Anthony and Pat Manno run the 55-year-old family business.
Courtesy | Anthony Manno

College President Larry Arnn first met alumnus Anthony ’14 and his father Pat Manno at a Hillsdale open house event. Today, Anthony and Pat co-own luxury clothing company Manno Clothing in Plymouth, Michigan, and Arnn is one of their customers. 

“He’s been a great client, and we love working for him,” Pat Manno said. “He’s very, very traditional and classic, nothing fancy. Just very traditional, timeless outfits, a suit he should wear for at least 10 years because nothing changes in men’s clothing very often. So classic. He likes British clothing more than Italian.”

In 1971, Sicilian immigrant couple Leonardo and Lilla Manno opened a tailoring and clothing shop in Dearborn, Michigan. The company grew to include a wide selection of clothing options. The Mannos passed the business to their son Pat, who now co-owns it with his son Anthony Manno. In June 2024, the store moved to Plymouth, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Now celebrating its 55th anniversary, Manno Clothing offers custom suits, tailoring, and a selection of clothing for men and women.

“We ask our clientele to buy a better garment. I want you to buy a better garment,” Anthony Manno said. “Have less, but have better. That’s our philosophy, and that was my grandparents’ philosophy. Give people something that is going to last and stand the time.”

Anthony Manno joined the family business eight years ago after graduating from Hillsdale, a varsity basketball player with degrees in finance and Spanish. After graduation, he worked in the student affairs office before deciding to help preserve the family business.

“It’s very hard working in a family business and learning how to run a business and run it well, create a team, create a culture, and operate in an industry that is very niche and very luxury,” Anthony Manno said. “But, oh my gosh, it’s one of the most pivotal, best decisions I made.”

Anthony Manno said the business’ three pillars are quality garments, workmanship, and hospitality. The majority of garments are made in Italy, Canada, or the United States, and, according to Pat Manno, are meant to last 10-12 years. When customers walk in, they can see the team of four tailors at work altering clothing items.

Anthony Manno said the team seeks to make customers feel at home when they come to Manno Clothing.

“The way that we treat you is like how my grandparents treated people, making them feel at home, at ease. This is a foreign environment for most people,” Anthony Manno said. “We ask, ‘How can I guide you through this process in a way that’s enjoyable? How do I make you feel like you’re at home and you’re in my living room?’ Transaction is a part of it, but it is not the end goal. The end goal is partnership. It’s a relationship. That’s what it’s all about.”

Manno Clothing offers custom suits, tuxedos, sport coats, trousers, dinner jackets, shirts, and outerwear for men and custom jackets and trousers for women.

“We tell people you pay more for custom because you get more,” Pat Manno said. “Over the course of 10 years, it might cost you $50 more a year to buy some of the best fabric in the world,” Pat Manno said. “We take it very seriously, because your appearance is actually your livelihood.”

According to the Oct. 27, 2022 edition of The Collegian, Matt Damon and several other actors wore Manno clothing in the 2021 HBO Max Film “No Sudden Move.”

Pat Manno said he attributes the business’ ongoing success to Anthony’s work to bring in more modern styles and moving the business to a larger flagship store in Plymouth. He said he plans to have his son take over the business. 

“I tell you, I’ve been revitalized since we opened up the new store,” Pat Manno said. “It’s exciting to come to work. I’ve been doing this for 45 years, and even though I’m retired, I still come in every day because I love the business, and if it wasn’t for my son being here, this store wouldn’t exist today.”

Professor of Politics Ronald Pestritto said he has supported Manno Clothing as he shares a similar background and approach to clothing. 

“I grew up in an extended family of Sicilian immigrants, and one of my uncles ran a tailor shop – so even though we were of modest means, each of us always had a decent suit that was tailored to fit properly,” Pestritto said. “That’s a habit I’ve carried through into my adult life —wearing any old thing off the rack doesn’t feel or look right. But finding a shop that can expertly put a suit together has been almost impossible, until I found Manno’s.” 

Associate Vice President of Admissions Zachary Miller ’11 said he and Anthony Manno were classmates at Hillsdale and later worked as colleagues at the college. Now, Miller is one of Manno’s customers.  

“I had heard about his family business for a while, and when I was in need of a new suit, I visited him when the store was in Dearborn. It was such a fun experience. The clothing was of the highest quality, but the personal service of helping me understand the finer points of clothing was what really stood out. We must have been there for three or four hours,” Miller said. “I’ve been back for other needs and have enjoyed learning about their story and processes just as much as getting the clothing. They are just excellent people and their story is so cool.”

Pat Manno said the store’s clientele is “second to none.” 

“When you come here, we build relationships, and it’s so important. It’s not just selling clothes, it’s building relationships with people I’ve known for three generations,” Pat Manno said. “We’ve had fathers that would buy a suit for their son, and he would, in turn, buy a suit for his son, and someday the little munchkin buys the suit for the grandfather. So that can get very emotional. That’s kind of special. Those are the things we experience here.”