Author: Nick Hilton
I have been seeking truth and meaning in my life for many years. Most days an idea will occur to me, inspired study of spiritual writings, my life as a sober alcoholic/addict these last forty-five years, as a parent, a husband, a friend like you, sometimes even by my life as a clothier for a half-century.
There are two reason why I want to share them with you. First, in order to understand. Because to communicate these ideas I will have to clarify them in my own mind, to turn them from suspicions into beliefs. I may reject some of them in the process, finding them misguided or untrue. I do have thoughts every day, but some of them prove unworthy of your interest. So I won't post every day. I pray you, reader, be patient with me.
I believe it is possible that thoughts like these may be interesting and valuable to you. I hope so. And I hope you'll let me know if so.
Here’s looking at you, kid.
This is not your grandfather’s
sharkskin suit.
Yes, it is tailored in the U.S.A. by the venerable Hickey Freeman.
And yes, the fabric has the step weave pattern of the original. But this is a very modern interpretation:
Lightweight, clear, luxurious touch.
Flattering cut,
international flair.
This suit is for you, kid.
Gatsby’s Ghost – A History of Modern Style – II
What’s a Norman Hilton?
He first learned “St. Grottlesex” style from his New England pals at Princeton in the late 30s. Then, after the Navy in WWII and earning a Harvard MBA, he started Norman Hilton Country Jackets, using his grandfather’s New Jersey clothing factory, and pretty quickly became the leader in off-the-rack Ivy League tweeds. Suits came along in the early 50s, the Country Jackets name went away, and the Norman Hilton label was legendary.
He was, he would say, an overnight success, but it was his love of the craft that made the time seem to fly, because in fact it took years. Always, always, he insisted on three things: 1) nothing but the best – fabric, tailoring, finishing; 2) the silhouette of the jacket should comfortably follow body lines; and 3) the most elegant possible image in marketing.
Today, a Norman Hilton garment, available only through Nick Hilton Princeton, represents the same great taste in cloth, excellence in fit, and quality of workmanship as the original. There is no other American-made product that is tailored with the same care and expertise. The typical custom-made garment in this collection takes six weeks to produce and costs $2000 and up.
The Norman Hilton Country Jacket line has been revived recently, offering our ready-made and on-line customers the authentic quality of Made in America, fine quality tweeds and comfortable fit as what made Norman Hilton that legendary name in quality men’s clothing. Norman Hilton ready-to-wear jackets retail for $700.
The Three Wise(est) Men of Retail – A Triple Eulogy
Defining “The Merchant”
Much of what I know about retailing I learned from my association with three men — all gone now — personally different but all alike in their passion for style and absolute refusal to compromise. All three of them, children of the Great Depression, entered their families’ businesses and ultimately transformed them; all of them believed that their customers would care for quality and style more than they cared about price; all of them created apparel retailing environments for men and women that were luxurious in service and appointments; all were gifted with a prescience about coming trends of style, but each man interpreted these trends differently.
Of the three, Fred was the most kind; he could find the most polite words to use while telling me how to redesign my entire product offering. Murray had no editor; he would say whatever he thought, no sugar-coating, no apologies, but he knew and respected talent, and he was dead-on about what would sell. Cliff was spooky-quiet mostly, on rare occasions avuncular, but always direct and to the point, as in “Get this out of my sight.” And I would…
The institutions they ran have all outlived them, (Barneys only by being taken over more than once,) and it remains to be seen how the idiosyncratic vision and resolve of these men will continue to infuse their stores; but for me and those who follow in their footsteps they left a well-marked path.
Be unique — seek out and offer products that are rare.
Be fine — don’t worry how expensive it is, just be sure that it is worth the money.
Be yourself — trust your instincts, go with your gut, and never, ever, compromise.
“We’ve constantly striven to be as upscale as possible within the milieu of our particular type of clothing, which is quite cosmopolitan in image. It’s still soft and not exaggerated, easy to wear, hopefully subtle, understated and flattering.”
Clifford Grodd (1924 – 2010)
—Paul Stuart
“We edit a line, buying in a very narrow, focused way. The customer must believe we know how to help him get dressed. We pick the best, beginning at the fabric-mill level.”
“A store like this can’t have what everybody else has.”
Murray Pearlstein (1929 – 2013)
—LouisBoston
“I wasn’t interested in competing with designers or brands who put their names in other places. I felt that if we didn’t know our customer better than someone sitting 1,000 miles away, then we didn’t belong in the same business.”
Fred Pressman (1923 – 1996)
—Barneys New York
Gatsby’s Ghost – A History of Modern Style
Gant didn’t invent the oxford button down, but they popularized it, the way Norman Hilton did for natural shoulder sport jackets. My father shared a showroom with Marty Gant at 200 Fifth Avenue in the early days of Ivy-League. They were pals. They had the same stores as customers and they traveled around selling together, played golf, and hung out. I remember boxes of Gant button-down oxford shirts arriving at the holidays. Yellow, pink, blue and white. I remember the label, even; with the big, red G. They had a little belt loop kind of a deal in the middle of the back my Mom used to hang them on hooks in my closet. That was what my brothers and I wore to church, with skinny little clip-on ties.
Button-down collar oxford shirts started out as dress-up clothes and wound up being sportswear. A guy can wear a button-down oxford with jeans, khakis, linens, or fine dress trousers; even Carolina-style, with shorts. He can wear it untucked, with the sleeves rolled up, or spiff it — hard finish worsted slacks and a sport jacket, grey flannels, a blazer, even a tie.
People should try occasionally to be creative, to carry off things that are unusual and innovative and personally expressive. So if someone says Thou Shalt or Shalt Not Wear This or That they thwart the creative drive that can make someone able to dress really well. But I will say for the record that it is a mistake to wear a button-down collar shirt with a tie and a suit. Like wearing boat shoes with the suit; not much better than a pocket protector. Button-down, no tie with suit?
Cognoscenti’s Note A Scottish textile company once named their four basic weaves after four institutions of higher learning; so once upon a time there was “Cambridge,” weave, and “Harvard” and even “Yale,” in addition to “Oxford.” (Princeton apparently was left out.) There is also a basic style of shoes called “Oxfords.” Interesting, right? Perhaps the name itself leads to persistent popularity. I can’t think of anything we wear now referred to as a “Yale.” In any case “Oxford” is a type of weave. It is a one-over-one construction, the most basic weave there is. Regular, traditional oxford is kind of heavy, and has a richly firm drape. Pinpoint oxford is the same construction, but done with much smaller yarns, so that the cloth is lighter and has more flexibility. Both should feel soft and comfortable; both should wear well. Regular, heavy oxford, though, looks like nothing else. The real thing. Pinpoint is more comfortable around your neck, especially with a tie. The colors, especially blue, are soft and versatile because the vertical or warp yarns alternate color-white-color, and so the overall look of a colored oxford shirt is softer than strictly solid cloth.
McCarter Theatre
“Scenery. Youthful University vibe. Good schools. Nice downtown. Et cetera.” It’s the doorstep real estate speech about Our Town. “Yes, but…” says the newcomer, “a lot of towns have those…” And then we get to The Cultural Benefits, and first on the list: McCarter Theatre.
Latest accomplishment: the development and out-of-town production, under the supervision of McCarter’s Artistic Director Emily Mann, of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike – this year’s Tony Award for Best Play.
A Tony! Best Play! Yet another example of the quality, expertise, and overall excellence available right here in your own backyard. Another reason for us to crow: Princeton Is The Best Place In The World.
Weekly Wardrobe Tip
Hardly a day goes by that we’re not asked, “What should I do? Cuffs or plain bottoms?”
We kind of think that a man can choose these details himself, based on his own personal preferences and tastes. But when someone asks, we have to answer; and when we answer, we want our answer to be helpful, well thought-out, and practical. We do not know who made up the pseudo-rule that says “Cuffs With Pleats, Plain Bottoms With Plain Fronts,” but like so many old saws we hear in the retail world, it’s just stupid. What relationship is there between pleats and cuffs? Why the rule is relevant today, when pleats are going the way of the 4-inch lapel is anybody’s guess.
So we answer with a question: “Will you be wearing these trousers with a sport jacket or a blazer?” That is, are they meant for dress-wear, or for more casual occasions? If they are meant to be part of a tailored outfit, we think they should look tailored, with cuffed bottoms. If they are for more casual occasions, and never to be worn with blazers and so on, then go cuffless by all means.
Or (and here’s the real news) decide for yourself. Sometimes the fabric, the cut, the color, or simply the mood you happen to be in can determine it. Just remember that cuffs are a more traditional touch, and make up your own mind.
For a good overview of this subject, you might want to visit a great blog: http://www.hisstylediary.com/2012/03/29/anatomy-of-the-trousers/ There you’ll find some handy tips and guides like this:
Nick Hilton Father’s Day Photo Contest – Vacation in Antigua
My wonderful father took us on a dream vacation to Antigua- where we were treated to beautiful beaches, at delicious food, and were serenaded with lovely island music.
Name: Stefanie Hutchinson
Nick Hilton Father’s Day Photo Contest – Last Dance Performance
One of my favorite “fatherhood moments”- a warm embrace following my very last dance performance. My dad has happily sat through every excruciatingly long dance recital, for both my sister and I, since we were little girls; it just goes to show you how strong a fathers love is for his daughters.
Name: Stefanie Hutchinson
Nick Hilton Father’s Day Photo Contest – Golfing with Dad in a Snow storm.
For a number of years, my two sons and I shared Father-Sons getaway golf weekends. In October,2000, the three of us traveled to Kohler, Wisconsin to play the famous Whistling Straits Golf Course, the home of a number of major golf events in the past. It was a wonderful experience, including the final day, when we played 18 holes in a driving snowstorm. The photos of the three of us putting out on greens covered in snow are priceless and shall always be remembered and treasured as one of our most enjoyable and unforgettable times together.
Name: Don Healy
Nick Hilton - Reflections 