Marios of Portland and Seattle and Marios 3.10 in Bridgeport Village are men’s and women’s specialty stores known for their exceptional customer service, offering exquisite designer clothing, jewelry, and accessories.

In the 1960s Mario Bisio Sr. opened Mario’s, a family clothing store in Portland’s newly opened Lloyd Center. Mario Jr. began working for his father as a kid, sweeping floors and opening boxes, and selling during his high school years. 

Mario Jr. graduated from the University of Oregon and by 1973 became a full business partner with his father. A year after Mario Sr.’s passing in 1975, Mario transformed the store and made his first buying trip to Europe. In 1976 Mario’s was the first retailer to bring Canali, Ermenegildo Zegna, and Diesel Jeans to the United States. In 1977 Mario opened a second store at the Portland Galleria.

Mario’s opened its first women’s store named Ragazza in the early 1980s, across the street from the Galleria. In 1982, Mario expanded to Seattle, opening a store for both men and women on 6th Avenue.

In the 1990s, fashion expert Lynwood Holmberg was hired to lead the growing women’s department. In 1994 the Seattle store was renovated, featuring a grand staircase leading to the mezzanine and a new, expanded women’s department. Lynwood and Mario introduced new lines, including Isaia, Loro Piana, Narcisio Rodriguez, and Prada.

The Portland men’s and women’s locations were united in the Fox Tower on Broadway in 2002. The Seattle and Portland stores now included Ermenegildo Zegna shops and in 2005 new jewelry departments were created. In 2006 Mario’s 3.10 opened in Bridgeport Village, catering to customers who favor a stylish, casual lifestyle. In 2008, Mario Bisio received the Lifetime Achievement award from MR Magazine and by 2010 both Seattle and Portland stores became home to the first and only Brunello Cucinelli shops in the area. 

In July 2014, Mario’s was recognized by MR Magazine as one of the 10 Most Influential Stores in North America. For more than 50 years Mario’s has helped customers express themselves through style.

In September of 2015 Marios entered a partnership with Mitchell Stores. Mario and his family have been great friends of ours for well over 15 years; we couldn’t find a more synergistic business to partner with.

September of 2018 saw the expansion and remodel of the downtown Seattle store and this Fall 2023 the downtown Portland store will complete a year-long expansion and remodel.

Our parents/grandparents, Ed and Norma Mitchell, founded the company in 1958 with three men’s suits, a coffee pot and a dream…

The heart of their extraordinary vision was to “hug” the customer… to enhance and add value to the retail experience by offering unsurpassed service, a uniquely warm environment, to give back to their communities and to build trusting relationships with customers and friends that would last throughout generations.

The first location of the original “Ed Mitchells” was an 800 square-foot former plumbing supply store in Westport, CT. Norma famously brought in her coffee pot each day to make the customers feel at home. For over 50 years, we have strived to carry on that spirit and tradition. Today, we offer lattes and M&M’s, have a dedicated “Kiddie Corner” and much more… we try to do her proud.

Mitchells is still independent, family-owned and operated by a second, third, and fourth generation of Mitchells, and has grown over the years to 25,000 square-feet. We also have expanded the dream into other communities. In 1995, we acquired Richards of Greenwich, a renowned 8,000 sq. ft. luxury men’s retailer, which we have expanded to include a women’s department, and is now 27,000 sq. ft and the winner of numerous retail space design awards. In 2005, we acquired Marshs of Huntington, a 15,000 sq. ft. men’s store, which we have renovated inside and out, adding women’s ready-to-wear, accessories, and jewelry. In September 2015 we transitioned the name to Mitchells.

In December of 2009, saw the acquisition of the Wilkes Bashford stores of San Francisco and Palo Alto to our portfolio. Wilkes Bashford, founded in 1966 by the retail icon of the same name is the Bay Area’s most renowned luxury retailer. In June of 2023 we broke ground on a new 25,000 square foot flagship store in Palo Alto which is scheduled to open Fall of 2024. Until then our current location in Palo Alto will remain open.

October 2014 saw the launch of our long-awaited e-commerce site. Committed to delivering a unique retail experience, we took our time in considering how to best offer the convenience of electronic shopping, while also delivering on our standards for extraordinary customer service in an online environment. Our e-commerce site is designed to be a true extension of our store, offering proprietary, never-before-seen customer service features.

In September 2015, we partnered with Mario Bisio of Marios in Seattle and Portland, and Marios 3.10 in Bridgeport Village. Mario Bisio, Sr. founded the business in the 1960’s, and under the leadership of his son Mario Bisio, Jr. it has expanded to offer three retail stores and has become a leading fashion destination in the Pacific Northwest. Mario and his family have been great friends of ours for well over 15 years; we couldn’t find a more synergistic business to partner with. In September 2018 Seattle was expanded and renovated and our downtown Portland is currently being expanded and renovated to be finished this Fall 2023.

As we have grown over the years to offer eight locations across four brands, we formed a new entity called “Mitchell Stores”. We chose this name because the stores we’ve acquired are also family businesses and we are proud to still be working with members of their founding families. The name also conveys that our business is built on relationships… amongst our associates, designers, and of course, our customers.

We look forward to serving our beloved communities (in person and online) for many generations to come!