Why African American Ownership in Fashion Matters
CJ Custom Clothiers stands as a testament to what African American entrepreneurship looks like at the highest level of the fashion industry.
What It Means to Build Something That Lasts
In 1994, Clarence "CJ" Jones opened CJ Custom Clothiers in Memphis, Tennessee. Thirty years later, he has dressed Steve Harvey, Penny Hardaway, D.L. Hughley, and hundreds of NFL and NBA athletes. He has been recognized by Goldman Sachs as a 10,000 Small Businesses alumni. He has been featured in Sports Illustrated, the Memphis Commercial Appeal, CEO Weekly, New York Weekly, and Atlanta Wire.
He did all of this as an African American entrepreneur in the South — in an industry that has historically excluded people who look like him.
The Meaning Behind the Mission
"I'm not just making suits," CJ says. "I'm showing what's possible. Every client I dress, every athlete who walks across that draft stage in one of my suits — that's a statement about what Black excellence looks like."
CJ Custom Clothiers is the only African American-owned company to dress players at both the NBA and NFL Drafts. That's not a marketing line. That's history.
Why Representation in Fashion Matters
The fashion industry has long had a diversity problem. Luxury menswear, in particular, has been dominated by European houses that were not built with African American clients in mind. The fabrics, the cuts, the aesthetics — historically designed for bodies and sensibilities that don't represent everyone.
CJ built something different. His work is informed by 30 years of dressing African American men — understanding their bodies, their occasions, their stories. When a young athlete comes to CJ before the draft, they're not just getting a suit. They're getting someone who understands what that moment means.
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
In 2025, CJ was selected as a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses alumni. The program supports entrepreneurs with meaningful economic impact — people who are building businesses that employ others and contribute to their communities.
CJ Custom Clothiers has been doing exactly that for three decades. The Goldman Sachs recognition confirmed what Memphis already knew.
The Legacy Being Built
Three thousand clients. Thirty years. Counting.
CJ doesn't talk much about legacy — he's too focused on the next client, the next suit, the next moment. But the legacy is being built stitch by stitch. Every draft pick who walks across that stage. Every executive who closes the deal. Every groom who photographs perfectly on his wedding day.
When you wear a CJ suit, you're wearing a piece of that history. And you're helping write what comes next.
Book Your Consultation
Custom suits starting at $1,500. Custom shirts starting at $175. In-person consultations in Memphis and Hernando, Mississippi, or virtually from anywhere in the world. CJ comes to you.
Call (901) 378-8273 or book online at cj-custom-clothiers.vercel.app.
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Custom suits starting at $1,500
Hand-delivered. Custom shirts from $175.
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