George Zimmer

George Zimmer – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

George Zimmer is an American entrepreneur best known as the founder of Men’s Wearhouse. Discover his life story, business philosophy, struggles, successes, and memorable quotes that shaped his legacy.

Introduction

George Zimmer is an American businessman and entrepreneur, born November 21, 1948, in New York City. He is most famous for founding the Men’s Wearhouse clothing chain, where he served as CEO and executive chairman for decades. Today, Zimmer is also the driving force behind new ventures like Generation Tux and zTailors, redefining how we think about formalwear, tailoring, and customer experience in the digital era.

Zimmer's public persona—especially as the face of the “You’re going to like the way you look. I guarantee it” advertising campaign—made him a household name and a rare example of a founder who became the voice of his own brand. His life embodies both the triumphs and challenges of building and evolving a business in changing times.

Early Life and Family

George Zimmer was born into a Jewish family in New York City.

Zimmer married Lorri Zimmer, and they have four children together.

His upbringing in a family already engaged in the clothing business gave him early exposure to the trade, supply chains, and challenges of apparel manufacturing.

Youth and Education

In high school, Zimmer showed early ambition. During his teenage years, he worked as a circulation manager for a local newspaper—an early sign of his willingness to take responsibility and test his leadership skills.

After high school, he enrolled at Washington University in St. Louis, where he majored in economics. He graduated in 1970 (some sources place his graduation in 1970 or 1971) with a bachelor’s degree.

Upon completing his degree, Zimmer briefly worked as a substitute schoolteacher, before joining his father’s business and also exploring roles as a purchasing agent and salesman, including stints in Hong Kong and Dallas.

These varied early experiences—education, teaching, front-line sales and procurement—helped build a foundation of discipline, humility, and insight into how businesses operate at multiple levels.

Career and Achievements

Founding Men’s Wearhouse

In 1973, George Zimmer and his father co-founded The Men’s Wearhouse in Houston, Texas.

Zimmer also became the “face” of the company. From 1986 onward, he narrated and appeared in television commercials, often ending with the guarantee:

“You’re going to like the way you look. I guarantee it.”

This slogan came to be strongly associated with both Zimmer and the brand.

Under his leadership, the company expanded aggressively. By the early 2000s, Men’s Wearhouse operated more than a thousand locations across the U.S. and Canada, including brands like Moores and K&G Superstores.

Departure from Men’s Wearhouse

In 2011, Zimmer stepped down as CEO, handing the operational reins to a successor, Doug Ewert.

On June 19, 2013, the Men’s Wearhouse board fired Zimmer from his executive chairmanship, citing irreconcilable differences over control and direction.

Although his formal roles were terminated, he briefly remained as the spokesperson before his ties were completely severed.

New Ventures: Generation Tux & zTailors

Not one to rest after a setback, Zimmer embarked on new entrepreneurial paths.

• Generation Tux: Launched publicly in 2015, Generation Tux is an online rental service for tuxedos and suits, designed to modernize and streamline the formalwear experience.

• zTailors: Also started around 2015, zTailors is a platform for on-demand tailoring—customers can book tailoring services delivered to their location via smartphone app.

These ventures reflect Zimmer’s enduring focus: to blend traditional service with modern digital convenience.

Historical Milestones & Context

• 1986 onward — Zimmerman in Advertising: Zimmer’s transition into the company’s public face, via television ads, was a bold move in a business that traditionally hid the founder behind brand imagery. His presence and voice engendered trust and face-value authenticity with consumers.

• 1992 IPO: Men’s Wearhouse went public in the early 1990s, accelerating its capital access and expansion capability.

• Board Conflict and Dismissal (2013): The public and somewhat contentious split between Zimmer and the board drew wide media attention. Some observers saw it as a classic struggle between founder vision and corporate governance.

• Digital Reinvention (2015 onward): His shift to Generation Tux and zTailors coincided with broader industry trends favoring e-commerce, subscription services, and on-demand delivery. Zimmer rode that wave by reimagining formalwear and tailoring.

• Philanthropy & Advocacy: Zimmer has been a supporter of medical and social causes. Notably, his experience caring for his mother influenced his support for research into therapeutic uses of MDMA, and he donated to efforts to legalize cannabis in California (e.g. Proposition 19 in 2010).

Legacy and Influence

George Zimmer’s legacy is multifaceted:

• Personal Branding in Retail: He pioneered the idea of a founder as the public face of a brand in a retail setting. His voice and guarantee became inseparable from Men’s Wearhouse’s identity.

• Customer-Centric Culture: He embedded customer promise into the DNA of his business. His guarantee slogan was both a marketing tool and a cultural touchstone of accountability.

• Entrepreneurial Resilience: Even after a dramatic corporate break, Zimmer reinvented himself rather than retiring. His shift into tech-enabled fashion services shows adaptability and vision.

• Mentorship & Thought Leadership: Through interviews, speeches, and writings, Zimmer has influenced younger entrepreneurs on topics like branding, leadership, and corporate responsibility.

• Ethical and Social Awareness: His advocacy around health, drug policy reform, and employee welfare adds a dimension of social conscience to his business identity.

His journey underscores a lesson: success is not just about creating something big, but also about evolving—and being willing to challenge conventions.

Personality and Talents

Zimmer is often described as charismatic, visionary, tenacious, and deeply committed to authenticity. His style of leadership leans toward servant leadership and empowerment, particularly valuing employees and the consumer promise.

His willingness to personally embody his brand in advertising shows confidence and risk taking. At the same time, his capacity to pivot—after public conflict—to new business models indicates flexibility.

He is also known for being philanthropic and socially engaged, unafraid to voice positions that challenge norms (e.g. for medical research or cannabis policy).

Zimmer’s intellectual curiosity, branding savvy, and resilience are core talents that sustained him through the ups and downs of business life.

Famous Quotes of George Zimmer

While Zimmer is not a prolific quote machine like philosophers or poets, several statements capture his philosophy and public persona:

1. “You’re going to like the way you look. I guarantee it.” — His signature guarantee and advertising tagline.

2. “We have to learn to think with our hearts, and then let our brains do the calculations!” — A reflection on combining passion with logic.

3. “You Gonna Like the Way You Look! I Guarantee It!” — A variation often cited in popular references.

These words illustrate a core ethos: confidence, promise, and personal accountability.

Lessons from George Zimmer

1. Embed your promise in your brand
   By personally guaranteeing the customer’s satisfaction, Zimmer created accountability and trust in his brand. A promise that is public and personal forces you to align operations to deliver.

2. Don’t hide the founder—embrace visibility
   Many founders prefer to stay behind the scenes. Zimmer showed how being the face of your brand can amplify authenticity and connection.

3. Be ready to reinvent
   Even after a dramatic corporate exit, Zimmer pivoted into new domains. Entrepreneurs must adapt, not cling to past successes.

4. Stand for something more than profit
   His advocacy and philanthropy show that business leaders can—and perhaps should—engage with broader social issues.

5. Conflict is part of growth
   His split with Men’s Wearhouse underscores that tension between vision and governance is real. But such conflicts need not define your legacy—how you act afterward matters more.

Conclusion

George Zimmer’s life is a study in ambition, identity, resilience, and reinvention. From modest roots in New York to building a national retail powerhouse, he not only mastered the art of fashion business but also the art of branding himself. His departure from Men’s Wearhouse was dramatic and painful, but his comeback through tech-enabled ventures demonstrates the hallmark of a true entrepreneur: the capacity to evolve.

Today, Zimmer’s name remains synonymous with a confident promise: “I guarantee it.” Even beyond retail, his story reminds us that integrity, adaptability, and personal accountability are timeless guides—whether you’re building a store, launching a startup, or crafting your own legacy.