Jim Marcovis was familiar with the retail clothing business long before purchasing G&L Clothing in 1981 with his son David and son-in-law Nashi Khalastchi. Leo and Mary Marcovis, Jim’s parents, opened Marcovis Store for Men in 1922 at Fifth and grand, which they operated for more than 45 years before Jim purchased the store in 1969. Marcovis Store for Men was known for selling clothing specially suited to big and tall men’s needs. In addition, Leo sold military uniforms and insignia to both military recruiters and members of the Iowa National Guard. Soon after he took over the family store, Jim opened The Loft upstairs from Marcovis Store for Men. The Loft was the first of the independent high-fashion jeans stores to open in Des Moines and quite likely sold the first pair of bell bottom pants locally. The Loft gradually grew to include stores in Merle Hay Mall, Wakonda Shopping Center, Sherwood Forest Shopping Center, Southridge Mall, North Grand Mall in Ames and a store in Omaha in addition to downtown before being sold to a national chain in 1976. Soon after selling The Loft stores, the Marcovis family opened The Jean Scene where they continued to sell fashion jeans and casual clothing until 1981 when Harry Winner was looking for a buyer for his store, G&L Clothing. And, as the saying goes, the rest is history. G&L moved into its present building at 1801 Ingersoll Avenue in 1996 after a fire destroyed its store at Ninth and Locust a year earlier. Jim’s other son, Frank, joined G&L in 2000, and Frank’s son Mike, the fourth generation of the Marcovis family in retail clothing, currently works at the store with his grandfather, uncles and Father |
