5 Minutes with…Glen Jameson of Statement Menswear
What started with an impromptu modelling gig has blossomed into a centre of sartorial excellence in the heart of Portadown – so good that it even made the head honcho at Remus Uomo stand up and pay attention.
At the helm of the suit-fitting and boot-lacing enterprise known as Statement Menswear is enigmatic entrepreneur, master of marketing and ‘Egghead’, Glen Jameson.
Named aptly, making a ‘statement’ is exactly what Glen and his company set out to do.
Armagh I sat down with Glen to find out a little about how the business came to be and – fortunately for us – there is nothing shy and retiring about this self-confessed raconteur.
Why did you choose to open Statement Menswear?
I was genuinely so sick of seeing the same menswear clothing everywhere I went. My sister was creating a spread for a wedding magazine and it was their first time doing a full bridal section. The male groom model pulled out the day before and my sister needed someone to take his place so I agreed to help her out. I went to the set and tried the suit on and it was awful! I could have fit my two legs in the one trouser leg and you couldn’t see my hands it was that poorly fitted but it’s all they had.
Taking every bad experience I’ve ever had, from the modelling shoot to all the groomsmen duties I have been fortunate to be apart of over the years, I sat on the idea for two years before finally deciding to give it a go.
I started off in September 2012, when social media was really starting to grow, and customers were starting to come in with quirky ideas they had seen on Facebook and Pinterest and that’s what they wanted. I went and got fitted suits and waistcoats made which where completely different to what you would get anywhere else at the time because I wanted to be different. I didn’t just want to be just another groomswear store.
What are you most proud of in your career to date?
When people can look at a person and automatically know that we dressed them. It’s the best feeling knowing we’re doing something different and being recognised for it.
A really proud moment has got to be the story of how we started with Remus Uomo. It was a brand we ignored for years because a lot of other shops in the area sold it and we wanted to be different to the others. Until we dressed the groom’s party and a number of guests for a wedding in Castle Leslie where The Head of Remus, Mr Finlay, attended. He spoke to three different people at that wedding who where all dressed by us and he said he needed to work with us after constantly getting our name thrown in his face.
The next day, a rep contacted us and told us the story and we agreed to meet. We went down to Remus Uomo HQ in Carrickfergus and picked out 37 items. No other shop in the country, or their own Remus stores, had picked what we picked as our vision was completely different to everyone else’s; we wanted to be vibrant and take a different direction.
What has been the biggest challenge in your job?
Starting out and getting people onboard with my idea and vision. Before this, I worked in construction and had no clue about menswear, so everyday is a learning day and in the beginning you’re so green to everything.
What is the most helpful advice that you have been given?
Follow your gut – it never lies to you.
And the best advice I could give to anyone looking to start a business is get a really good accountant straight away. You might think you’re doing well but they’ll soon tell you otherwise.
If you could choose anything else to do, what would it be?
I love marketing. I actually find it easier to do it for other people than myself. I do all the social media for Statement and find it so easy because I can just envision a story board for what I know will work and people want to see. I sell the product and have fun with it and that’s the easier part of marketing but it works.
What do you think your best quality is?
Probably the ability to get along with everyone. You could put me in a room with anyone and I could instantly find something to talk to them about.
I also have a vision straight away for dressing people. I could dress someone in a £600 suit then a £200 suit and will always choose honesty over profit because if someone is dressed good, it makes me look good. Honesty is the best policy and it’s why we have repeat customers.
Name three things that you like doing outside of work…
Going on holidays with the kids is the best thing in the world. We have had the great fortune to travel to some incredible places recently like Bali and Thailand and I love being able to show them the world and have the craic.
Watching the Six Nations with a pint of stout is just me – best time of the year.
I’ll be honest, I am obsessed with clothes, I’m a clothes head. I love going to Italy and people watching because they do fashion so simply maintained and it works so well.
Tell us about a secret skill that we don’t know you have.
I’m handy at a pub quiz. I went on Eggheads, and was hungover from the night before and still won. So I would say exceptional general knowledge is a skill I have. I’ve also a good mind’s eye, if you came in and showed me a set of bridesmaid dresses, I would be able to match them to groomsmen suits straight away.
What is your most prized possession?
Father’s Day cards from my kids.
What is your favourite food?
I’m a steak man through and through and my favourite cocktail is an Apricot Cow.
What is your favourite book?
I prefer fact over fiction; I’d rather read and learn. Autobiographies are a big read for me too but they have to be an interesting person to fascinate me. Oliver Reed ‘Evil Spirits’ is one of the best books I have ever read, it is phenomenal.
What are you currently watching?
TV wise, my favourite show is Shogun on FX. A beautifully shot show about samurai, and really popular too; it won lots of awards at the Emmys.
If you were to watch a band/singer live, who would it be?
Stone Roses but a dream concert would be to see Coldplay play The Sphere in Las Vegas.
Dead or alive, who would you most want to meet and why?
Jesus, the man himself, to see what it’s all about. I’d love to have dressed Elvis back in his good days and have a drink with Marilyn Monroe because she is such an under-appreciated woman – my daughter is named after her.