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He was the consummate clothier. His best advertisement was himself, Floyd E. “Flip” Rees.

Customers drove — even flew — great distances to buy from his clothing store, F. Rees Co., on Mount Airy’s Main Street.

For independent store owners who need inspiration and a strategy for competing against big chain stores, Flip Rees is an ideal subject.

When he died Nov. 2 at age 94, his store had accumulated 10,000 to 12,000 customer accounts, including 300 to 400 from Rees’ native Greensboro.

He tried to treat each account holder as if he or she were the only one.

“He loved people,” says Greensboro lawyer Gerald Schafer, who grew up in Mount Airy and is one of many transplants here who continued to buy at Rees’ store. “He gave excellent service, paid attention to detail and carried a nice line of clothes.”

When natives such as Schafer moved, they told new friends in new hometowns about this clothing store back in their old hometown, considered by many to be the model for Mayberry on “The Andy Griffith Show.” (As a young man, Mount Airy native Griffith was a customer.)

Johnny Bowman, a long-time employee who continues to work there under Flip Rees’ son, Gene, says the store has customers in all 50 states, with 25 percent of its business coming from Winston-Salem and Greensboro.

Travel isn’t necessary for those who want to buy there. The store keeps measurements of all account holders. By phone, customers say what type of suit or garment they want (the store also offers women’s wear), and the store ships it.

Rees’ influence went beyond the doors of his store. When Mount Airy’s downtown died in the 1970s, as did downtowns almost everywhere, Rees bought about a third of the stores there. He sought businesses for them.

He was generous with credit and, without calling attention to the practice, occasionally gave clothes to the financially troubled.

Bowman tells the story of Rees attending a graveside service on a cold day. He noticed the preacher shivering, without a top coat. Afterward, when Rees asked him why he wasn’t wearing one, the preacher responded, “Because I don’t have one.” He meant he couldn’t afford one.

“You come see me Monday morning,” Rees said.

Rees grew up on Bruce Street, off Spring Garden Street, in Greensboro. His father died in 1918 during the Spanish flu epidemic.

Rees played football at Greensboro Senior High (now Grimsley) and then went to Guilford College. His three children also went there.

Rees apparently found the haberdashery trade suited him (pardon the pun). He worked after school and on Saturdays at the old Wright’s Clothing Store in downtown Greensboro. The store sought volume business, with at least four floors crammed with men’s clothing.

After earning two Bronze Stars as an officer in World War II, Rees came home. He was checking out a business, unrelated to clothes, that was for sale 75 miles away in Mount Airy.

But during the visit, his attention was diverted by a former grocery store for sale. In 1946, F. Rees Co. clothiers opened and it remains there. (His older brother, Sam, had a unrelated Rees clothing store in Siler City.)

Flip Rees retired a decade or so ago — sort of — but still came to the store for awhile almost daily.

In the end, he failed to live up to his customers’ expectations in one sense.

They, his staff and family were looking forward to a 95th birthday party at the store later this month.

Contact Jim Schlosser at 601-9879 or beale1@clearwire.net