Bill’s Toggery has served the well dressed Minnesotan man for 90 years. They have had a fellow named William Wermerskirchen working behind their counter for just as long. Bill’s Toggery is currently owned by the third of the Williams, who goes by Billy; the fourth William is now six years old.
The men’s clothier has a lot of history behind it. Their location in downtown Shakopee was once the bank where Charles Lindbergh borrowed the money to buy his first airplane. (His father was on the bank’s board of directors.) The bank’s old safe is still at Bill’s Toggery, where it serves as the state’s safest dressing room.
Bill’s is something of a relic itself – albeit in the most welcome way possible. Very few remaining men’s clothiers have a full-time tailor on staff, who will make any alterations a suit requires to fit like it was custom made. Once they have your measurements on file, ordering a new suit from Bill’s is as easy as making a phone call. Bill’s can provide the tailcoat and gloves you would need for a white tie event, but also the Hawaiian shirts and jeans which the most fashionable among us wear to barbecues.
Billy runs the same store his grandfather took a big gamble founding during the Great Depression. Every business owner takes great pride in what they do, but few treat their customers with the same care as they would a family heirloom.
“I don’t mean to disrespect the big chain stores,” said Billy, “but they just can’t tailor their business to their customers like we can. We understand how clothes are meant to look on a man. We dress men of all sizes from 36 short to 60 extra long, we make sure every one of them gets the right fit, and if you find something on our rack it’s only because I would wear it myself.
“Dress clothing is a large part of our business. Bill’s has always been here for the man who wants to make the right impression on his own clients, or wants to at least try to look deserving of his wife-to-be on his wedding day. We’ll dress his groomsmen in fine matching suits as well.
“But we really do dress men for all occasions. We carry stylish yet comfortable jeans by 34 Heritage, SoCal inspired casual wear by johnnie-O and TravisMathew, refined sportswear by Peter Millar, and a great selection of shoes by Johnston & Murphy. We’ve also started offering running shoes by On, a Swiss company that has mastered the fusion of style, comfort and long-lasting durability. You’ll be surprised by how much greater quality you can enjoy when you shop the right brands.
“The pandemic might have hurt business a little bit, but surprisingly enough the internet hasn’t. Fact is, men like to look good in their clothes. When someone orders a suit online and it looks terrible on him – which it always does – he’s going to come to us to have it fixed.
“Bill’s has also embraced the digital age by offering online sales. We now do live sales on Facebook and our app, in which we present our newest products and answer any questions our customers might have about them. It’s like having your own clothier right in your pocket. My grandfather never would have guessed that our customers would one day carry Bill’s Toggery around with them.”
There is a lot to be said in favor of supporting a family business as old and unique as Bill’s Toggery. Yet at the end of the day, being the best dressed man wherever you go is the only reason you need to shop there.
Bill’s Toggery is located at 138 Lewis Street South in downtown Shakopee. They are open Monday through Saturday as well as by special appointment. You may learn more about the local men’s clothier at billstoggery.com.
