January 20, 2021 by Gary Singh
SHARP DRESSED MAN: The distinct men s clothing shop at 19 S. First St. in San Jose has attracted all walks of life, even ZZ Top s Billy Gibbons.
Photo by Dan Pulcrano
Only Hammer & Lewis Clothiers in downtown San Jose would trigger a matrix of conversation that includes 1970s fashion, the old Woolworth department store and ZZ Top.
Anyone with eons of downtown experience knows Hammer & Lewis, the legendary little shop at 19 S. First St. The old-school marquee, fully intact on the front of the building, is hard to miss.
Less than a minute after I crossed the threshold, Hammer & Lewis proprietor Ivette Velez and I reminisced about nearby businesses from 30 years ago. We unraveled yarns about Woolworth as well as the former Guadalajara Market and even a Mexican bakery. On the wall, I noticed photos of the original store, plus some old downtown shots from a century ago. Ivette schooled me on fashion history, including the emergence of Angel Flights, B