The sharp-dressed man
Christian Boehm champions the welldressed man.
“Suits are our armor. Every woman has the LBD,” he says of the little black dress. “Nothing gets more exciting than when you take a guy from off-the-rack to a custom suit.”
His mission as president Balani Custom Clothing is to give men sound advice when it comes to fashion. The Chicago company has a showroom in Houston on West Alabama, as well as showrooms in Los Angeles, Orlando, Chicago, and Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio.
The showroom features suits, sport coats, shirts, shoes and other essential accessories. Balani custom suits on average cost $1,599. Stylists, who take about 30 measurements for each custom suit, are on hand to help customers pick every detail of the suit, from the fabric to the buttons.
“Men really just want good advice and are super loyal when they get it,” he says.
A native of Toledo, Ohio, Boehm has been working in the men’s customclothing business for 25 years, though he initially planned to work as a stockbroker on Wall Street. (Think Gordon Gekko in his impeccable suits from the 1987 hit film “Wall Street.” )
Boehm even had the pedigree, graduating with degrees in finance and marketing from Ohio State University, but found he lacked the passion for that life, he said.
So Boehm went to work as a salesman for Tom James, a men’s custom-clothing company based in Nashville. He was a vice president there before joining Balani three years ago. He currently lives in Clear Lake with his wife, Kelli Boehm. They have three children.
Boehm still remembers his first custom suit — a 1991 classic with big shoulders and roomy pants.
Thankfully, he said, styles have evolved. “I’ve learned the beauty in simplicity.”