Al's Formal Wear Commitment
Our commitment is to make people look great for special events while creating wonderful memories. Company History
With a simple love of formal wear and a big idea, Al Sankary opened a tuxedo store in the Dallas area in 1952. A few years later, Sankary's brother-in-law Alan 'Al' Gaylor along with wife Lillian, opened the first Houston store in the downtown area, offici
ally making Al's Formal Wear a family business. With two Als behind Al's Formal Wear, they were destined for greatness. Gaylor's Houston shop had 1,000 square feet of space and a rent base of $200. At that time, a stylish gentleman could be formally outfitted in a tuxedo for a total cost of only $5.95. From these humble beginnings, the Gaylors and Al Sankary went on to build the greatest family-owned formalwear outfitter in the southwest. As the years went by, the business continued to grow under Gaylor's and Sankary's hard work and direction. They successfully outfitted customers through many decades and fashion trends in the 50s and 60s, through the 90s and now the 2000s. Many customers have rented their prom and wedding tuxedos from Al's Formal Wear, as well as their tuxedos for their children and grandchildren's weddings. Al's Formal Wear currently has over 80 stores located in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Colorado. Al's also has a wholesale division, Ascot Formal Wear, which supplies formalwear shops across the United States with tuxedos. Rounding out Al's services to consumers is CRDN of Houston, which specializes in restoring clothing and other fabric items damaged by fires and floods. After more than 40 years of building a tuxedo empire for his family, Alan Gaylor turned over the presidency to his son Stuart in 1995. Since he took the reins, the company has continued to flourish. Al's Formal Wear is currently building more stores in new markets and has plans for many more in the near future. On the morning of April 15, 2008, the man who set the standard for tuxedo rental left this earth a much better place. Alan Gaylor, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend, turned what started as a dream into a tuxedo empire. He is best remembered for his generous nature and incredible zest for life. His life motto was "If you are going to do something, do it right!" Alan Gaylor applied this to every aspect of his life and instilled the same attitude in his 4 children, and 12 grandchildren. "Our business from day one was built on providing excellent customer service and quality merchandise at affordable prices, and we continue to build our business on this premise today," stated Mr. Look Great. Wonderful Memories. About
Al's Formal Wear
Al's Formal Wear has a network of over 80 locations in four states.
