Detroit Saks Continues to Slide

The Saks Fifth Avenue in Detroit has frankly sucked for the past ten years. It looks like a place where bouncers go to get outfitted. In fact, if you went there with an unlimited budget to buy a pair of plain black cap-toe shoes, I don't think it would be possible.

I went there the other day to buy a bow-tie (they sell Carrot & Gibbs ties, and I like C&G bowties), which I am apt to do maybe twice a year. I went to the display where they usually have a little tiny rack with maybe two dozen ties, and it wasn't there. When I inquired, I was told that they no longer stock bowties there.

Does anyone have the contact info for someone at Saks corporate that might actually give a ****? I'm sick of watching the Saks where I have fond memories of Xmas shopping with my mother, go downhill. I understand that Detroiters dress like ****, and you need to stock what sells, but this display took up about 10 cubic inches of space.

Are you talking about the off 5th in Dearborn, or is there an actual Sak's in the mall in Troy?

From my experience, you need to lower your expectations 15-25% for EVERYTHING in DTW, but that off 5th was unusually bad.

Detroit Continues to Slide

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Fixed.

Saks Off Fifth will be going out of business. They will be open until December. Detroiters dressing like **** is brutal. I'm from Detroit and truthfully the entire region is far from being a style mecca. Saks Off Fifth is running 20%-25% off discounted prices, so if you need some socks, belts, ties, etc...you might want to check them out before they ship what remaining good stuff they have out.

If you're talking about the mainline Saks then I could provide you with an email.

the saks store in somerset is likely the reference, which is a regular saks store

i do agree; it doesn't have much of a selection but what you'll find is that they gear the store with stock to suit their perception of what will sell in that region, which being the midwest, is a lot of conservative stuff - and the detroit market being the way it is with the automotive economy, they're likely being overly cautious in stocking what they know they can sell

the neiman marcus is no different in its approach

detroit did have two saks stores for a while, the second being at fairlane which became a saks off fifth and which is being shuttered by december, leaving just the saks off fifth at great lakes crossing

the to be closed off fifth does have some great bargains - TSE cashmere sweaters for about $50-70, richard james dress shirts $35-45, bruno cuccinelli and malo cashmere gear $75-95, but overall, what is left is pretty pedestrian and unremarkable

Where are TSE sweaters located? I was there but didn't see any. Hope they have my size.

It is the regular Saks at Somerset in Troy.

The Off Fifths in Dearborn and Auburn Hills (MI) are horrible, but the Dearborn one used to be great (I bought a purple label suit there years ago).

The Detroit Saks is anything but conservative, it stocks lots of Prada, Gucci, etc., and a large selection of "fashion forward" casual gear for the Bulgarian Disco bouncers.

By the way, I can knock Detroit, but you guys can't. ;-)

SoCal, thanks, I'd appreciate a contact e-mail if you could, but no rush or big deal. Thanks again.

Originally Posted by TCN

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It is the regular Saks at Somerset in Troy.

The Off Fifths in Dearborn and Auburn Hills (MI) are horrible, but the Dearborn one used to be great (I bought a purple label suit there years ago).

The Detroit Saks is anything but conservative, it stocks lots of Prada, Gucci, etc., and a large selection of "fashion forward" casual gear for the Bulgarian Disco bouncers.

By the way, I can knock Detroit, but you guys can't. ;-)

SoCal, thanks, I'd appreciate a contact e-mail if you could, but no rush or big deal. Thanks again.

You are right, there is nothing conservative about that Saks. Saks and M. Fields (both in Troy) used to sell more Prada than any store in America. Detroit is the leader for "urban fashions" in the world. Lots of folks there are spending big money for clothes. Instead of EGs and Lobbs, they are buying $1000+ gators.
If want to see money being spend, visit the women's shoe department in either Saks or Neimans @Somerset on the weekends.

.... maybe i'd scanned your post too quickly as i thought we were talking about suits and ties, as your post seemed to centre on ties, not urban wear - when you go to saks or nm or mfields/macys or nordstroms in somerset, they offer really nothing but pretty basic conservative men's dress wear

.... and to 76classic, the TSE cashmere was all hanging on one of those long lines of middle racks next to all the women's wear that they had in the men's section

Originally Posted by hermes

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.... maybe i'd scanned your post too quickly as i thought we were talking about suits and ties, as your post seemed to centre on ties, not urban wear - when you go to saks or nm or mfields/macys or nordstroms in somerset, they offer really nothing but pretty basic conservative men's dress wear

.... and to 76classic, the TSE cashmere was all hanging on one of those long lines of middle racks next to all the women's wear that they had in the men's section

Interesting, that wouldn't have been my take on them. You have to special order Oxxford, and most of the suits are black Saks brand numbers, shiny Hugo Bosses . . . I've even seen some 4-button jobbies. I don't think you could find a polo coat or a chesterfield there (lots of down parkas though), and I don't think you could find a plain cap-toe, wingtip or pump.

They never carried the H&K shirts (mostly either plain white Saks brand shirts or else rather odd stripes and patterns).

I will say they have always had a fairly nice tie selection, although lately it's trending toward the "designer" labels as opposed to the Charvets and Brionis.

Originally Posted by TCN

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It is the regular Saks at Somerset in Troy. By the way, I can knock Detroit, but you guys can't. ;-)
I kept an apartment in the Millender center for 5 years. I was actually IN Detroit, while I suspect you are in a suburb ;-) I will knock if I please

Originally Posted by 76classic

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Saks Off Fifth will be going out of business. They will be open until December. Detroiters dressing like **** is brutal. I'm from Detroit and truthfully the entire region is far from being a style mecca. Saks Off Fifth is running 20%-25% off discounted prices, so if you need some socks, belts, ties, etc...you might want to check them out before they ship what remaining good stuff they have out.

what! you dont like gators and koogi sweaters!

Originally Posted by ChicagoRon

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I kept an apartment in the Millender center for 5 years. I was actually IN Detroit, while I suspect you are in a suburb ;-) I will knock if I please

No knocking of Detroit here. My stay there wasn't sufficiently long to have that right.

But, the mention of Millender brought to mind my month-long stay in Detroit, February 2000. I took my first job out of college with Comerica Bank in Dallas as a commercial banking credit analyst. At that time, all of Comerica's credit trainees were sent to Detroit for a month of "Credit College". While there, we were housed at the Millender. I couldn't have come up with the name of that building with a $1,000 prize for naming it without your mention of it. Thanks for the reminder. Fun times in younger days. Eight years seems like almost a lifetime ago.

I was in that SFA last week and you're right-it really does suck. I really can't blame them, though, as they are catering to the wants-for worse and worse-of the people there.

I've seen it bad in Detroit before but never like this. It feels like being in the waiting room of emergency because your dad just had a heart attack.

Doesn't Carl Sterr carry bow ties?