For more than 105 years, Hammer & Lewis Clothiers has existed in an indefinable place in culture and time. Its two San Jose locations offer Cary Grant-worthy suits, the shiniest of dress shoes, classic flannel Pendletons and jackets flamboyant enough for Burning Man celebrants. It is de rigueur for zoot-suited pachucos and aficionados of fine headwear and can count ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons among its sharp-dressed men.
“We have pretty much every category covered,” owner Irving Velez told San José Spotlight. “We have clothing that’s made for us and things you can’t find anywhere else. We’ll do special orders. Whatever it takes to keep everybody happy.”
Founded in 1920 by Sig Hammer and Nathaniel Lewis, the first location was at 28 North Market St. According to Velez, both men were salesmen by trade and decided to join forces in their own venture after Lewis received a severe dressing-down by his employer. Lewis quit his job, and Hammer provided the capital.
“Hammer kept on selling on the road,” Velez said. “One day at the store, he saw the reason Lewis had gotten yelled at — he wasn’t a good salesman. So Hammer started working in the store, and Lewis just helped out.”
The partnership continued until Lewis’ death in the 1950s. Velez started working at the store in 1966, buying it 10 years later after Hammer suffered a debilitating stroke. He promised Hammer he could still come to the store whenever he wanted, shuttling his former employer back and forth from his home, sometimes daily, until his death…