171-year-old clothing retailer closing iconic store

Luxury apparel retailers are facing economic issues, such as high lease rates or rising debt obligations that have led certain establishments to close down stores, and in certain cases, file for bankruptcy protection.

Problems related to a new lease and health issues have forced high-end retailer Levy’s Clothier to exit the luxury apparel business.

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Levy’s Clothier closing iconic store

171-year-old Levy’s Clothier, considered one of the nation’s oldest continuously family-operated clothing stores, plans to permanently close its iconic Nashville store in late December 2026.

The fifth-generation luxury fashion boutique owners blamed health issues and a lease renewal process as reasons for closing the store, according to WZTV in Nashville.

Levy’s location on Hillsboro Pike in the Greenbriar Village retail center in the Green Hills area of Nashville is a high-rent district, where independent retailers often face significant rent increases when their commercial leases require renewal

Store opened in 1855

Levy’s Clothier was founded by Zadoc Levy as a tailor shop on Market Street, today’s Second Street, in Downtown Nashville in 1855 before the Civil War. The store endured through the Great Depression, the Great Recession, and other economic downturns, as well as the advent of e-commerce.

The store relocated to Fifth Avenue, then to Sixth Avenue in 1948, before the retailer moved to Nashville’s Green Hills area in 1978, according to Nashville Scene.

David Levy, the great-great-grandson of the store’s founder, and wife Ellen became owners of Levy’s in 1998.

Levy’s established its in-house tailor shop in 1855, providing artisanal alterations, repairs, and fully custom garments. Originally founded as a men’s clothing store, Levy’s offers both men’s and women’s luxury apparel, accessories, fragrances and grooming, and gifts, according to its website.

Offers luxury designer brands

Among the store’s featured brands are Bugatchi, Eton of Sweden, Ferragamo, Gran Sasso, Liverpool, and Mac Jeans.

Levy’s is hosting Custom Month in September, which is clients’ last chance to seek custom tailoring in the store with special discounts before the store winds down the business by the end of the year.

“When I look back at our history, I can’t help but be proud,” owner David Levy said in a statement, according to WZTV. “While the decision to close is bittersweet, I am grateful for our incredible staff whose attention to detail is unmatched and to our customers for giving us the distinct privilege of dressing their family for generations.

Voted Best Men’s Clothing Store

The establishment has been voted the Best Men’s Clothing Store in Nashville multiple times by The Tennessean and Scene and recognized by Esquire Magazine as a Gold Standard store.

“I know I won’t be able to walk away from 49 years of friendships, but I look forward to more time spent with my family,” Levy said in the statement.

Levy’s invites customers to stop by the store in its final months to share their stories about shopping at the store.

Levy’s isn’t filing for bankruptcy, but it’s not the only high-end apparel store facing financial issues.

Peter Manning filed for bankruptcy

Men’s fashion apparel retail chain Peter Manning New York filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Aug. 19 to reorganize its business as it faces a lawsuit filed by a supplier, alleging unpaid invoices.

The debtor’s vendor Lever Style filed a complaint against Peter Manning New York and the company’s owner and CEO Jeff Hansen in June 2023, alleging that the retailer and Hansen owed the plaintiff more than $1.14 million in unpaid invoices.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, is still pending.

The debtor operates its Peter Manning Fit Shops at 933 Broadway in New York’s Flatiron district, at 1413 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Washington, D.C., and at 254 Newbury St., in Boston.

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This story was originally published September 17, 2026 at 7:07 AM.