Hot Still Sizzles With Style After 93 Years

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Tony Stovall “suits up” Robert Jones, AT&T executive.
For more than nine decades, Hot Sam’s in downtown Detroit has maintained a reputation for offering the best and latest in men’s fashions. The store first opened on Brush St. near Gratiot Ave., before moving in 2004 to its present downtown site at 127 Monroe St. in the Compuware building.
The legendary Hot Sam’s remains downtown Detroit’s oldest men’s fashion store, and is believed to be the oldest store of its kind in Michigan. The store is said to have gotten its name after original owner, Sam Freedman, sold quality clothes at such a low, hot price, many customers jokingly said the fashionable clothing must be stolen. From this the name Hot Sam’s Quality Clothes was born.
Through the years, Hot Sam’s has stood the test of time as men from near and far have experienced the trendsetting styles carried by the store, including ties, dress shirts, hats, caps, pants, overcoats, and European-designed suits. Hot Sam’s long list of customers has included church goers, pastors, doctors, judges, attorneys, politicians, auto plant workers, pro athletes, musicians and everyday men, all of whom were seeking the best in fashionable clothing and accessories.
According to Tony Stovall, co-owner, there’s no secret as to why the store has been successful for so long. He points to a loyal customer base, word-of-mouth, excellent service and stylish clothes.
“We go back to the old-school where the customer is king,” said Stovall. “Therefore, we pride ourselves in giving top-notch customer service. We are also proud of our in-house tailoring shop operated by Cena, who has been with us for about 20 years. She’s the best tailor in the business.”
Few people know the history and dynamics of Hot Sam’s, or the downtown business climate better than Stovall. He has been a main fixture at the store for 40 years. Put another way, Stovall started at Hot Sam’s the same year (1974) Coleman A. Young was sworn in as Detroit’s first Black mayor.
“When I started here, I was young and brash, but I had courage and learned how to sell,” recalled Stovall. “I learned so much and was so successful at selling that every time I told the owners that I was leaving, they would offer me a raise to stay.”
In 1994, Stovall teamed with Cliff G. Green to create a formable business partnership to buy Hot Sam’s. Thus, their purchase of Hot Sam’s made the men owners of the largest African-American men’s fashion store in the region.
Stovall, a native Detroiter, always wanted to be an entrepreneur. In his senior year at Southeastern High School, he was voted Best Dressed Senior. His flair for fashions prompted him to apply for a job at Hot Sam’s, after attending Detroit Institute of Technology where he studied electrical engineering. After he was hired, Stovall quickly elevated to become the store’s No. 1 salesman, producer and buyer.
Green, who is also a native Detroiter, graduated from Northeastern High School, where he learned the sewing, tailoring and fashion designing. Like Stovall, Green was an impeccable dresser in high school. He ultimately went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business with a minor in human resources from the University of Detroit. He soon began working at J.L. Hudson’s, which at the time, was one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious department stores. During his six-year stint at Hudson’s, Green excelled in such positions as department manager, buyer and assistant personnel director.
While Stovall and Green admit there have been ups and downs since buying the legendary store, they agree that there have been far more ups. Both men are thankful for the store’s clientele.
“We appreciate all of the customers that have patronized Hot Sam’s over the years,” said Green. “We strive every day to be the place of choice for customers to shop when in search of the best in men’s clothing and accessories.”
As the landscape of downtown continues to evolve with new businesses opening and more companies bringing employees downtown, Stovall is excited by what he sees.
“I remember how exciting it was for people to come downtown and shop many years ago,” said Stovall, who also is president of the Detroit Black Chamber of Commerce, whose mission is to empower the growth and sustainability of Black-owned businesses in the region. “There were Black people, White people, all shopping together at the many stores on every street downtown. However, thanks to people like Dan Gilbert, Peter Karmanos, Mike Illitch and others who have invested in downtown, I believe downtown is on its way back to those days of excitement. I know Hot Sam’s will be here, because our motto is, ‘We never left…we never will.’”
Green agrees: “As an African-American owned store, we are proud to be a part of the growing downtown business community. We want to continue to succeed in this because we are the next level in men’s fashions. Hot Sam’s is here for the long run.”
The success of Hot Sam’s goes far beyond just selling fashionable clothes. Both men said that it’s important to reach out to help empower the community in any way possible.
“I love to talk with young people in the community” said Stovall. “I love telling them to continue to dream because they can be anything they want to be if they really put their minds to it. I always encourage African-American males, in particular, to keep on growing, keep trying and never give up.”

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