It’s the newest edition of Jews of Philly Fashion, introducing you to the Chosen few who dress our city. They might mix wool and linen, but they’ve got some strong opinions on mixing stripes with florals. In this space, we’ll talk to designers, sellers, buyers, influencers, models and more. This week, we spoke to Scott Savett.
Scott Savett, 39, started his business out of two desires. The first, to run his own business; the second, to once, just once, find well-fitting, athletic apparel for men of his stature, i.e., 5-foot-8 inches and below.
Sometimes, as Savett knows, to do something right, you have to do it yourself. Savett started ATK Apparel, an online retailer to those previously mentioned specifications, a few years ago and hasn’t looked back.
What is your favorite piece of clothing?
My favorite piece of clothing is a pair of ATK Apparel shorts with zipper pockets. The comfort is awesome, and I never lose things falling out of my pockets like I do with other pairs of shorts.
What’s the hardest piece of clothing to find correctly tailored for men under 5-foot-8?
Athletic pants are probably the most difficult. The problem is these are mass produced, and the sizes generally come in just small, medium and large with the sizes corresponding with your waist size. When you buy nice pants or even casual ones you usually have the opportunity to get a waist size and an inseam size. For example, 34-by-32 jeans.
I’ve found that the inseam lengths of most athletic pants are generally made to be 32 inches, which is way too long for anyone 5-foot-8 and under.
What’s something you can’t believe you used to wear?
All my pants used to be way too baggy. They just looked bad.
What’s your go-to High Holidays outfit?
My go-to High Holidays outfit is a dark blue patterned suit. I like to wear it with a light blue shirt and a tie with a different shade of blue.
Is there a current fashion trend that you detest?
Yes, I used to wear my pants too baggy but I really dislike tight pants for men. This trend was worse a few years ago than it is now, but you still see too much of it. For starters, clothes should be comfortable. Secondly, it doesn’t look good on most guys. Of course, there are exceptions.
What would you be doing if you weren’t designing clothes?
Possibly playing poker or taking sports gambling more seriously. I’m pretty good at both and if you work at it, study and take it seriously, there is a real opportunity to make a career out of it.
What are you looking forward to this summer?
I visited my son at his overnight camp in Maine, which was the same camp that I attended. It was awesome seeing him enjoying the same activities that I enjoyed 30 years ago.
Will the Phillies make the playoffs?
If you force me to answer this question, I would have to say they won’t make the playoffs. But — depending on the odds that you gave me — it might be a smart bet to put money on them making it. According to a few stat-oriented websites that I just looked up, they have an 18% and 11% chance to make the playoffs. This is way too pessimistic. If I was able to get 5:1 odds or even better to make the playoffs, it would be worth a play. If you look at the Phillies lineup, they have clearly underproduced all year. There is a chance that something clicks in the last month and a half of the season.
What item of clothing should more people be wearing?
People should wear more athletic shorts. They are the most comfortable item of clothing out there, and people should be comfortable.
What person’s style do you admire?
My mother has a great sense of style. Whether wearing something casual, business-oriented or elegant, she always looks great.
What talent would you most like to have?
This is going to sound silly, but I wish I was handy. I admire everyone who works in the trades whether it is as an electrician, carpenter or automotive technician. These people have talent to do real stuff like building things. Instead of knowing how to fix things on my own, I have to rely on these people.
Shawarma or falafel?
Neither. I prefer something simple, like pizza.
jbernstein@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0740
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