Joseph Chasnoff thinks a person’s clothes should stand for something.

Those slouchy khaki pants and generic polo shirts aren’t doing anyone favors in the fit department, and they certainly don’t project an image befitting a successful business person.

Chasnoff, BBA ’58, is the owner of Chasnoff Custom and Casual Wear in Austin and has been outfitting executives, job interviewees, UT coaches and even Longhorn Band drum majors in custom suits for 25 years. McCombs Dean Tom Gilligan is a client, as well as Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds and Longhorn football coach Mack Brown.

“Clothing that is bought off the rack is made for the average man or woman, and they assume you’re in proportion throughout your body,” Chasnoff says. “That is like throwing cloth over a tent pole. It just drapes over and you hope for the best.”

When you visit Chasnoff for a custom suit, no detail is overlooked—he describes his work as “taking care of” his clients. He takes 12 measurements to ensure every stitch and button hole is perfect for you. “I am anxious about doing the very best for my clients. When they get clothing, it fits beautifully,” he says.

Chasnoff entered the clothing business in 1961 with a retail store at 2424 Guadalupe called Michael’s Menswear. He soon opened a second shop, followed by a women’s store called Michelle’s. In 1986, Chasnoff decided to make the move to custom clothing. He traveled to New York and trained with master tailor Hal Slilaty to learn the trade.

Twenty-five years later, Chasnoff still operates his store, on the bottom level of the Omni Hotel building in downtown Austin. Displays of ties, pocket squares and jackets adorn the window next to upscale burnt orange golf shirts. Like a copyeditor who compulsively proofreads restaurant menus and newspaper ads, Chasnoff can’t help but size up what people around him are wearing, spotting slacks that bunch or a jacket that’s too tight at the shoulders.

With prices for Chasnoff’s customs suits ranging from $900 to $3,000, it’s not a luxury available to everyone. But in his eyes, it’s worth the cost.

“The suit is the uniform of the business person,” Chasnoff says. “When we make clothing for people and they wear it in a meeting, people notice. The person shows up.”