"One of the main reasons I'm in business is men have no time and hate to shop, period," says Taboh, the owner and sole employee of Classic Custom Clothiers in Cupertino.

"A man doesn't have the attention span for shopping for clothing. It's the way you grow up. Buying clothes is taken care of by your mother, then your girlfriend, wife or significant other. Some men can go into the office and spend $10 million on a business deal, but they can't make a decision about what clothes to buy.

"They don't mind someone helping them if they have confidence in that someone. I save them time and I remove the hassle usually associated with shopping," he says.

Since launching his business in 1988, Taboh has found plenty of men who hate to shop, except with him. His clientele list is a who's who of Silicon Valley, including former Hewlett-Packard Chairman and CEO Lewis E. Platt, Delta Dental Vice President of Sales John W. Crooms Jr. and former Palm Pilot CEO Alan J. Kessler. And this is just a small sample of his well-known clients.

Maybe becoming a clothier was fate for Taboh, but he didn't start out with that in mind. He was born in Detroit and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y.

What Taboh really wanted to do was play major league baseball. It was his skill as a third baseman that got him his education at St. John's University in New York, where the team went to the College World Series in 1960, his junior year. The following year his teammates voted him captain.

He first majored in accounting in college but decided that wasn't for him and graduated with a bachelor's in business administration.

In 1961 the New York Mets signed Taboh up as their first-ever bonus player for $8,000, more than his father made in a year. Even back then Taboh was hobnobbing with success. His name is mentioned in a book written by Hall of Fame sports writer Leonard Koppett, who died recently.

Taboh played only a short time for the Mets' minor league team in Raleigh, N.C. before fate intervened—a letter arrived from his draft board and cut short his baseball career.

But that wasn't the only reason he stopped playing the game. Taboh says pay scales for athletes then and today are vastly different—he couldn't see supporting his wife on the then-average salary of $6,500 a year.

Almost any client of Taboh's will say they enjoy listening to his stories, and he has plenty of them, especially about baseball. Now a Giants fan, he says, "I have no regrets. I never regret anything I do."

In 1963 Taboh got a job in menswear. "I always liked clothing," Taboh says, but he wanted to be in sales. That "always-liked-clothing" might have something to do with how he grew up. His family was in the clothing business, and he grew up spending a lot of time in and around New York's garment district. Maybe clothing was in his genes after all.

His first jobs were in menswear—sales. And he worked in the Empire State building, which Taboh says used to be the Mecca for menswear.

In 1971 his company moved him to California. Thirty years ago Taboh and his wife moved to Saratoga, where they raised their son and daughter. Today, their son, Stephen, owns ST Promotions in Cupertino, which is an advertising specialties and promotional merchandise business.

Initially a sales representative for manufacturers such as Jaymar-Ruby and Koret of California, Taboh says he saw "what I was doing become extinct. In the mid-80s, men's stores such as Roos Atkins and Smiths were closing; Macy's and The Emporium were in Chapter 11. All these stores were gone and I had nowhere to go."

Recognizing there was still a need for men to have high-quality clothing and custom service, Taboh launched Classic Custom Clothiers in 1988.

"I had a lot to learn," Taboh says. "I needed technical knowledge." Taboh is not a tailor. "I'm a middleman," he says. But he says he has a good knowledge of patterning and adjusting. He understands different body styles and how to alter for a proper fit.

In the time-honored Silicon Valley tradition, Taboh networked, often three or more nights a week, building up his business with new contacts and referrals.

These are all men who come to him for a new suit, a new shirt or, sometimes, simply for advice. "Sandy gives me advice on what looks right on me and what doesn't," says Brad Smith, CEO of Heritage Commerce Corp. and Heritage Bank of Commerce and a client of Taboh's for 14 years.

"I've always been hard to fit off the rack," Smith says. "I used to have an athletic build, and off-the-rack suits just didn't fit me right. As a result, they didn't feel right and they didn't last long."

Fit is a key aspect of Taboh's service. "I never promise a hundred percent fit," Taboh says. "Fit is in the mind of the beholder, but there are always areas where a garment fits or it doesn't."

Yet Smith says, "In all the years I've gone to Sandy, I think only once or twice has he had to shorten a sleeve or do any adjustments. It's that kind of service I really like. If something is wrong, he takes care of it."

In explaining his job. Taboh says, "I'm not a tailor, I do made-to-measure." The difference between what Taboh does and what a custom or bespoke tailor does can be measured in time and money. A custom-made suit requires a pattern made from scratch with several fittings and costs $3,500 and up. A made-to-measure suit from Taboh requires a single session of measuring, fabric selection and design decisions and costs from $795 to $1,800.

Still, the word custom isn't a misnomer when it comes to Taboh's work. He takes from 35 to 36 body measurements and three photographs and, using them and his own knowledge, he creates a profile reflecting a client's physical features. Adjustments are made to accommodate such things as a slightly higher shoulder on one side, a large neck or hips that thrust forward. This information is then used to customize standard patterns to assure a good fit.

Once measurements and a physical profile are done, Taboh talks to clients about what they do and what they want. "I put it all together," he says. "I make sure I take what a man does for a living into consideration and I try to help him with how he looks. I help them create a personal style, whether they're running a $2 billion-a-year company or just starting out. I make it easy to have the proper wardrobe for what they do so when they get up in the morning they have the right thing to wear."

Clients can choose whatever design details they want—single- or double-breasted suits; two-button or four-button closures; French cuffs; button-down or spread collars; pleats in pants or no pleats. Taboh is happy to offer as much advice as his clients want.

"I'll help them if they want me to, but I don't press myself on them," he says. With a chuckle, he adds, "But I can become very opinionated. I make sure they look just right for what they do, and it's crucial to keep a man comfortable."

Concurring with Taboh is Rick Giorgetti, president and CEO of Montgomery Professional Services Corp. and a client of Taboh's for a decade. "I've always been a leader in business," Giorgetti says, "but now when I put on his outfits, it just makes me feel good—I feel like I should be president and CEO. It just takes you up a notch."

Taboh makes a point of quoting prices that are inclusive, and he doesn't change price according to size. Prices for large and tall men are the same as for an average or short man. The cost to Taboh may be higher when dealing with large sizes, but he doesn't feel it's right to penalize customers on the basis of size. This pays off emotionally when he sees the pleasure a good fit gives a client used to settling for less. It also pays off financially, by way of additional business.

Once Taboh and a client have finalized fabric and designs, Taboh works with manufacturers in Canada and the United States. In most cases, orders are ready in four weeks. When the order is done, Taboh also offers a selection of accessories, such as neckties, belts, cuff links or shoes coordinated to the clothing.

Giorgetti says,"When I walk in to pick up my stuff, he's got about 20 ties that go with the shirts—I pick out two and he picks out two. I have a lot of fun when I go in there."

Taboh also makes it as easy as possible for clients, going to their offices or homes for appointments and delivering the finished goods.

Clients such as Smith of Heritage Bank still appreciate that aspect of his service. "I hate to shop. He comes to me, and the clothes I buy are very high quality," Smith says.

Taboh admits that the current economic slump has affected his business. "We're all affected by high tech," he says. "In this area every one of us is affected by the downturn in high tech, either directly or indirectly." Still, Taboh is happy with his business level and says, "I love what I do, and, more important, my customers are like my friends. Some businesses are confrontational. My business is enjoyable," Taboh says. "I'm 63 years old, and I do not plan to retire. I plan to work as long as I'm healthy."

Classic Custom Clothiers, 10440 S. De Anza Blvd., Cupertino is open by appointment. For additional information visit http://www.classiccustomclothiers.com or call 408.996.2112.