The expansion has been planned for a long time, but it was formalized one year ago today.

Modern Formals, 474 N. Main St., opened its doors on January 21, 1996, to rent and sell men’s formalwear to people from Southington and the surrounding towns.  A spinoff of the Modern men’s Shop in Meriden, it was the second store for the Dominello family.

"It’s been a big challenge, coming from one store and developing into this," said Sal Dominello Jr., 23, who runs the growing busness with his brother, John, 26.  "We’re busy on a daily basis."

"The Meriden store has been open 45 years with my dad," John Dominello said.  "This was something that we wanted to do, branch out."

"I’m so proud of these boys," said Sal Dominello Sr., now retired but still a consultant to his sons.  "They were born into this business."

The business is formalwear, a must for weddings inauguration parties and performing at Carnegie Hall, but not exactly a necessity for everyday life.  Tails and tuxes are expensive garments -- figure $300 to $600 for average quality, and a lot more for the best designer names -- so most people figure they’re better rented at $50 to $100 a pop, then returned to the store.

It’s a busy market that has spawned thousands of independent retailers across the country, and recently has seen the formation of large chains, store confederations and multiple franchise locations.

One of the biggest, Gingiss Formalwear, has 212 locations in 34 states, and busily advertises franchise availability on the Internet.  Estimated capital needed for startup is $118,000 to $214,000 for a Gingiss store, not including a five-figure franchise fee.

The Dominellos don’t see themselves ever getting that big, but then again, Sal Sr. never contemplated more than a single store until his kids and new technology came along.  John was the first son to join his father, bringing with him ideas -- including computerization -- from his small-business major at Quinnipiac College.

"We now have both stores on line," John Dominello said.  "We bought a program for formalwear stores.  If a wedding party comes in even a year in advance, we can take all the measurements and the order is placed.  That’s all we have to do until the week of the wedding.  We’re actually able to have more time on the floor."

"When we had one store, it was easy for me to keep track of the inventory," Sal Sr. said.  "John’s ideas have worked.  Formalwear rentals have increased since John came into the business."

But it wasn’t until Sal Jr. graduated from Albertus Magnus with a degree in international business and a concentration in finance that the Modern Men’s Shop was able to grow and keep management all in the family.

And there’s been a lot to manage.  Two busy stores with another on the way has meant buying 250 tuxes at a clip, and keeping 1,500 pairs of pants in stock.  They need that much stock to handle hundreds of weddings every year, plus spring school dances and formal affairs at The Farmington Club and The Aqua Turf Club.

The Dominellos plan to expand the Meriden shop at 113 Broad St., building a 25-foot extension on the back to handle inventory for all three formalwear stores.  They also have a new van to ferry formals from one store to another.

Of course, Sal Dominello Sr. will drop by when he has a moment, keeping u pthe family ties that he and his sons hold so important.

"I chose to go down this path," Sal Jr. said.  "It’s fun for me, and it’s special in a few ways.  You’re dealing with happy people all the time, and for me, I’m working with family."

-Jim Zebora, Record Journal Staff

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