The Pants Store: Business Spotlight

The sign on the door at the pants Store reads “Since 1950,” and although that does not signify how long the store has been in Mountain Brook, it does relay just how long the Gee family has been in the clothing business.

“My granddad was a pants wholesaler and was selling pants out of the trunk of his car,” said co-owner Michael Gee. The first Pants Store opened in Leeds in 1950, and the business just grew from there.

The Pants Store in Crestline Village has been a part of the Mountain Brook business community since 2006, and has been offering residents a wide variety of quality men’s, women’s and youth footwear, shirts, jackets – and of course, pants – ever since. Gee said he has enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of the business community in the city where he grew up.

“We grew up in Mountain Brook, my brother and I both live in Crestline, so it was a natural fit,” Gee said. Michael Gee and his brother, John, have taken over the daily operations of the Pants Store business from their father, Mickey Gee. The business now has four stores (Leeds, Downtown, Trussville and Crestline).

Each store is slightly different than the other, as the brands and inventory cater more to the customer base in that particular area. The Crestline location has become popular quickly because of the wide selection and brands that the store offers, such as Columbia, Carhartt, Guy Harvey, Merrell and many others.

The Pants Store stays busy throughout the year, and the store is holding a sale in May, with everything in the store sold at 20-percent off (some exceptions). But with the stress of running a business, coupled with working with family, would understandably take its toll on many people. But Michael Gee says nothing could be further from the truth.

“I got to work with my dad every day for about eight years, and I work with my brother every day and somehow we have survived and not killed each other,” Gee said. But he added on a serious note, “Who gets to see their family every day? I think I am pretty lucky.”