 Generations"One visit… My Sons and I repeatedly hear comments such as, ‘Wow, I didn’t expect to find a store of this caliber in Winchester.’
Many of these same explorers have developed into regular clients. While most of our clients live within an hour driving radius,
we are proud to call residents from as far as Florida, Pennsylvania, Maine, Oklahoma, Colorado, California, Washington DC…..and Winchester as clients.
I hope you will pay us a visit so that you too can witness our creativity. Our goal is to be the best Men’s Specialty Store, period.” The quintessential entrepreneur, Shendow had toted his pinstripe and houndstooth fabric swatches from Bell’s, a fine clothing store in Washington, D.C.,
to this hospitable Southern town. It would be the first of many visits.
Each time the resourceful Shendow arrived in Winchester, he cleverly slipped the postman 50 cents to spread the word that the clothier from the District
was in town to take orders for custom-made suits. His plan? To invigorate his store’s sluggish sales by building a client base away from the capitol.
The plan worked.
Soon Shendow had a loyal following of gentlemen in Winchester who anxiously awaited his arrival. Shendow, known as “Mr. Bell,” offered the area’s hard-to-fit customer –
the short, the extra long, the portly – the opportunity to own a perfectly tailored suit without ever leaving town. At his makeshift shop in the hotel, he consulted on styles and fabric selection and took precise measurements, which he carried back to the D.C. store. There, fine suits were carefully constructed and soon returned to the purchasers in Winchester. It was the ultimate in customer service.
By 1931, Shendow’s Winchester business had become so successful, he decided to set up shop permanently in town. He adopted the name of the District’s store for his new shop.
Over the years, Bell’s thrived, eventually adding women’s apparel and expanding to several locations. Sam Shendow built the business on quality
merchandise and unparalleled customer service.
Today, three generations later, Shendow’s son Irvin, daughter-in-law Sarah, and grandsons Scott
and Stephen keep alive
the founder’s entrepreneurial spirit.
They fill the store with superior quality, hand-picked clothing and accessories purchased on regular trips to New York’s fashion district. They get to know their
customers personally, continuing the legacy of first-rate customer service.
In 2006, Bell’s celebrated its 75th anniversary. While many of the faces have changed, the traditions of style, quality, and service still stand.
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The Beginnings of Bell’s