Frank Casey is closing its Hamilton store after 25 years of trading.

A trend toward more casual dressing and the availability of low-quality Chinese-made suits are blamed for the demise of Hamilton's Frank Casey Suit Hire.

And it's a pattern that's being repeated across the country as menswear stockists fade from the retail landscape.

Frank Casey's Hamilton store will close on October 31 after more than 25 years spent dressing grooms, high school ball-goers and men seeking to impress.

REBEKAH PARSONS-KING Frank Casey franchisee holders Alison and Rob Willetts are closing the doors of their Hamilton store at the end of October.

Franchisee holders Alison and Rob Willetts made the call on Tuesday to wind up their business and said breaking the news to staff was heartbreaking.

The couple bought the store two years ago, but said changes in men's dress habits had made the venture unaffordable.

Frank Casey's stores in Auckland, Tauranga and Wellington will continue to operate.

"In January, we started selling suits - gorgeous suits, made with quality wool mixes - but it was just too little, too late," Alison Willetts said.

"We recognised the impact the influx of cheap Chinese-made suits was having on the business and we tried to act. It's been a trend that's been happening over the past five years. People can now buy a suit for $100 and they think, why hire a suit when for the same price I can get a cheap suit and get a couple of wears out of it?" she said.

The difference between a quality suit and a cheap one can be gauged by the feel of the fabric and how it hangs on the rack.

"A cheap suit doesn't hang well, and it quickly gets that wrinkled, never-been-pressed look. It's about the quality of the fabric, stitching and lining."

Rob Willetts said Kiwi men are also less inclined to dress up, even in the workplace.

Furthermore, Hamilton has fewer black-tie events than bigger centres such as Auckland, but even then men sometimes opt to wear jeans and a shirt rather than hire a tuxedo.

The Willettses have about 1000 suits in store and all will be up for sale.

"We've even got white jackets and there're not many of them left in the world," Rob Willetts said.

Karam Haddad and his brother John have owned their Otorohanga clothing shop for 50 years and said the closure of Hamilton's Frank Casey store was sad.

Karam said the retail sector is a tough business, especially menswear.

The influx of "rubbish" clothing from overseas is having an impact on retailers across the country, he said.

The brothers' success has been built on offering quality clothing at the right price.

"We get a lot of our clothes and items made in New Zealand because we want to give customers the best quality," Karam said.

"Some of our clothes we get made overseas, like Fiji, but it's all the best quality and to our standards. We also stock things that you won't find anywhere else. We designed our own hat, the Haddad Hat, and that's a great seller."

He said Hamilton's main street was once lined with menswear stores, but they had been replaced by retail chains selling mass-produced labels.

"The other day I noticed a menswear shop in Pukekohe had closed its doors and it's happening everywhere you look. Women have a lot of choice when it comes to clothing, but for men, the selection is getting less and less. It's frightening to see a shop like Frank Casey go from Hamilton."

The Haddads have a matching jacket and trouser suit option in stock, but said the key to thriving in a rural town is diversification.

"Country people like to dress up, but they also want you to offer a wide range of clothing, casual, sportswear and jeans. A farmer will have a suit, but it's probably one that someone bought him when he was a little fella and he'll wear it until it doesn't fit him anymore."

Lou Roulston manages women's clothing store Sills & Co in Hamilton and said buying quality clothes is an investment.

The closure of Frank Casey's Hamilton store is a sad event, Roulston said, adding shoppers will miss out on customer service.

"When you buy a cheap suit off the rack, you don't get that advice, you become just a number. My son-in-law recently bought four suits for work and I told him he should have bought one good-quality one. A good-quality garment makes a person look good and feel good."