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Updated March 15th, 2007
Tailored to Perfection: Johnathan Behr
By CHRISTINA HAMLETT
LCF Outlook
 As a teenager excitedly poring
over the pages of GQ, Johnathan
Behr embraced the adage that
“clothes make the man.”
“There were designers like Georgio Armani and Ralph Lauren
who really inspired me to want to
pursue design as a professional
career,” Behr relates. “The difference,
though, is that — in their fullpage
ads — their objective was to
design things for the masses. I wanted
to take my expertise and tailor
clothes for individuals I’d actually
get to meet in person.”
Since 1987, Behr’s approach to
his craft has been to visit clients on
their own turf, assess the components
of their current wardrobes,
and, from there, design custom
suits, shirts, slacks, formalwear and
vests in a diverse range of textures,
styles and colors compatible with
the wearer’s needs and lifestyle. For
men who don’t enjoy shopping or
who aren’t able to buy items straight
off the rack, Behr’s in-home consultations
are a level of personal service
they soon discover they can’t live without.
“If they already have a suit
they really like but want one in
another fabric for different seasons,
I can do that for them as
well,” Behr says. In addition,
Behr keeps his custom patterns
and measurements on file, a practice
that has earned him plenty of
repeat business throughout
Southern California and San
Francisco.
His celebrity clients include
Henry Winkler, Frankie Avalon,
Hal Linden, Mick Fleetwood of
Fleetwood Mac, and KNBC
weatherman Fritz Coleman.
Behr’s creations have even found
their way to the silver screen;
John Cusack’s wardrobe in “Con-
Air” was courtesy of Behr’s talents.
He breathes a sigh of relief
when asked whether the concept
of “Casual Friday” is a trend
that’s on its way out.
“Fortunately, the pendulum of
good taste is starting to swing
back to a more traditional look,
especially in the corporate world.
When the ‘business casual’ look
began, people were showing up at
work in wrinkled cotton polo shirts
and jeans and just weren’t distinguishing
themselves as professionals.
Today, even though they’re not
necessarily wearing suits every
day, they’re buying nice dress
slacks, custom shirts and maybe a
sport coat to complete the ensemble.”
Younger men, he points out,
are coming to realize they need to
have at least one or two good suits
in their closets to wear to special
events, job interviews and workplace
presentations. “It’s exciting
for me to be getting orders from
guys in their 20s and 30s who want
to look sharp and confident for any
occasion.”
Behr reveals with pride that he
designs all of his own clothes and
favors the classic Saville Row look
that originated in London. “It’s
timeless, stays in style, and is the
look that I recommend the most
often to my clients.”
His favorite outfit in his closet?
“There are so many – where do I
start? At this time of year, I’d have
to say it’s a single-breasted, peak
lapel, two-button grey plaid suit.
The peak lapel makes it especially
unique because it’s mostly seen on
double-breasted suits. It’s very elegant,
very British, and when people
see a picture of it on my website,
they call and tell me they want to
have one just like it.”
For more information, visit www.johnathanbehr.com or call
(888) 957-8487 or (626) 844-4360. |
