Des Plains Times: Making Obama look good local clothier's strong suit

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/desplaines/news/1135605,dp-hartsobama-082908-s1.article

Photo of Ruby Sims at link above.

August 29, 2008

By ANDREW SCHNEIDER [e-mail]

Des Plaines knows what best suits Barack Obama, and it's the suit he was wearing Aug. 28 as he delivered a historic speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

That suit was made by union workers at the Des Plaines Hart Schaffner Marx facility, 1700 E. Touhy Ave. They're represented by UNITE HERE, a national union for workers in the needle and textile trades.

Ruby Sims, president of the local chapter and an employee at the Des Plaines facility, had her hands on nearly every part of the suit. She watched Thursday with about 300 other members at the union hall as Obama mounted the stage.

"The shop has just been going crazy," Sims said Friday. "We made a part of this history. Everybody was saying, 'Look at how good he looks in that suit.' "

It's not the first time Obama's bought clothing from the company -- he even made a visit to a facility in Missouri in May to stress the importance of quality jobs.

And when it came time to pick out clothes for the history-making evening, Obama looked for a union-made suit from Hart Schaffner Marx, said Joe Costigan, treasurer for the Chicago and Midwest Region of the union.

"He's getting rave reviews on the plant floor and he's also the talk of the country," said Costigan. "That was a knockout suit."

Sims said she and plant workers are proud of playing a part in Obama's campaign. Nearly 150 of the facility's 500 workers had a hand in making that suit.

"The speech was fantastic," said Sims. "He was dressed to the part. We made him look fabulous."

Obama could not be reached for comment Friday.

http://www.unitehere.org/

[GarbagemanLB]

1. Moved from Des Plaines 10 years ago to live in Oregon. Nice town.

[Tansy_Gold]

7. Moved away 40 years ago

Grew up in Arlington Heights; grandparents, aunt & uncle lived in Des Plaines. Then-and-now BF's dad was manager at Baskin's HSM store at Randhurst. Funny how you remember things. . . .


:thumbsup:

[grannie4peace]

2. that's the stuff i like about him -innovation

:):):):):patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

[Ashy Larry]

3. Wonder what McCain will be wearing for his speech.

Probably something from a sweat shop staffed by Sarah Palin's 37 children...and million dollar shoes.

[blondeatlast]

4. Ruby, you and your brothers and sisters did indeed make our President look fabulous! Thank you.

My dad ALWAYS wore HSM; now I think I know why. He was white collar, but very, very pro-union.

[BeyondGeography]

5. Great story

K&R

[ClarkUSA]

6. Great story. Obama not only talks the talk but he walks the walk.

Wonder what Biden wears? Or for that matter, the entire Democratic Congress?

Maybe Obama can start a trend... he did look terrific on Thursday night.

[calmblueocean]

8. Makes you wonder where McCain's suits were made.

It'd be interesting if someone could find out.

[starroute]

9. Wow, is there really still a Hart, Schaffner, and Marx?

That's a name I remember from my childhood -- and my early childhood at that. I used to hear it on radio ads and wasn't quite sure what it was but thought it sounded old-timey and romantic. But I figured they'd vanished 40 years ago or more, like so many things.

It sounds like they've got an impressive (and labor-friendly!) history, though.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,757657,00.html

Apr. 19, 1937

Celebrated in Chicago last week was the 50th anniversary of the best-known name in men's clothing—Hart Schaffner & Marx. Starting with a banquet, ending with a theatre party, the celebration provided a happy opportunity for more than 200 big retailers from all sections to mix fun with business, for the occasion coincided with the opening of the buying season for autumn lines. Much was the talk of rising prices in both woolen goods (up 33%) and tailored product (up 10% to 15%). Serious were the discussions of trends in colors (gayer) and styles (toward draped models). Hart Schaffner & Marx's Golden Jubilee was pushed for its full promotional value but it also had genuine historical interest.

The old clothing company is credited with having been the first in the trade to go in for national advertising (1897), first to adopt an "all-wool" policy (1900), first to abolish contract homework (1910), first to sign a collective bargaining agreement (1911), first with the camel's hair coat (1912), first to guarantee color-fastness (1915). Stressed particularly last week was the company's 26 years of industrial peace since it started to deal with Sidney Hillman's Amalgamated Clothing Workers, potent supporter of John L. Lewis's C. I. O. Laborite Hillman, who got his start as an agitating cutter in the Hart Schaffner & Marx shops in Chicago, attended the Jubilee banquet, was snapped exchanging toasts with Hart Schaffner & Marx's President Mark Winfield Cresap.

"He was a rotten cutter," chuckles President Cresap.

[FrenchieCat]

10. He looked Phenomenal....

I have been watching his speech every night before I go to bed since Thursday. My way to feel fired up and ready to go!