This ‘Ragman’ has been a fixture at a Columbia clothing shop for 50 years
Back in the summer of 1975, Gerald Ford was the president of the United States, Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” was the king of the box office, and “One of These Nights” by the Eagles was riding high on the Billboard charts.
That also was the year Perry Lancaster went to work for clothier Brittons, in the company’s store that was then located in the Dutch Square Mall.
Now, a full five decades later, Lancaster remains a fixture for Brittons and on the clothing scene in Columbia. He recently marked his 50th anniversary with the company, the last nearly three decades of which have been spent at the Brittons store at 2818 Devine St.
While fashions and styles certainly change over time, Lancaster is quick to note the core of the business, at least as he sees it, has remained the same.
“It’s all about the customer and the experience,” Lancaster told The State during a recent interview at the Devine Street shop.
That includes an exacting attention to detail, an ebullient personality — Lancaster has seemingly never met a stranger — and a keen eye on how to match a customer with just the right suit, shirt, bowtie or accessory. He patrols the men’s section of Brittons with a measuring tape looped around his neck, and with a series of straight pins stabbed into the cuff of his sleeve, ready to be deployed when helping customers find the right fit.
Through the course of five decades, Brittons has become family for Lancaster, in the literal sense. In April 1996 he married Stacy Levinson, whose parents founded Brittons in the 1940s. Stacy, who has been involved in the business for many years, took sole ownership of Brittons in 2017 when her brother, Lucky, retired after four decades in the business.
Lancaster and Levinson can often be found at the Devine Street shop, working the store together and chatting up regular customers and newcomers. Levinson said Lancaster has a “passion for fashion” and that, through the course of his career, he has become an intrinsic part of Brittons operations and lore.
“If they walk into this store, Perry is going to make them feel special,” Levinson said. “He’s our secret weapon. ... Everything he does, he does it with a true heart.”
Lancaster’s personal touch with Brittons’ customers extends beyond the doors of the business. Through the years he’s become well known for the handwritten notes on Brittons letterhead that he mails to customers, community members, neighbors and others. He typically begins each of the missives with the phrase “Just a note...” and he has mailed out thousands of them through the years. He estimates he recently has been sending out as many as 25 notes a week.
“I send cards that say ‘Thank you for coming by,’” Lancaster said. “Or I’ll tell them we’re getting ready to have a trunk show, so I’m sending invitations. .... It’s just a personal touch, staying connected to the customer. I send congratulation notes when there’s a job promotion. I sent a sympathy card recently to a family that’s lost a loved one.
“I just love reaching out with notes. They are so important, because nobody does that anymore.”
And Lancaster even has a tribute to his longtime profession on his vehicle. He has a personalized license plate on his car that says “RAGMAN,” a nod to the years he’s spent working in the clothing business, which is sometimes referred to in slang as the “rag business.”
Heather Lester has been working for Brittons for about two decades, mostly on the women’s clothing side of the business. While Lancaster focuses most of his work on the men’s side of the store, Lester said he’s always available to lend a hand in other areas.
“He’s very supportive,” Lester said of Lancaster. “Anything that you need help with, Perry is there. That’s the biggest thing. Whether we need a ticket book or hangers, or we’re busy and need someone to write a ticket, he helps us. He’s a closer sometimes.”
Columbia’s Hobart Trotter has been a customer at Brittons for years and has long known Lancaster. He told The State that Lancaster has, in the course of five decades, become synonymous with Brittons.
“He’s stuck around for a long time,” Trotter said. “He’s done this for his entire life. He is the store now.”
Even after 50 years in the business, Lancaster isn’t showing signs of slowing down. He’s excited about the University of South Carolina apparel in Brittons that he helped design. When a reporter recently stopped by, he was helping a young USC baseball player find a pair of pants for a fancy occasion. He’s forever keeping an eye on the latest fashions.
Lancaster notes he is plying his trade in 2025 with the same vigor as he did back in 1975.
“I’m doing the same experience today, and service, as we’ve always done,” Lancaster said.
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
