Category: Blog

The Three Wise(est) Men of Retail – A Triple Eulogy

Nick Hilton

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.

 

Cliff Grodd

 

“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

 

 

 

 

 

Murray Pearlstein

 

 

“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

 

 

 

 

 

Fred Pressman

 

“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

Nick Hilton

Gant Oxfords 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

Nick Hilton

photo (2)

  “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

Nick Hilton

Trouser bottoms

 

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:

Trouser bottoms

 

Nick Hilton Father’s Day Photo Contest – Last Dance Performance

Nick Hilton
Favorite Fatherhood Moment
Favorite Fatherhood Moment

 

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.

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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

Immigration Debate? Not here!

Nick Hilton

Par Tha Hniang

Par Tha   Par Tha’s flight from political repression to the American dream is the stuff that movies are made of!  Having learned her craft and honed her tailoring skills in her home town of Ha Kha, in the Chin State of Myanmar (Burma,) with her husband Zabik and their three children, Par Tha was forced to flee the country (on foot, through Thai jungle) as a political refugee and was brought to Princeton by the dedicated members of the Nassau Church Mission and Outreach Committee.

     Having mastered the alterations basics, Par Tha has visited custom factories and furthered her knowledge of tailoring, fitting, balance and finishing. In her six years as head tailor at Nick Hilton, Par Tha’s wonderful attitude and tremendous skills have been an integral element the growth and customer satisfaction we have achieved.    

         Par Tha and her husband, Zabik Thaing, and their children Azing, Van Lal, and Rem Rem became citizens last summer.