"I've always had a slightly awkward body shape and I had great difficulty in buying standardised off-the-peg clothes. Fortunately I discovered FJ's Civic shop when I arrived in Canberra in 1972 and after I had all my trousers and suits virtually hand-made through FJs. The cloth was exceptionally hard-wearing and I am still wearing business trousers made 25-15 years ago, without showing any shiny aspects. I would always have about 15 pairs of them, so that they could be rotated and save on wear. And because they were made to my specifications, I was always comfortable in the trouser length and width, plus pocket design.
I especially appreciated being able to have dress jeans specially made for me, as the slim fit, low riding, ankle-gripping styles in other shops never suited me. I was also pleased that the FJ staff in the shop remained constant over the years and were expert in their fitting knowledge, especially as they learned my preferences.
I was appreciative of having the right-length trouser leg too, as I note the appalling Australian male ignorance of showing their socks and trousers not brushing the tops of their shoes!
If I could also applaud the service in making the trousers at Warnambool - it was always outstanding, reasonably quick and never had to be altered after I tried them on, back in Canberra.
I would have ALWAYS been prepared to pay more for Australian-made clothing, especially compared with the rubbish that comes out of China these days. I was aware that towards the end, FJ's did have clothing made under its own label in China, but the quality-control seemed much better. To my great regret, I was never asked by FJ's management about my preparedness to continue supporting Australian-made clothing."
Peter Graves, Canberra October 2019.
