Our Story

David Clareburt started out his retail journey as a 17-year-old straight from school at Millar and Georgie’s, Palmerston North. It was a trade back then where retail was only open Monday through Friday. We don’t really want to reveal how old David is, but what we can say is that he has spent 40 years in the menswear and retail industry so he knows his stuff!

David moved to Wellington in 1984 and that’s when Man to Man Menswear got started.

Our first store was in the basement of the BNZ centre where we operated from for 16 years. Then we decided we needed to see some sunlight and moved above ground to Willis Street. We were actually one of the first retailers along the Willis Street main drag!

In 2008, Man to Man moved to its current site at 89 Victoria Street, a bright shop corner that has seen many a site, once even boasting a Hot Dog establishment!

Buying stock for our store has taken David all over the world. With Hugo Boss, David buys three seasons ahead which can be tricky! This is why we take our time selecting what we consider is best for our customers. The feel, look, durability of the garment is really important to us and we hope you enjoy our selection.

For those who don’t know, we have our smart casual wear located on the ground floor and to the left of the entrance we have a stairwell that leads to our suit lounge.

Three kids later, Ali, Amelia and Lewis and coming from a banking background in IT - Robyn started working in the business behind the shop counter. Then when the kids were old enough it became a full family affair with all the kids working in the shop too!

Our customers have grown up with us, and now our kids are bringing their friends into Man to Man. Even though the shop is older than most of them, we have clothing and price that suits them and their budget.

And that’s our story!