Julian's vacating original site

Franklin Street will be a little less preppy while one of its landmark businesses closes shop temporarily in an anticipation of a move to new headquarters down the street.

Julian’s, the posh downtown men’s clothing store, announced on Jan. 2 plans to close while the store prepares to move to a new location downtown.

Co-owner Missy Julian-Fox declined to comment on where the store is moving, but confirmed it would remain downtown. She also didn’t know the official closing date for the store.

“The move is the result of a number of different factors,” Julian-Fox said.

“It will all come to light when we can announce the new location.”

In a letter directed to customers, she wrote that “I’m sure we’ll see each other now and then downtown.”

The shop, located at 140 E. Franklin St., has been a constant downtown since 1942 when Maurice Julian opened the business to serve the Officer Training School on campus.

Julian, a New Englander by birth, is credited with bringing northern style to the South, introducing generations of Tar Heels to argyle, paisley and bold colors.

Julian raised his children in the store where son Alexander and daughter Missy learned of couture under their father’s tutelage.

On the store’s Web site Alexander tells of his start in the fashion industry.

“When I was 12, I tore the collar of one of my 200 blue oxford, button-down shirts while playing football. I went down to the store to have the collar fixed, but decided instead to switch collars with one of my yellow oxford button-down shirts.”

“They say necessity is the mother of invention, but whoever would have suspected that sandlot football would launch a fashion career?”

Julian’s children have continued in their father’s legacy. Alexander left Chapel Hill at age 26, heading for New York. There he became the youngest designer to be inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame.

Day-to-day operations of the store have been managed by Missy and her husband Michael ever since Maurice Julian’s death in 1993.

With the location change also comes an end to Missy’s involvement, with the additional announcement that she and her husband will be ceding their control over the daily operations.

In her letter to customers, Missy wrote that major career changes are coming for her and her husband, who have “made the decision to pursue new adventures.”

Missy is keeping quiet on what those new adventures may entail, preferring to keep it a mystery.

Active management of the store will be handled by Alexander, who is putting together a new management team to handle daily operations.

Though the move will close the book on 65 years at the store, it also means sharp discounts for customers.

Julian’s closed its doors for three days last week in order to prepare for a stock liquidation sale that began Jan. 5.

Every item in the store has been marked down, and customers can find discounts of up to 50 percent on select items.

Julian’s exclusive Carolina Collection will be 20 percent off.

News of the move also comes with an exhibit of Alexander’s fashion designs at the Chapel Hill Museum on Franklin Street.

The exhibit will feature Alexander’s clothing designs, as well as his furniture and home furnishings.

Also at the exhibit will be Alexander’s designs of the Hornets’ original pinstripe teal jerseys and costumes from the movie “The Player.”

The exhibit, the “Alexander Julian Retrospective: 30 Years of Uncommon Threads” opened Jan. 1 and will run until March 25.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.