It pains me to write this, because most of my professional wardrobe was purchased at Mens Wearhouse. However, after reading this, I’m willing to look for another clothing store:

Last night, a reporter for the Contra Costa Times and Oakland Tribune photographed a surprising sign in the window of the Men’s Wearhouse Oakland store.

The sign reads “We stand with the 99%. Closed Wednesday November 2.”

That’s the day the Occupy Wall Street movement in Oakland called for a general strike.

Men’s Wearhouse is a publicly traded corporation (MW on the New York Stock Exchange) that takes in over $2 billion a year selling suits, with a net profit of over $67 million last year. So a company that caters to capitalists and businessmen chose to strike against its customers in support of the socialist, communist, anarchist movement that has violently clashed with police in Oakland and has had scores of reports of degenerate behavior across the country, ranging from numerous rapes to defecating on a police car.

…

It’s highly doubtful that Occupy Oakland’s hippie protesters have caused Men’s Wearhouse’s business to boom. Yet, these are the people with whom Men’s Wearhouse has chosen to stand, in opposition to their customers. On the bright side, should riots break out, the store won’t have to fear looting from the hippies and hipsters.

Note that this is not the first time that Men’s Wearhouse has, as a corporation, supported left-leaning politics. In 2009, the company removed its ads from the Glenn Beck show on Fox News.

Perhaps Men’s Wearhouse would be more comfortable selling tie-dyed t-shirts and Nehru jackets, because those Occupiers throwing rocks and bottles at the Oakland police weren’t wearing their product.

UPDATE:

Men’s Wearhouse has now released a statement on their Facebook page. It reads in full:

We closed our store near Oakland City Hall today, for one day, to express the company’s concern for the issue of wealth disparity in our country. The issue affects our employees and customers across the political spectrum.

(Thanks to “The Prudence Paine Papers” for that content, and Instapundit for the hat-tip.)

I was a committed Mens Wearhouse customer. They offer a great service: if you buy an item of clothing from them, they’ll press it for you anytime, free of charge. On many a business trip, I have stuffed Mens Wearhouse clothing into my carryon, secure in the knowledge that the MW store at my destination would make sure my professional clothes were ready for whatever work assignment I faced.

But, when someone sticks a stick in your eye (“these are the people with whom Men’s Wearhouse has chosen to stand, in opposition to their customers”), it’s hard to ignore that.

Mens Wearhouse has to know that they have many, many conservatives, Republicans and businessmen among their clients.

Yet their Oakland store did this. And, based on the Facebook posting mentioned above, their corporate office stands with them.

OK, then. As a conservative and Republican, I’ll now look for another place to shop.

Redstaters, where should an insulted Mens Wearhouse customer go?