Since 1883...
A Box of Texas Luxury

Anyone who knows me has probably heard me say “greatness is in the details.”  I apply this belief as a barometer to measure most things I come across both animate & inanimate.  It is also my belief that luxury is defined by the details.  A truly luxurious item ought to have the details addressed to the point where the experience is nearly imperceptible.  By this definition, luxury can come at any price.

Hamilton Shirts, the country’s oldest family owned custom shirtmaker meets my criteria of both greatness & luxury – & then some.  Founded by brothers J. Brooke & Edward J. Hamilton in 1883, Hamilton Shirts has enjoyed a position as one of the country’s preeminent custom shirt houses from the unlikely location of… Houston, TX.  In retail, it is said that location is everything, but their client roster which includes international style makers the likes of Simon Doonan & Tom Kalenderian of Barney’s New York is proof positive that quality of this sort transcends location.

Since the company was founded, the only way to get a Hamilton Shirt was to have it custom made, in their Houston atelier.  This is a formula that was obviously working, but by definition, limited the reach of the brand.  When the 4th generation brother & sister team David & Kelly Hamilton took over the company they were intent upon bringing the company to the next level & that included the launch of a RTW collection as a celebration of the brand’s 125th year, under the label, "Hamilton Shirts 1883".

Inspiration for 1883 came as the brother-sister duo looked through decades’ worth of Hamilton patterns, stylebooks & photographs, common threads in the shirtmaker’s history emerged: a sense of style that is thoroughly American & uniquely Texan, in addition to a tradition of quality & attention to detail that has made loyal Hamilton customers of businessmen, generations of oil barons & ranchers. David & Kelly saw the anniversary as the opportune time to celebrate Hamilton’s heritage & identity while launching something completely new. So, with an eye on the future & a nod to the past, 1883 was born.

Each model in the 1883 line features modern interpretations of classic Hamilton details, such as dedicated pen pockets, subtle western-style yokes & contrast stitching. The line uses the same top-quality Swiss & Italian fabric as Hamilton’s legendary bespoke shirts, ranging from lightweight cottons to traditional oxfords for year-round comfort, but pairs it with a more relaxed construction with little or no lining in collars, plackets & cuffs. Limited production runs & access to more than 1,700 fabrics means the line will always be changing, an evolution that will be based in part on feedback from 1883 customers — a benefit of Hamilton’s small, family-run business model. The result is a series of shirts that are timeless & of the minute, comfortable & casual. A true reflection of American style, but in this case with a strong dose of local Texan flavor.

Prices for the 1883 collection open at $165 for short-sleeved & $185 for long-sleeved models. 1883 is available at Hamilton’s flagship store in Houston (located at 5700 Richmond, Houston TX 77057) & online at www.hamilton1883.com.

But make no mistake, RTW doesn’t mean lack of quality, or some paired down version of the Hamilton tradition.  David Hamilton says it best, “At whatever price point we offer a shirt, it has to be the best.  At this price point, this is the best shirt there is.”  Having experienced the Hamilton 1883 first hand, I can tell you, Mr. Hamilton’s words ring true & he has achieved luxury status, as his shirts painstakingly address every detail, right down to the seeming unimportant one of the string used on the hang tag... "greatness..."

-Scott French