Dumas M & Sons

Overpriced and pretentious.
Note to stuffy staff: Working for an establishment that caters to wealthy clientele doesn’t make you one of them — lose the attitude!
I popped in wearing work-​out clothes whilst doing a walk around Charleston and got the stink eye all the way to the back of the store. When I asked about having a pair of shoes made the only person who demonstrated any interest was the sales representative from the shoe company who just happened to be calling on the store that day. The rep found a young man from M Dumas who proved to be up-​beat and helpful; he and the rep fit me and went over my custom options. I paid for the shoes and two months later a box arrived… The shoes were BEAUTIFUL! That notwithstanding and without going into too much detail; the shoes I received were wrong and M Dumas would not assist. The manufacturer stepped up and handled things but not without candidly dissing Dumas.
BTW Billy Dubya, $ 75 for a polo shirt IS NOT a good price!

I’ve stopped in to this shop often enough now to have seen several of the regular guys working here and everyone is always pretty nice and helpful. The store just went through a remodel and the place is absolutely beautiful. They sell my favorite brands so I really like coming here. It’s always good to stop in and check out the sales racks as well.

I have shopped in this store on four occasions in the last eighteen months. Each time that I requested assistance I have had a reluctant salesman assist me even though the store had never been busy. Last month I tried shopping here and it will be the last time. I requested a standard men’s item (a black turtleneck) and the salesman literally laughed at me and told me that «We don’t have those because nobody wears them any more.» I proceeded to several other men’s stores on King Street and easily found what I needed. They’re merchandise can be found elsewhere without the attitude.

The staff here helped me outfit my Yankee boyfriend while visiting! My boyfriend needed a sport coat for a dinner, and this store has an amazing selection.
The gentleman assisting us, whose name was Tommy, was SO patient, friendly, and fun! He answered all of my questions and explained the versatility of a sport coat. He found the perfect-​fitting one with just one look at my boyfriend. He also showed us some shirt combinations that I never would have thought could look so good.
With such a selection, and my unfamiliarity with menswear, we needed someone who would ask questions to get an idea of what we were looking for, and then pull the best options to show us. He did exactly that, and we only had to pick between two or three. He is the kind of expert I wish I came across every time I shopped. If I lived in Charleston, I would hire him as a personal shopper! Another gentleman at the counter, whose name I do not know, was also very hospitable. Both he and Tommy made this such a pleasant experience.
Now my boyfriend is going to be the best-​dressed guy everywhere we go, and we will return here to do more shopping on our next trip!

Best Men’s Store in Charleston (Voted almost every year by Charleston Magazine)
I have been a regular customer for over 2 years now and normally deal with Scott. I purchased my Barbour Coat there and received a $ 50.00 gift card in the mail on my birthday as a thank you along with a hand written letter. Whether you are a millionaire or a young professional browsing the sale rack you will always experience a great amount of customer service.
I stop in whenever I am walking down King Street to check out their sales and it is the first place I go to when I am in need of a quality gift. Their selection of premium denim for men is well above any selection you will find in Charleston, or even the state of South Carolina. They have the latest Barbour Jackets in stock every fall and always provide sizing help when needed (cut and length).
I will always be a customer at this store and can’t say enough about the kind staff.
Thanks Guys!
–Bryan

It’s almost like walking back in time. This is a full service menswear store, which don’t seem to exist anymore. True, the seersucker is oozing all over the place. If you like pastels, buy. I found the service delightful from all the staff members. The prices are not cheap, but the quality is definitely there. (Trust me. I dove into one of their premier suits. It’s worth the price.)

Dumas M & Sons is the foremost specialty store in the Charleston area dedicated to Southern Fashion for men (with a smaller selection for women) The Store was opened in 1917 and has developed into a premium local retailer for «Southern» clothing. The brands are heavy on the Eastern Seaboard look that has returned in the last decade and a preppy look that has always been present in the Holy City, especially with many Colleges in the local area.
The store has many features with custom suit fitting and specialty clothing for any soirée or big event from the Carolina Cup to the quintessentially Southern, Kentucky Derby.
I’d recommend a stop where y’all will get to experience the shopping days of times not forgotten.

Dumas was an accidental find while walking through the shopping district in Charleston. We stumbled in expecting to browse and left with a new seersucker suit and several Southern Proper ties, as well as the odd Vineyard Vines item.
Controlled chaos best defines Dumas. Walking in the door, it looked like a madhouse. We figured we’d never find anything and certainly never get any customer service help. We were very wrong about that. We found plenty and the service was fantastic. Indeed, they had to be quite the salesmen to have talked the Mister into replacing his seersucker suit on a whim. They tailored the pants in store and mailed it all back to us in Virginia. Prices were reasonable and, while the atmosphere was much more casual than Brooks Brothers, the service results were just as good.
It’s been three seersucker seasons and the suit is holding up well. The bow ties have been worn countless times and the Vineyard Vines shorts make regular appearances in the summertime.
I wish there was a place like this near us — where you can get everything from a suit to fishing gear in one place, sold by people who actually know their merchandise.

If you love preppy clothes done southern-​style, M. Dumas & Sons is the place for you. I am always dazzled by their enormous selection of ice-​cream hued seersucker clothes, needlepoint belts, generously cut button downs, Vilebrequin bathing suits, polo shirts with palmetto logos and covetable prep accoutrements. Heavenly and lots of fun — don’t miss this!

This store is amazing. Great selection in lots of sizes.

Dumas is a must for any Yankee passing through Charleston. The inventory is well-​curated and the sales staff is doting. I am on a first name basis with Linwood because I basically go there about once a month on my frequent trips to Charleston. Any complaints about customer service are misplaced. They will do alterations fast and accurately, but on one occasion they screwed up. They immediately rectified the problem – poorly tailored cuffs on trousers – and gave me a no-​expiration card for $ 25 merchandise credit for purchases over $ 100, which is basically everything in the store. It definitely caters to the Lowcountry Mink and Manure Crowd, with lots of Barbour, Bills Khaki’s, Vineyard Vines and similar brands. However, the fabric and construction of their house brand (with the distinctive rarely seen up North Quarter Moon and Palmetto logo on the breast) is exceptional and they are a fraction of what you would pay at Barneys or Bergdorf in New York or Boyd’s in Philly. There are deals to be had if you make frequent visits and hit the place at sale time. End of season bargains are a real value because the styles that are offered are timeless. I have picked up poplin and linen suits for summer wear up north at a fraction of the cost of Brooks Brothers, with the same quality of fabric and construction. Worthy of a dedicated shopping and foodie pilgrimage from up North, with plenty of great restaurants nearby on King Street.

Employees are very friendly and attentive. They even went into the window to get a pair of pants for me to try on off of a mannequin. They also carry all the best brands including Southern Tide, Vineyard Vines, Bill’s Khakis, Southern Proper, and Smathers and Branson. They also have good prices, with a good polo shirt costing only about $ 75

So sometime in 2009 I walked in to Dumas & Sons for the first time, at the behest of a friend, to buy my first seersucker suit. I was waited on hand and foot as we picked out some great bowties, a full seersucker, and some Sperrys to match.
They knew I was leaving in a few days and so they did the alterations that day and I came back in an hour looking like a Yankee still, but came out looking like a Southern gentleman.
Huge selection, attentive (probably commission-​based) service, easy to find.

Oh, so THIS is where Charleston men buy their clothes. Seriously, I love this place if just for its endorsement of that style so specific to Rich Dudes of the Lowcountry. Come here for:
polos with palmettos on the breast
salmon-​colored pants
those canvas belts with the fishes on them
bowties in prints that you’d think would clash with everything but look surprisingly stylish when you’re wearing them
and whatever else you might need to blend in with the natives. Your shopping bag will have a duck-​hunting scene on it. Oh please.

Had to check out some stores in Charleston to find clothes I can actually wear in New York. You have no idea how refreshing it is to walk into a store and NOT see Ed Hardy or Armani Exchange or any other crap forty year old balding men wear to feel young.
Castaway, Vineyard Vines, Seersucker Suits, and even Seven and Citizens of Humanity Jeans can be found here which was right up my alley. They also have a good amount of South Carolina related merchandise. It’s a little pricey but the service was great, very friendly and quick to help when asked. I wish they opened a branch up north but then it probably wouldn’t have the same feel to it.

Bought a great sports coat, 2 shirts, & jeans here. Did not encounter any pretentious sales staff others have mentioned. Actually the person waiting on me was very pleasant, courteous, and helpful. Maybe I’m more pretentious than they were & therefore didn’t notice :)

While this place is certainly pricey, and there are some pretentious salespeople (two older men were lamenting how cheap people were that weekend), I LOVED my experience here. The mens clothing takes up the majority of the place, but you can get wonderful finds from Psycho Bunny and Vineyard Vines and boxers from Royal Hyney (they are made from high thread count sheets and feel like they would be amazingly comfortable). The women’s section is small, but I snagged a new Vineyard Vines Bag, tee and got my husband a tie for under $ 300, which may sound pricey, but is a steal for these brands.

Oh cmon…
Dumas is a great place — all the sales people are really cool, the clothes are solid. I come here every time I’m in Charleston!
Big Fan!

Not one to spend a lot of effort on writing a review for a clothing store but I have to give bad marks if they are this poor. On two separate visits to Dumas I have left feeling like I never want to return. The sales staff at this pretentious little knob of a mens store seem to think laughing at you is the best way to get some sales.
Avoid them and take your business elsewhere.