Ah Keezer's.... i pass this place every day on my commute home, and for the first year of doing so i could have sworn that it was abandoned. Eventually i came to realize that the beat-up, falling apart sign was NOT indicative of a closed business.
Still, i never imagined myself having the need to shop there - after all, how often do i shop for formalwear? Fast forward to the present day - the workplace is having a "Casino Royale" night, and everyone is encouraged to dress the past (scenes from The Office start flashing before my eyes). Suddenly i am in need to a bow tie (self-tie - we're not fooling around here) and pocket square. So i check amazon - can't get free shipping on both. I call around to all the chain tux shops in the area, they are either grossly overpriced or do not have a pocket square (this is shocking). Begrudgingly, i look up the number for Keezer's and dial it. They've got both items i need, and for the lowest overall price. I resolve to head there later in the day.
I start to wonder what the inside looks like - perhaps the outward appearance hides a much more professional looking, more organized formal-wear shop. I park next to the building (they have a very small parking lot) and enter. In the vestibule i'm greeted by shovels, rock-salt, and other indicators of the tough winter we've have this year. But as i enter, i see something far more jarring - boxes piled all the way to the ceiling - containing ties, shirts, suits, tuxes - basically everything. The entire entranceway is narrowed by 3-4 rows of cardboard - it is as if they are using the front of the store as the "back room".
I walk to the counter, tell the man what i need. He grabs me a pocket square and goes to find a bow tie. I look around - boxes are not everywhere, but they're scattered in just about every corner. The rest of the place can best be described as "the store that time forgot" - it just has a very "aged" feel to it, from the merchandise all the way to the displays.
All of this said, i got the items i was looking for, at the lowest price around. And that is exactly why Keezer's is still around - it doesn't bother trying to impress you, it just sells you what you need at a fair price. That fits the description of "A-OK" to me. read more