By James Kent
RUTLAND—When Long Trail School junior Allston Kent told his dad the date of his annual school prom, his father knew it was time to visit the twins in downtown Rutland.
The twins, of course, are the second-generation owners of McNeil & Reedy, Jim and John McNeil. McNeil & Reedy is a men’s clothing store that’s been meeting Rutland men’s clothing needs for the past 69 years and is a prom season specialist. According to Casey McNeil, Jim’s son and a third-generation part of this storied Rutland institution, people come from all over Vermont and out-of-state to get their prom needs met. Why? It all comes down to price and service.
“What makes us unique in the marketplace is we stock every price point. We have your entry-level suit that would be perfect for a prom guy, all the way into a custom-made, high-end suit for your wedding day, or for a business suit, and then everything in between. We’re an affordable option or a higher-end option for those who want it,” said Casey.
In Allston Kent’s case, Long Trail School holds a prom for the entire high school each year, so this was the third season he came to McNeil & Reedy for a fitting. With his height and size changing year over year, the option that made the most sense for him was a prom suit rental.
No matter which McNeil, Casey, Jim, or John, each works with their respective prom customer to determine the option that makes the most sense for their needs.
“I think it’s helpful to have someone guide you through the process because it’s usually the first time a student or kid has worn a suit or tuxedo,” said Casey. “And we help guide them through the price point. So, for example, if you go to two proms, buying a suit may make more fiscal sense. That might be more affordable. And, if you’re going to one prom, sure, rent it because kids are gonna grow regardless.”
McNeil & Reedy offers one of the largest selections of prom suit options in Vermont and also offers on-site tailoring.
“If someone grows an inch between the time they get measured to the time they go to prom, we can lengthen the pants for them,” said Casey. “Some guys now want to show their ankles for prom, so we can raise the pants up a little, but we do it all right here, which differentiates us from shopping online.”
While rentals may be a great option for the one-and-done prom goer, Casey said some kids attend multiple proms, have a wedding to go to in the summer, or might even want to wear their prom suit for graduation. In those instances, buying a suit makes the most economic sense. Casey joined his father and uncle in the McNeil family business five years ago after a career in financing. However, he’s been around the store all his life, and all he learned over the years came back with ease. Noting the trends in the past several years, Casey said that many kids are buying suits these days or coming in for specific parts of their outfits.
“Maybe we’ll sell a tie to one kid who already has a suit and needs the tie to match his date’s dress. They can buy a jacket here because they already had the pants, or maybe they could be purchasing an entire suit.”
Allston’s sizing didn’t take long. After going through the process twice already, he had a strong idea of the type of suit he wanted, the color, and the pattern. He and Casey reviewed tie color options, and after Allston tried on a sample jacket for size, his order was written up, and he was on his way, all set for next month’s prom.
While Allston got his rental early, Casey stressed that there was plenty of time for people to come in and get outfitted for prom.
“I suggest trying to come in at least two weeks before a prom,” said Casey. “That gives us enough time to turn it around. Because prom is also the kickoff of wedding season, it gets busy for us. We can turn it around faster, say, a week or the week of if need be, but we prefer two weeks if we can have it.”
As a bonus for all prom suit rentals and purchases, McNeil & Reedy provides a free custom-designed t-shirt. This year’s shirt features a design from Kinsey H. Designs featuring McNeil’s 1950s Chevy truck.
McNeil & Reedy is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, visit: mcneilandreedy.com.
Casey McNeil took Allston Kent’s measurements to ensure the perfect pant length.
Allston Kent tried on a sample jacket to make sure the measurements were correct.
