• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Retailmen's wearhouse

Here’s how ousted Men’s Wearhouse founder will get his revenge

By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 1, 2015, 10:10 AM ET
Key Speakers At The DreamForce Conference
George Zimmer, founder of The Men's Wearhouse Inc., speaks during the DreamForce Conference in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013. Salesforce.com Inc. introduced an overhauled version of its mobile software, seeking to ensure clients and partners will be able to use more features of the company's sales, marketing and customer service software. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesDavid Paul Morris/Bloomberg—Getty Images

Revenge is a dish best served cold. Or in the case of an ousted founder of a men’s specialty retailer, a smartphone app will do.

Men’s Wearhouse (MW) founder George Zimmer has unveiled his new company, called zTailors, a website and app that helps connect customers with on-demand tailors who make house calls. Like many startups these days, Zimmer told The New York Times his new business is the “Uber for tailors.”

Here’s how it works: shoppers schedule a fitting at their home or office and a tailor with at least five years experience will show up to consult and tailor both men’s and women’s clothing. Orders are delivered with a week and if unsatisfied, zTailors will offer complimentary adjustments.

Zimmer was well known to the public for appearing in many Men’s Wearhouse ads in which he guaranteed that customers would like the way they look. But the retailer ousted Zimmer from his position as executive chairman in 2013, issuing a terse statement at the time.

When he spoke with Fortune several months after his ouster, Zimmer said he was “almost 100% certain” he wouldn’t be CEO of a public company after leaving Men’s Wearhouse. But he did see himself in more of a “behind-the-scenes role.”

His role at zTailors is more active than that. He is reportedly the financial force behind the company, telling the Times that no venture capitalists are involved. The startup, which has 600 tailors signed up, plans to operate across the nation by the end of the year. The lack of involvement from venture capitalists is also an interesting twist: Fortune reported earlier this year that Zimmer had pitched investors on an e-commerce tuxedo rental business. His new startup, zTailors, is a different business model.

Retail founders and top executives can discover a second (or third) career renaissance by moving into the startup world. Some recent announcements include apparel and retail chain Kit and Ace, which is backed by yoga gear maker Lululemon’s founder (LULU) and e-commerce website Enjoy, which is run by ex-J.C. Penney (JCP) CEO Ron Johnson.

About the Author
By John KellContributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence

John Kell is a contributing writer for Fortune and author of Fortune’s CIO Intelligence newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
In 2026, many employers are ditching merit-based pay bumps in favor of ‘peanut butter raises’
By Emma BurleighFebruary 2, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Meet the Palm Beach billionaire who paid $2 million for a private White House visit with Trump
By Tristan BoveFebruary 3, 2026
10 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Cybersecurity
Top AI leaders are begging people not to use Moltbook, a social media platform for AI agents: It’s a ‘disaster waiting to happen’
By Eva RoytburgFebruary 2, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
By Jacqueline MunisFebruary 2, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, February 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerFebruary 2, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
'I just don't have a good feeling about this': Top economist Claudia Sahm says the economy quietly shifted and everyone's now looking at the wrong alarm
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 31, 2026
4 days ago

Latest in Retail

transformation
SuccessBook Excerpt
In 250 years, the economy has gone from agrarian to industrial to service to experience. Now the transformation economy is here
By B. Joseph Pine IIFebruary 3, 2026
14 hours ago
RetailFortune 500
In his day one message, Target’s new CEO ignored the elephant in the room. People noticed
By Phil WahbaFebruary 3, 2026
19 hours ago
EconomyManufacturing
Indonesia’s Danantara bets a new $6 billion SOE can save a textile industry from Trump tariffs and foreign competition
By Angelica AngFebruary 2, 2026
23 hours ago
imports
EconomyTariffs and trade
‘The Chinese have invaded us in terms of merchandise’: Mexico and Argentina lead Latin America’s struggles with flood of imports
By Chan Ho-Him, Isabel Debre, Nayara Batschke, Fabiola Sánchez and The Associated PressFebruary 2, 2026
2 days ago
C-SuiteRetail
Meet Walmart’s new CEO, John Furner: Once an hourly worker, today he takes charge of the top company in the Fortune 500
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 1, 2026
2 days ago
North AmericaDrugs
Mexico’s ban on vapes could give drug cartels more revenue — ‘those selling cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana are selling you vapes’
By María Verza and The Associated PressJanuary 31, 2026
3 days ago