OUR HISTORY

Frank Walter Scott (F.W.S.) Colpitts opened his tailor shop in 1913, later relocating to 805 Main Street (adjacent to the Capitol Theatre). The main floor of F.W.S. Colpitts contained a retail outlet where customers would choose fabrics for their made-to-measure garments. The second floor housed tailors and seamstresses who fabricated all of the garments on-site. By the 1940’s, Colpitts had grown to one of the largest custom tailoring companies in the area, and employed as many as 20 craftsmen and women outfitting the area’s finest gentlemen.

In 1945, the business was taken over by Frank’s son, Paul, and began selling off-the-rack garments to complement its custom clothing business. By the mid-sixties, Austin Turner, who had joined the firm fresh out of high school as a salesman purchased the business from the Colpitts family in 1967. The company was renamed Colpitts Men’s Wear Ltd., and was relocated to 836 Main Street. A second location was opened in Moncton Mall in 1978, followed by a third store known as “Osty’s” in 1982 to offer men’s and women’s casual clothing. 

Austin’s son, Greg Turner, took over the business after his father’s death in 1987.  Both Colpitts and Osty’s moved from Moncton Mall to Champlain Place in 1992 and began to expand their customer base beyond the Greater Moncton area. 

On August 19th, 2000, a devastating fire destroyed the Main Street location of Colpitts. The business continued from the Champlain Place location, but Greg and his wife Claudette maintained their vision for Colpitts to return to its roots as part of a vibrant downtown. In 2012, the store was relocated to 735 Main Street, just steps down the street from where Mr. Colpitts opened his tailor shop in 1913. 

PRESENT DAY

Colpitts Men’s Wear Ltd. was purchased by Robert and Jessica Smith in April, 2016. A lot has changed in 104 years, but the commitment to quality products and exceptional service remains the foundation of our business and the key to our success.