at the DMV were happily toast. When I told him that my wife had said, "At least if you DID leave it at Halmar, it's probably the safest place to leave it in Berkeley," he almost blew out my eardrums with his laugh. It's true though, right? Even though I am *literally* a card-carrying member of the ACLU (the card was in the wallet), he still tried to find me in the phone book that Sunday and called me as soon as he heard my messages on the store's answering machine Monday morning. Yes, he apparently listens to Michael Savage "for real," and yes he and I will rarely agree when it comes to politics, but yes he also provided a huge favor for someone he clearly disagrees with because it's the correct, honest thing to do. That's fantastic and why I'll continue buying from his store. I've friends who (understandably) shop over in San Leandro because they can't hang with the often horrible political outbursts. I've considered doing this myself sometimes. I've shopped here for years. The clothes are what I want and Roy has the experience to know what your waist/leg measurements are with a quick glance. As everyone else has mentioned, he's one of those people who walk into a room and demand attention just by their demeanor. Because of his honesty & straight-forwardness, I'll be shopping here for the foreseeable future. read more

While I was being taken to this place I was told that this is the only hardcore Republican man in Berkeley. As I work with and know such people I know exactly his type and his passion for hard manual labor. Thanks to that, he has one of the best selections of work clothes and full knowledge of which gear is right for which job. One can never have too many pockets. At first sight I know this will be a regular stop of mine, although knowing Carhartts the stops won't be too regular. The store is well stocked in all sizes and styles so no matter what your job you can get outfitted here. If the man doesn't have it, he will order it. What tops all this off is the nice-sized parking lot right behind it, even in the parking hell that is Berkeley. He is essentially a fellow coworker, or really a man who used to work your job who has access to all the right gear and is conveniently located nearby. Yes, he will see me again. read more

Are you there to buy clothes or are you there to talk politics? Make up your mind ahead of time. If the former, this is the place for you. If the latter, you might try Sproul Plaza, only a hop away. However, note that they don't sell jeans at Sproul Plaza. Terrific selection, very helpful. I'm a woman and I'm not interested in the owner's opinion of women wearing men's clothing, which he didn't shove at me anyway. But even if he had. Got some terrific jeans for reasonable money. read more

Great selection of work attire and at a good price. The store itself has a huge parking lot which is convenient since it is on University Ave. I'm a bit confused about the other reviews, the gentlemen who runs the store is informative and was friendly me as well as to others in the store. He took the time to give me advice on work boots and we had a nice conversation about the upcoming Olympics. Support this local business!!! read more

Had to pick up a couple of work shirts and was in the area so I dropped in. Had my Dad with me and we had a great time BS'ing with the owner while we shopped. Great selection and a fair price for what you're getting...Plus good conversation...What more can you ask for! 2 thumbs way up! read more

Let the Yelp record show that I confess to a very serious misjudgment of this business. Almost one year later, headed back in, the owner couldn't have been nicer, or more helpful. I'm glad I went back, based not only on their more extensive selection of work clothes than other store options, but to support a business owner. Looks like bringing the money here is well worth your time after all. Good man, thanks for proving me wrong! read more

Amazing business! Roy is a stand up guy who knows his inventory more than any other store I've been to. He is very helpful and helped me get the Carhartt jacket I had been looking for, but could not find in my size. He is such a genuine human and is a real family man, always up for a conversation. I will definitely be back to buy more from his store! Highly recommend! read more

I haven't had time to cross the bridge from San Francisco to North Berkeley until yesterday. My last visit to Halmar was probably a decade ago and I always remembered pretty close to where they are located. No auto for the meantime so BART was convenient. From the North Berkeley BART Station it was a very simple walkable walk . The windows are boarded up but they have written on it that they are indeed open. They still carry a wide variety of Ben Davis, Carhartt, Pendeltan, etc. I was greeted nicely after i rang the doorbell and was invited in. Searched for the pants that I was looking for in my size and found one that I bought. They have a good amount of stock for the majority of the sizes. Had a good time chatting with them about Ben Davis clothing and the stores that carried them in San Francisco. Unfortunately most have closed shop now. Siegels the Zoot Suit Store on Mission Street in SF had closed its doors after being open for 99 years. The Arik's stores one by one had closed its doors as well. The restrictions within the pandemic situation the visit to Halmar was a very pleasant time even in the raining weather that it was. Maron read more

If you expect good customer service after a sale, do not go here. They are all about making a sale, but will frown on any returns. I've read that you will only receive store credit on the returns that are accepted. I will never shop here again. BUYER BEWARE!!!! read more