Hangers from The Hanger Project (www.hangerproject.com) are nice. Very nice. They are works of art in design and craftsmanship in construction. If I could, all my clothes would hang on these hangers.
But that doesn’t mean I’d spend any money on them.
Kirby Allison, the founder of The Hanger Project, offered to send me a couple to try them out and, if I liked them, review them here. I had seen the project mentioned and was interested to know what could actually be added to the normal suit hanger.
Well, the most important thing is size. The suit hangers come in three shoulder sizes: 17, 18.5 and 20 inches. So by picking one that is closest to your own shoulders, you will ensure that your perfectly tailored jacket has the perfect support.
This is particularly important for larger men, as hangers are normally too narrow for them. The 20-inch size offered here is bigger than anything else on the market and makes sure the padding of a jacket doesn’t sag over the end of the hanger, slowly destroying its construction.
There are other benefits – the sculpting of the line of the hanger to follow the shoulders, the 2.5-inch shoulder flares and the felted trouser bar. But as long as you already hang your trousers from something with a little friction, and never hang a nice jacket on a wire hanger, these benefits are fairly marginal.
For it is true that a wire hanger can lead to collapsed shoulders, which is a real pity. But no man that cares about his clothes would do this. All my jackets currently sit on wide plastic or wooden hangers. They’re not perfectly sized, but they’re not wire either and the shoulders are in no danger of collapsing.
I’ve gathered those hangers by asking for them when I buy a nice suit, or raiding them from new flats I move into. So it’s debateable whether I actually need hangers from The Hanger Project, even if I wanted them.
I am also sceptical that the project’s hangers are have “the widest available” shoulder flares. I have one hanger from Etro that has such wide flares it doesn’t fit any other suit.
And the justification for the premium shirt and trouser hangers is less than that for a jacket. Shirt hangers come in two sizes, again useful for larger men (of which I am not one), and trouser hangers are felted rather than clamping the trouser in place (something I would also avoid anyway).
I reiterate – these are beautiful hangers. They make my closet look better, my clothes hang better and both smell better (solid maple wood). But I’m not sure I will ever pay $25 for one.
3 Guest Comments »
1.
Good review Simon, though I’m not sure I agree with your conclusions. If a gentleman is willing to invest in quality clothing which will serve him well for several years and cost anywhere in the range of $1,000-$5,000 (suit), $100-$400 (shirt), and somewhere in between for trousers, why wouldn’t he be willing to spend $25 on a hanger which will store this investment properly? I hope you’re not going to recommend plastic shoe trees next.
Comment by Ben — March 20, 2009 #
2.
I agree with Simon, it would be hard to justify the price when you can buy decent wooden hangers for so much less. They are nice though. Perhaps with for those of us with greater means it would be wise purchase.
Comment by Thestyleadvisor — March 21, 2009 #
3.
I spend four to five times more on a suit then I do a pair of shoes. With each pair of shoes, I purchase, I buy a set of shoe trees, usually at $20 each. Why wouldn’t I give the same care to my suits? If they truly keep the suit in better condition then other hangers, I don’t see the problem. Plus, it’s not is if I personally own 50 suits. A half dozen is more like it. (I own far mores shoes!)
Comment by Turling — March 21, 2009 #
As Ben says, this is cheap relative to decent clothing and, unlike plastic hangars, these won’t crack or force you to look at advertising (often misleading when a bespoke suit sits on a ‘Prada’ hangar for example).
You don’t need to be of means. Given a conservative 20 year lifespan, these hangars are cheap by almost any standard (if properly constructed and from a sustainable source).
£700 shoes and plastic hangars? Really?
they are really very nice;)
I do not recommend The Hanger Project, at least not in the UK. Their stock availability is not great, they are unable to deliver on time and substitute products for “similar” products without asking. Their customer service is not working properly – perhaps because they are still ramping up in the UK. They outsource delivery and returns to a third party delivery company, which does not process returns.
Hi Simon,
How do you normally fold your pleated trousers to preserve the crease for as long as possible?
My best,
Bernie
Just like regular ones, carefully in half, over a hanger. One pleat will probably run into that central crease. The only alternative is to hang them by the cuffs, with hangers with clips on them. That way gravity helps retain the crease
Hi Simon,
Do you use these for casual jackets as well? If not, what kind of hanger would you recommend for a suede jacket? My hanger seems to be too narrow and appears like it is leaving indentations on the shoulder region of my suede jacket.
Yes, although anything of the right width is fine – you don’t need a luxury hanger.
On suede, keep in mind that there is not padding in there so no long-lasting damage will be done by those indentations.
Simon – I’ve recently purchased broad shouldered hangers which have small rubber spikes running along the trouser bar. Is this something you would avoid using with wool / worsted trousers as it can damage the fibres, or not something to worry about really? Is felt a much better alternative?
I’d be careful with delicate fabrics and lift them off more than yank them, but it will probably be fine