Page 4 June 29, 2017 TORRANCE TRIBUNE TerriAnn in Torrance Tailored To A ‘T’ in Torrance Story and Photos by TerriAnn Ferren Finely tailored clothes are beautiful, but not easily found off the rack. Men and women’s suits, expertly tailored and using exquisite fabric stand out among a sea of ordinary. I remember on one visit to my grandparents’ house, Grammie and Bumpa (my grandfather) noticed I didn’t have a crease in my trousers and insisted on remedying the problem right then. He carefully pressed in a seam and told me that any slack that didn’t have a seam just “wouldn’t do.” That was my first lesson from a tailor. My Bumpa, whom I am sure learned a thing or two from my Grammie, an expert seamstress, taught me about paying attention to detail. That lesson came to mind last week when I met (James Danny Babb), Daniel James, of Daniel James Custom Clothing--a tailor extraordinaire. Born in Greenville, South Carolina, Daniel is the son of fabric weavers. His parents met in the town factory mill where they worked for 10 cents an hour. They eloped, and later when Daniel was seven years old left the factory in 1951/1952--taking off from Greenville Airport via a prop engine DC-3, headed for a new life in Southern California where Daniel’s father got a job with Douglas Aircraft Company. Daniel told me, “My mom was very religious and we lived in North Redondo on Nelson Street. My sister, my mom and myself--we would walk to 167th and Hawthorne in Lawndale to the Pentecostal Church [Christian Heritage Church]. At this moment, since my sister [Jeri] just passed, I am the oldest member of the church…we walked Sunday, Sunday night, Tuesday prayer meeting, and Wednesday night--and a youth service for my sister on Friday nights.” Daniel said his family wasn’t rich, so being very industrious at a young age, he gathered the lawnmower, clippers and edger and went to work mowing lawns. He then said, “I thought…this is a lot of work! Then one day, I saw an ad in the paper about selling pop-up greeting cards that were very popular. I am fascinated with pop-ups, so I got 12, sold them and replaced it with 36. So I built a business. I had a greeting card business. I would get on my bike and ride from Lawndale to North Torrance one Saturday, South Torrance the next Saturday. The following week I would go to Hawthorne north, then I would go to Gardena east… I was 13, 14 years old and I made a lot of money and I had regular customers.” This enterprising young man was also a star in High School Junior Achievement, having the “Company of the Year” two years in a row for the entire United States. Daniel graduated from Lawndale High School’s first graduating class in 1963. “My first savings account was at Hawthorne Savings and Loan…my father was very precise that every child had to have a savings account and money had to go in it,” said Daniel. He also excelled at El Camino College, winning the award for the best display with McCullock Motors Corporation. Daniel was always working. He worked at Rancho Corner, Foods Co., and then was hired at May Company South Bay, which was the number seven store in the USA at the time. Starting out in the basement, working for Mr. Butterworth, Daniel organized all the irregular and imperfect clothing brilliantly. His eye for color, folding and organizing was a natural skill noticed by management immediately. He was moved to the first floor men’s furnishings and sportswear department, and began organizing and cleaning Daniel James showing a weaving machine still in use. Fine suit fabric from Amadeus. High collar (a la Coach Pat Riley). the department. In three to four weeks, his department skyrocketed to number one in sales! They carried 2,200 men’s suits on the floor at the time. From there, he moved to the young men’s department. Three to four weeks after working in the young men’s department, Daniel was moved to manage that very department downtown. Frankly, within three weeks, Daniel skyrocketed the sales at the May Company. Wow. Daniel worked in downtown Los Angeles helping May Company become a huge success, opening 18 new stores. “Every day the door would open at about 11 o’clock a.m. and I would hear Mr. David May himself walking from his limo into the entry and he would ask, ‘Who did this wall here?’-- and I would say, ‘I did, Mr. May,’ and he would say, ‘That is the best I have ever seen. Keep up the good work,’” said Daniel. Then Daniel told me about his displays with a sea of different-colored alpaca sweaters folded perfectly, rising to the sky and looking like a field of color. Daniel was a master at display, incorporating anything into his design that caught his eye. Considering the time and corporate hierarchy of the day, suffice it to say that Daniel ruffled a few corporate feather with his original, artistic, efficient displays. New styles were being developed and one manager, John Merton, who helped mentor Daniel, brought in a new line--a store within a store. The idea exploded and they instituted live models with innovative clothing in beautiful colors and styles--with flair. And then came the turtleneck craze. As time went on, Daniel left May Company for the S. Harris Fabrics Company. It was there that Daniel learned about fabric, textures, blends, what looked good, pressed well, etc. It was through this move that another opportunity arose. John Merton, Daniel’s mentor at May Company, was interested in opening his own store. While looking for a storefront and driving toward Century City one day, John and Daniel took a wrong turn off the freeway and spotted a little shopping center at the corner of Motor Avenue and the 10 Freeway, called the Cheviot Hills Mall. These two driven entrepreneurs, John and Daniel, opened up John Merton’s. They were very, very successful. Where did these two go next? Alex Hagen wanted them to open up their flagship store in Manhattan Beach. They moved, but things weren’t what they might have been. In their heyday, Daniel dressed the “who’s who” of Hollywood, the sports world, the music world, and yes, even the political world. He knew/ knows his fabric, texture, fit, and can tailor a shirt and suit to make you look better than you ever have. Their Manhattan Beach store was bought by a store in South Coast Plaza, but Daniel James continued to dress his clients. And now he conducts business by appointment either at his office or he will go to you. He will tailor men’s and women’s shirts, suits, etc. Daniel James lives and works in Torrance. Daniel told me about a magnificent tailor, Lou Myles from Canada, who passed away in 2015, who inspired him, along with Mr. Richard Guy of Beverly Hills, who exposed him to an even higher bar in clothing. As time went by, Daniel met the best tailors and was exposed to the very best fabric in the world. At one time, he decided to work his magic at Bullocks Wilshire, Palos Verdes. He was again a rip-roaring success and sold more clothing than had ever been sold in the men’s department. Daniel’s style is gold. He turned the Palos Verdes men’s store into the number one store in the chain. Nobody does it like Danny... “When people come to see me today, it is an educational process,” said Daniel. And he is correct. As I was speaking with Daniel, I noticed his “collar wall” where every collar style was displayed. The opposite wall contained sample books, and the feel of the fabric was unlike anything I have touched or felt in any store. Daniel not only knows fabric and style, but teaches you how to wear a piece of clothing. For example, he taught me how to tie a tie! He showed me what a “good” tie looks like, and how a properly tied tie looks fabulous. He tied a tie around my neck (first time ever for me) and it was stunningly done. This artist knows his field. Daniel James follows in the footsteps of his parents’ hard-working examples. They used to weave cloth for 10 cents an hour, and now their son expertly tailors fine fabric making clients look better than they can imagine. The knowledge and history of this artistic tailor are unsurpassed--and he lives in Torrance! After spending time with Daniel James, I pine for a custom blouse and a phenomenal suit. If you too yearn for the best-fitting garment you have ever owned, contact Mr. Daniel James, South Bay Finest Custom Clothing, where you too can be “fit to a T’ (or a jot or a tittle). Contact him at www.danieljamescustom. com, or call 310-791-8300. • Herald Publications will be Closed on Tuesday, July 4. Enjoy the day with your family and friends.
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