Jax Store For Men Ad – "The Man from Lorain"

Here’s a vintage ad for a well-known Lorain business that dates back to the 1950s. The ad for Jax Store for Men ran in the Lorain Journal on May 5, 1969 – 50 years ago this month.

I like the theme of the ad, with a profile of “The Man from Lorain” as a chap who collects classic blazers to keep him looking “his dashing best.”

It probably wasn’t the most appropriate marketing approach for a working-man town like Lorain, but men still needed to have a suit or sportcoat in the closet. So why not one from Jax?

Lorain was lucky to have so many fine men’s stores for decades. Besides Jax, there was Harry’s Men’s Wear, Sam Klein Co and Louis Cohn.

Although long-gone from Lorain, Jax is still around today in Lorain County. Today it is called Jax Store For Men & Women and is located in Olde Avon Village.

An article in the Plain Dealer from October 2008 points out the story behind the store's unusual name and a bit of the company history. It notes, "In the 1960s, Jax in Beverly Hills was THE place for starlets to shop. Even Marilyn Monroe bought her cotton dresses and capris from the now-defunct store, known best for its chic yet affordable offerings.

"The Jax boutique in Avon, formerly of Lorain, has also been around since the 1950s. The two stores aren't connected in any official manner, but they share the same snappy name and the concept of stylish, affordable clothes -- from party clothes to professional wear and sportswear -- for men and women.

"Owners Merle and Scott Beyers bought the store from Merle's dad, Art Lipsin, who opened the store in 1951 in south Lorain. They bought it from him in 1983 and moved it to Avon in 2005."