• Job: Haberdasher, Buckhead

Photos by KARL W. RITZLER/Special (ENLARGE)

Brad Evans enjoys working with the customers at high-end clothing store Miller Brothers in Buckhead.

(ENLARGE)

A lounge area at Miller Brothers in Buckhead keeps clients comfortable — and entertained — while they shop.

• What I do: Brad Evans likes to wear a tie.

It helps that he's a haberdasher at Miller Brothers in Buckhead, where a coat and tie are the dress code as well as their business.

A haberdasher, Evans explained, is anybody who sells clothing, especially high-end men's clothing.

"The majority of our customers have their suits custom-made," he said.

Evans, 29, finds out about the level of formality a customer wants, measures him, helps him select the right fabric, works with the tailor to fit — and refit — the suit, and sometimes even delivers it.

The basic suit is made at a factory, then returned to Miller Brothers, where an in-house tailor makes adjustments. "We chalk it up, take in lapels, add cuffs . . .," Evans said.

"I get a feel for what they like and what they look good in," he said. "Most guys don't know — or don't care."

But Evans' customers do care. They often are buying suits for special occasions, such as weddings or reunions.

"When guys need a suit for something special, it's so much fun to help them. They are treating themselves," he said.

Evans added that many men have inaccurate images of themselves — most think they're thinner than they are — and may not have an eye to match colors and patterns.

Suits at Miller Brothers typically start at about $1,200 and average about $2,500, Evans said. Shirts — the store carries or can order thousands of patterns — cost $150 to $300. Most of the trousers are sold off the rack for $200 to $400.

The company's client list includes the elite of Atlanta, Evans said. He couldn't give names, but he said it includes CEOs, athletes, lawyers, doctors and entertainers.

Evans makes customers feel at home when they're shopping for clothes. The store serves drinks — and Evans knows who likes what — and often shows sports on the large-screen TV in front of comfortable, leather furniture.

• What got me interested in this: Evans credits his grandfathers with establishing his interest in clothes. One, he said, was a Scottish immigrant who owned 40 to 50 suits. "He was impeccably dressed, a most elegant man," he said. The other "always wore a suit. He knew how to dress."

While he was a student at the University of Georgia, Evans would hang out at men's clothing stores while he was earning a degree in consumer economics.

But he became a stockbroker, mostly for the money, he said.

But in 2006, Evans got married, and his younger brother, Jeff, died of heart complications.

"My priorities changed," he said. "I wanted to do something I loved. It was this or fly-fishing."

• Best part of my job: "The customers. There are so many characters," Evans said. "I'm fortunate that I can work with clients who have realized their dreams and [have] the income to treat themselves to this. . . . It's like talking to a bunch of guys in their element."

In addition, Evans can buy clothes at a discount so that he can show off the merchandise.

"I couldn't afford this stuff," he said, looking at his dark pinstriped suit, neat blue shirt and pink tie. "I like to be well-dressed."

• Most challenging part: "There's so much stuff to learn," he said, such as all the fabrics and how they hang.

• What people don't know about my job: "The social side of it," Evans said.

Besides socializing with clients in the shop, Evans attends parties, dinners and charity events a couple of times a week to keep the Miller Brothers name in public and to interact with current and prospective clients.

• What keeps me going: "I want to own my own shop," Evans said.

"I wake up and look forward to going to work."

• Preparation needed for this job: "You absolutely have to have a passion for it," Evans said. "The customers know it."

When Evans decided to shift his career to the clothing business, he went to every prominent men's store in Atlanta and "grilled them about what do I have to do" to get into the business.

Late last year, he met Thomas Mahon, a noted British clothier, who advised him to pursue a career in haberdashery if he was serious about it. Shortly thereafter, there was an opening at Miller Brothers.

Evans said a haberdasher also must have retail experience, be a people person and be able to remember clients' names and everything about them.

While he was a stockbroker, Evans also worked part time for a high-end, fishing specialty store because of his passion for the sport.

- By Karl W. Ritzler, for ajcjobs. Got an interesting job that you love? E-mail your story to jobseditor@ajc.com.