At 33,000 square feet, it’s pretty big.
And with its new renovation, it’s more modern than ever.
But at its heart, Mitchells of Westport is still a community center — a home away from home.
That’s never more true than on Saturday mornings. The coffee is on. The bagels are fresh. And there, in a comfy corner, you’re apt to find members of the extended Mitchell family. They greet old friends, meet new (soon-to-be-old) friends, and somehow manage to turn a high-end men’s and women’s specialty retailer into the 2018 version of a country store.
The Mitchell family
This year, Mitchells celebrates its 60th anniversary.
And this Saturday (September 22), in honor of its new look, the store is hosting a townwide party. They invite everyone to stop by, enjoy the new look, have coffee and bagels and more.
And if you remember their original location*, they’d love to hear your stories.
*It was a tiny shop, located at the corner of Post Road East and North Compo Road — where People’s United Bank is now.
My congratulations to Bill (my old high school buddy) , Jack, and the entire Mitchell family!
I remember shopping at the original location when we moved to Westport in 1959…still a great store with terrific service…
I had just moved from Mayfield KY (rural KY) and had shown up at Staples in blue jeans a white T-shirt and loafers with White Socks. Somebody mentioned that I might want to pay a visit to Mitchell’s for a wardrobe make over.
I met Billy Mitchell at football practice at old Bedford Jr High ( Staples was so new they hadn’t finished the football field) and Billy directed me to his parents store.
I became more respectable with my oxford cloth shirt, crew neck sweater, desert boots and chinos.
My husband and I were infrequent and mostly “on sale” customers. We were ALWAYS greeted with the same courtesy as their more regular customers were.
Yes, I certainly do remember the original store! We were all so pleased and excited. It was a big change and a big gamble but all their many Westport friends (even back then) rallied around with support, encouragement and purchases! My family lived near them down by Compo Beach and so we had already survived many hurricanes together as neighbors.
My earliest memory of shopping for clothes anywhere was at Ed Mitchells, no doubt from opening day in 1958, when my mother would take me i to invest in industrial quantities of grey flannel and herringbone tweed. And if I recall correctly, Jack was a counselor/coach at Paul Lane and Abby Loeffler’s All Sports Day Camp, and used to pick us up in his early 50’s woodie station wagon. Great memories.
The old Ed Mitchell store had one of the only elevators in town. We would get on top of the elevator and there was a master control. Only 3 floors so we gremlins fooled with some people!
That was the second store, in Colonial Green!
I think the first store was on corner of North Compo. And I think that is where Walt Melillo worked when he was not teaching (at the best of the seven? elementary schools).
Correct on both counts!
Back in my Staples days in the 70’s Mitchells was my go-to destination for my clothes. Matt used to help me add to my Lacoste shirt collection. They also gave this teenager his first charge account! Great store and exemplary service!
Mitchell’s was where I bought my first blue blazer with my father, Sam, in the early 1960’s. My memory is walking into the one aisle store, clothes on both sides on racks up and down, and feeling the fabric hanging from both sides – discovering what had “good hand” as instructed by my father. I was short by age and stature and viewed everything from a dramatic view from below. This was no exception and I was engulfed by fine fabric.
Emerging from all of this was Mr Mitchell with a broad smile and welcoming handshake which was returned in kind with customary firmness. The scent of Mr & Mrs Mitchell’s home-brewed coffee hit me. Though I was a decade away from tasting this, the aroma was familiar and welcoming. My father poured a cup as I was introduced to Mrs Mitchell. That day I added 2 new friends to my little world. And this, friends, was my intro to the Mitchell family. An experience that I have carried into every clothing store since, knowing that the bar had been set so very high.
Big Congratulations to Todd & Andy, No surprise you two were always the Best Dressed & a little ahead of the style-curve boys in high school, Enjoy!
Susan Farley
I worked part-time for Mitchell’s about 25 years ago. The one thing they taught all their employees was Customer Relations. That was the most important thing to them and that’s why they have such a great following. They also treated their staff well.
The Mitchell family is the fabric of Westport, “once a customer, always a friend.” Congratulations to 60-years of making our community what it is. Ed and Norma raised a fine, fine family.
Oh, congratulations to the Mitchell family! 60 years is s big deal. I must have gone to the North Compo store but remember more clearly going with my parents to the Colonial Green store often. As artists watching their expenses, they also, as mentioned above, usually shopped the sales, but Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell kept Dad (Hardie Gramatky, watercolor artist and Little Toot author) looking fabulous for his talks all over the country). I especially remember one dark green suede blazer. And I remember Makanah/Nancy’s folks, Bob & Liz Dunham, so well. It’s true that *everyone* shopped at Mitchells and made good friends there! Always a warm, personal welcome. I send love to Jack and Bill, friends at Staples.
Years ago when I needed to have a new suit for my bar mitzvah my mother, formerly a children’s ware buyer in NYC, said she had a friend who’d recently opened a store downtown. Off my family went, including my grandmother who was born in the 1800s, to the “new” Ed Mitchells. Mr. and Mrs MItchell gave the adults coffee while Ed Mitchell fitted me for my first suit ever.
Years later, as an adult I needed a new white shirt for a business meeting and stopped off at the store about 8 in the morning only to find the doors still locked. I returned to my car and was pulling away when someone unlocked the door and came sprinting over to me. “Hi” he said, “what can I help you with?”
I explained I had to catch a plane and could not come back later. “No problem” he said, “We can open for you”.
Recently I took my daughter out to shop for shoes to wear at her wedding. Was there any choice about where to go for that perfect pair? Of course, there on the sales floor was one of the Mitchells who came over to say hi and see that all was right.
Four generations of my family being helped by three generations of The Wonderful Mitchell clan. They are more than a store, they are a right of passage and a true Westport institution.