This past week, my wife Bianca and I traveled out to San Francisco to attend the 10th Anniversary part of The Style Forum, one of the largest, most diverse, and most engaged community for men's style and fashion. This was a special trip for us given that The Hanger Project begun on both The Style Forum and Ask Andy About Clothes.

We displayed our complete collection of wooden hangers and Saphir Shoe Polish -- even allowing those present to size their hangers.

We thank The Style Forum for 10 great years and look forward to the next!

Strengthening our commitment to Luxury Shoecare, we have just received new shoetrees from European-based La Cordonnerie Anglaise. Crafted in France from beechwood, instead of the more common cedarwood, LCA's Perfecta Shoetrees are the highest-specification, most finely-crafted shoetrees I have ever seen. You definitely pay a premium for the finishing, no doubt, as they are not cheap at $125.00. But if you are spending more on your shoes than most televisions cost these days, you you really cannot afford to be using the best shoetrees.

Available in six different sizes. Click here to purchase.

Read this September 2011 post from blot An American Dandy in Taipei about his experience with shoetrees.

 

We just posted a new guide on How to Clean Suede Shoes. Click the below link to view the guide.

We're currently in the middle of our Twelve Days of Christmas email campaign - and I must admit that it has been tremendously difficult to choose 12 of the over 150 products we have added to our website especially for the holidays.

If you have not already visited our new Holiday Gifting Boutique, I highly suggest you take a look. Over the past six months, I have personally assembled a collection of some of the most incredible products that I have come across through my travels. Many are totally unrelated to our primary product categories, but are nonetheless things that I am certain any customer of ours would enjoy.

Though the next several days, I am going to try to spotlight some of the products that have not made it onto our 12 Days of Christmas list here on the blog.

Happy Holidays!

Kirby Allison, founder

Simon Compton, the writer from blog Permament Style in London, recently wrote a piece I enjoyed on how to buy quality shoes. Shoes are often one of the most overlooked part of a man's wardrobe, yet one of the most important. A strategic investment in a few nice pairs of shoes can yield dividends for at least a decade. I still wear a few pairs of nice shoes I purchased back in college! And, because of proper care, they still look incredible (actually, even better than when I first purchased them).

And the timing of this article is very is very fortuitous, as my next Special Project is going to be made-to-order shoes from British maker Alfred Sargent. For the money, they are the best value out of all of England.

Read Simon's article about buying quality shoes.

Women of style, instead of simply buying clothes that are trendy that they will wear one season then toss out, have the ability to appreciate the craftsmanship of good, quality designer garments. Sure,they purchase items that are on top of trends that they know won't last a lifetime in their closet, but the true staples in their closets are great, classic pieces that they can wear, re-wear and style in many different ways.

We read countless articles and books on "closet staples" and those "pieces every woman should have in her closet," but we are forgetting one, significant detail. What happens to our clothes when we aren't wearing them? Odds are, our clothes spend more time in our closets then on our bodies. Women take care of their garments while they are wearing them. They don't wear their wool, winter-white pants on a day full of sleet and snow. They are sure to take extra care in not ripping the trains of their evening gowns while dancing. So what are we doing to prevent damage to our garments while not wearing them? Most likely, nothing. One of the leading causes of garment damage is improperly sized hangers. Sounds like such a minor detail, yet when you really think about it, your clothes essentially live, and can die, in your closet.

Kirby Allison's Hanger Project has been providing men with wooden luxury hangers for years, and now, with a new Runway Collection specifically designed with women in mind, ladies' closets are about to get a makeover. Everything about these hangers say "luxury." From the high-quality beech wood construction and glossy mahogany finish, to the felted shoulders that prevent slipping and stretching, the KAHP Runway Collection provides women with a hanger that will prevent damage to every garment in their closet.

There are two widths available to ensure proper sizing. Dimples in the shoulders of our sweaters from too wide hangers? A thing of the past. Saggy shoulders in our silk blouses from too short hangers? Not anymore. The hangers come in Petite (15.0") and Standard (17.0") sizes. There are three profiles and seven hangers to guarantee the perfect fit: a suit and jacket hanger, a blouse and dress hanger, and a shirt, trouser, and skirt hanger.

Suit and Jacket Hanger

Blouse and Dress Hanger

Shirt, Trouser, and Skirt Hanger

An added bonus of these multi-purpose hangers is the visual cohesiveness. Each hanger has the same side-profile, which enhances the visual organization and harmony of your closet. No longer do you have to look at a closet of mixed and matched hangers. Seriously, toss those wire hangers. Quickly.

Though it may not have been something you have thought about before, I am sure you are contemplating what your current hangers are doing to your clothes right now. Just hanging, poorly, in your closet. Who knew something so small as hangers, could have such a major impact?

I am excited by the feedback we are receiving about our first Special Project: Bespoke Pearl Cufflinks. It looks like many people are taking this opportunity to acquire an incredible pair of cufflinks for their wardrobes. A few of you have reached out inquiring into the available of matching studs. Yes, matching studs are available and I have added them to the product page.

Diana and Simon designed these studs with the same historical accuracy as the cufflinks. And they are crafted and finished to the exact same standards. They are pictured below in Pearl White, but are available in any of the three colors. Unless otherwise requested, we will match them to the color of your cufflinks.

Each pearl measures 10 mm in diameter and, from the reports from London, they are stunning. They are available for an additional $585.00. The entire set of cufflinks + studs come in at less than $1,000. Which, although not cheap, is a relative bargain given the quality of these cufflinks and studs. Click on the below image to view a larger image.

Click here to Purchase

As many of you know, I have been doing quite a bit of international travel recently in search of new products for The Hanger Project (see Pitti Uomo Part 1 and Pitti Uomo Part 2). While exploring the world of luxury menswear, I have had an opportunity to meet some passionate artisans producing incredible products. In many instances, these individuals came from legacies of family artisans producing younameit for generations.

The Hanger Project is, though, what it is -- a small, luxury garment care niche. Many of these products very clearly fall outside the scope of this project. However, as many of my customers share my same passion for classic menswear and artisanship, I felt compelled to offer access to some of these products somehow.

Enter: The Special Projects Series

The Hanger Project was borne, quite literally, out of a simple project to create the best hanger possible. Why not offer these same products in a series of small special projects. Small, finite in duration, but exceptional and distinguished in their offering, just like The Hanger Project. They would allow me a platform to offer KAHP customers access, for a limited time, to incredible products not available here in the United States.

I have designed a series of Special Projects that I will be launching during the remainder of the year.

The First Special Project: Bespoke Pearl Cufflinks

The inaugural Special Project is Simon Compton from Permanent Style's Cufflink Project. Simon is the UK's leading authority on classic men's tailoring. His blog Permanent Style is followed by over 100,000 readers a month. Just as I found myself disappointed with ineffective, plastic hangers, Simon found himself disappointed with not being able to find classic, yet beautifully-crafted cufflinks. So he partnered with renowned London jeweler Diana Maynard to design and commission a limited edition series of Pearl cufflinks crafted from sterling silver. The detail and thoughtfullness put into these cufflinks could only be the result of a keen personal interest. They are, without question, some of the finest craftsmanship coupled with proper design and execution I've ever seen.

I approached Simon about being allowed to offer my customers the opportnity to commission these cufflinks. He, gladly, obliged (for a few free hangers, of course). So, with this (combined with the other projects not quite being ready) we have the first Special Project. Click on the below image to learn more about our bespoke pearl cufflinks.

After months of preparation and collaboration, we are pleased to announce our feature in Wallpaper* Magazine’s August “Handmade” issue. The feature is our first in the prestigious magazine and we could not be more proud. In the issue, we showcase handmade, one-of-a-kind luxury wooden hangers. The feature is a testament to everything The Hanger Project holds in such high esteem: craftsmanship, design and luxury. The hangers are unlike anything anyone has seen before, securing our place in Wallpaper* among highly regarded designers and companies. The exciting collaboration led to an expansion of our capacities and capabilities that will trickle down to our standard product collection.

Wallpaper* reached out to The Hanger Project in January 2011 inviting us to participate in their Handmade Project. The Wallpaper* Handmade project is a collaboration between the magazine, master craftsmen, expert manufacturers, and “top-of-their-game” designers. Presented at the Brioni House in Milan, Italy, during the Salone del Mobile furniture and design exhibition. Their challenge for us was to collaborate with their editors to handcraft unique, one-of-a-kind luxury garment hangers for this prestigious show. Together, we sketched a concept that fused the market-leading standards of our luxury wooden hangers and their progressive design insights.

We started with our just-launched Runway Collection of luxury women’s hangers. Already a major innovation in and of itself, we were able to modify the materials and finishing to yield a truly incredible hanger. Instead of our standard birch and maple woods, we selected two of the most exotic woods in the world: Macassar Ebony and Wenge. The incredible wood grain of these woods would require minimal finishing.

The standard shoulder flocking of our Runway Collection was then greatly upgraded by using Christopher Hyland ultra suede hand applied to the shoulders. Again, keeping with the use of only natural, luxury materials.

 

With the design concept in hand, we then had to find a network of craftsmen to help execute it. First, we turned to Pallas Architectural Woodworks, whose workshop boasts extensive custom woodworking experience and for whom exotic hardwoods were familiar. They accepted the challenge and hand-carved our hanger profiles out of solid wooden blocks. The hardness of the Macassar ebony posed a particular challenge, as it was much more difficult than the softer wenge to shape. However, Pallas was able to turn solid blocks of exotic hardwood into perfectly shaped hangers.

Finally, we approached William & Wesley, another custom furniture manufacturer with extensive finishing expertise to collaborate on the finishing of the Wallpaper* profiles. Each hanger was meticulously finished by hand to yield a patina more normally found on heirloom furniture than luxury wooden hangers. Former shoe cobbler Gadiel Ochoa then applied the ultra suede by hand to the hanger shoulders by fusing traditional cobbling and modern upholstery techniques. The richness of this fabric perfectly complimented the luxury of the Macassar and wenge woods, while subtly noting each hanger’s intended purpose. This proved to be the most difficult part of the project; however, Gadiel’s former experience as a shoe cobbler in Cuba enabled him to complete the project with unprecedented skill. The hooks were gold-plated, with jewels discreetly added to the tips, adding an unprecedented level of finish and customization.

 

 

From start to finish, the project took three months to complete after sourcing the wood and finding the proper craftsman. It was a true collaboration between Kirby Allison’s Hanger Project, Pallas Architectural Woodworks and William & Wesley. The project further illustrates KAHP’s commitment to luxury, style, and function and our singularity in a marketplace. The Wallpaper* Handmade hangers by Kirby Allison's Hanger Project are, without question or equal, the world’s most luxurious hangers.

Pitti Uomo is held in Florence, Italy, twice a year at the Fortezza da Basso. With 30,000 dandies, including 20,000 buyers, gathering from around the world, Pitti was quite a site. Upon approaching the entrance to Fortezza da Basso, you are immediately struck by the number of well-dressed men. Ranging from the ultra-fashion forward to the super-sartorical, there was plenty of people to keep the photographers busy.

The scope of the Pitti show is gigantic -- everything from sports and casual wear to the highest-end of classic men's tailoring. Pitti groups all of the exhibitors together by segment, so everyone we wanted to see was basically in just a few of the many buildings. It took me a full day and a half just to wrap our minds around the vendors and who we wanted to speak with.

The primary purpose of the trip was product research for a yet-to-be-revealed concept for 2012. Yes, that's right. Something really exciting that, if all goes well, will include some of the most incredible products from around the world into one place. Of course, Made-in-Italy represents the essence of classic style, elegance, and quality, so no better place to start than there. Most all of the vendors we met with were direct descendents of their respective company's founder. It was quite interesting to see how strong a role family identities played with these artisan companies.

Below is a picture of me with Francesco Maglia, the grandson of the founder of Maglia Francesco, the great-grandson of the founder of Maglia Umbrella Company, the premier manufacture of hand-made umbrellas in the world. Founded in 1854, this company is still run by the Maglia family and produces the most beautiful, well-crafted umbrellas you've ever seen in your life. Francesco was incredibly kind to show me his collection of fine handmade umbrellas.

The full splendor of Italian's leather artisans was also on display at Pitti. From small accessory items to briefcases and shoes, the Italians are some of the best leather workers in the world. A big fan of travel bags and briefcases, I greatly enjoyed inspecting the products of the many different artisans at the show. Below is a picture of me with two of the family members of this one Italian briefcase and belt company. Mother and daughter, they look more like sisters!

The scope and number of beautiful products one can find at Pitti is by no question overwhelming. The trip was incredibly inspirational, and I hope to soon have the privilege of offering some of these masterpieces on The Hanger Project. Bianca and I definitely are planning to return to Pitti in January of 2012. On our next trip, we hope to have the opportunity after the show to actually go and visit some of the factories where these incredible artisans produce their beautiful products.

For the first time, my wife Bianca and I traveled to Italy to attend the semi-annual Italian menswear event, Pitti Uomo -- the pinnacle of Made-in-Italy atrisanship. Unless you are in the menswear industry, you have probably never heard of this show. However, for the sartorically-inclined, this is a pilgrimage worth making, as do about 30,000 people from around the world. In January and June of ever year, some of the most fashionable dandies converge on Florence to see what the best Italian artisans have developed for the following season.

Many of my friends in the business had been telling me the importance of attending this event for quite some time. However, as many of you may understand, a trip to Italy is not cheap, especially with the state of the dollar. Originally scheduled for January 2012, I decided better sooner than later while hearing Ed Shaikh from Hadleigh's Bespoke and William Kissel from Robb Report romance their past trips.

As I am beginning to research some new "special projects" (more to come later) and feeling the need to get out of Texas for a little inspiration, why not. My wife quickly volunteered (or insisted) that she accompany me as an assistant. Of course, I obliged. With that, we were off to Milan, Florence, and Rome with side-trips to Como and Tuscany.

The purpose of the trip was to research new product for The Hanger Project and for some new "special projects" in the works for the balance of 2011 and 2012. If you are already a customer, you will be hearing more about these projects in the near future.

A picture of some of G. Lorenzi's handmade accessories for men through their shop window on via Montenapoleone.

Milan, the fashion capital of Italy and one of its largest cities, seemed like a great place to begin our Italian journey. We knew in advanced that the weather would not be good, so I used this as an excuse to order a pair of ultra-comfortable and water-resistant chukka boots from my good friend Ron at the Rider Boots Company (similar to these, but different color). Armed with these incredible boots and an umbrella, we hit the via Montenapoleone in search for some of Milan's incredible boutiques (despite the rain).

Or first stop was G. Lorenzi. What began in 1929 as a cutlery shop, it eventually evolved, at the demands of clients, to include shave and smoking accessories. Now, one can find a collection of literally thousands of accessories for men handcrafted by the firm. The second floor houses one of the most extensive collection of shaving tools and accessories probably ever compiled, spanning almost two hundred years. The collection counts almost 4,000 safety razors, alone! You must ask to view this collection.

Gianni Agnelli and Bianca Brandolini, two huge Italian socialites, joined us for lunch one table behind us.

Another Milan landmark that was on our list was 10 Corso Como. Founded in 1990 by the former editor of Vogue Italy, 10 Corso Como's store and cafe has become an institution frequented by Milan's fashion elite. If you take a close look at this picture of me and Bianca, you'll see that socialites Lapo Elkann, grandson of Fiat founder Gianni Agnelli, and his girlfriend Bianca Brandolini. They declined to join us for lunch.

Milan is a beautiful city and, honestly, was our favorite. We enjoyed that the city was big enough to not be dominated by tourists yet still retained a distinctly Italian feel. The people watching was incredible and the piazzas always filled more with local Milanese than tourists with cameras.

 

Piazza Duomo at night.	The friendly bar hands at the Gia Como restaurant overlooking the Duomo.

One of the many beauties of Milan is the fact that Lake Como is a short 45 minute train ride from the city (provided that you are able to find the train schedule -- I highly recommend printing out a schedule before arriving at the train station; the lines are terrible). We were able to stay at a charming hotel right next door to Villa d'Este, one of the premier properties on the lake and host to the annual Concorso d'Eleganza classic car show. Although we abstained from the $1,000-a-night rooms, we did certainly enjoy their bar during the evening. To the right is a picture of us with a guest's Ferrari. He declined my offer to take his photography but instead kindly offered to take a picture of us; sadly, his offer did not include the keys, but we nonetheless graciously accepted.

Twice a year, the world converges on Florence, Italy, for Pitti Uomo, Italy's men's trade show. My wife Bianca and I will be attending this event for our first time looking for new products to feature on The Hanger Project. We will be arriving in Milan, then going to Florence for Pitti, before continuing to Rome, where we will depart.

If you have any favorite Italian stores or secretes from your travels, please do share them with us. You will be able to follow our sartorial journey through this blog, as I will be posting frequent updates of what we see.

Below are some of the suggested stores that others have already suggested we visit. If you have any to add, please do share by emailing me at kirbya (at) hangerproject.com.

Florence	Milan	Rome
Aspesi Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella Ferragamo museum S. Spirito Gallery Art Hotel The Four Seasons	Bulgari Hotel Principe for drinks Cucchi via Manzoni, della Spiga, Montenapoleone La Brera Tortona Culti Loro Piana Luxottica eyewear G. Lorenzi Brioni 10 Corso Como Azucena Danese De Padova Nilufar Gallery Triennale Fornasetti Rossana Orlandi	Sadly don't have very many good suggestions for Rome at the moment.

Help support the trip. Buy some hangers! ;)

I often receive the question of why we do not manufacture any wooden hangers out of cedar. In fact, I receive this question so often, that I thought I would go ahead and write a blog post describing why you actually would never want a hanger made from cedar.

First, in order for cedar to be aromatic, it has to be unfinished. The problem with an unfinished hanger, even an extremely well-sanded one, is that the unfinished wood could splinter and snag fabrics. Imagine pulling your suit hanger off of a hanger only to have it snag some fibers. It would be tragic.

Second, I love the smell of cedar. I do not have a cedar closet, but one day, would like to. However, I do not like cedar enough to want to walk around all day smelling like it. If we made a hanger out of cedar, when you pulled your suit jacket off of it, it, too, would smell like cedar. Great for shoes. Bad for clothing.

Third, Cedar is not as effective as many believe at protecting garments against moths. Garment Bags are really the best means of protecting a garment against these creatures. So, a cedar hanger is not going to provide adequate protection against moths.

Rest assured, though, that we are steadfast working on adding new products that would aid the well-dressed in their quest to defend their wardrobes against cloth-eating insects.

If you have any questions or counters to my thinking, please, by all means, reach out to me directly and let me know!

Check out these new Ultimate Closet Essentials! Upgrade your closets for the New Year with the ultimate closet accessories that will protect and extend the life of your wardrobe while adding style back into the morning and evening rituals of going out.

Here at Kirby Allison's Hanger Project, we take great in providing the well-dressed with the best possible hangers available anywhere. Not just any ordinary hanger, but luxury wooden hangers that protect and extend the life of wardrobes. Remember, our clothes do spend more time in our closets than on our shoulders, so if we want to take care of them, we have to take care of them in the closet.

One of the ways that we provide the most functional hangers of anywhere in the world is by focusing on providing the greatest variety of functional profiles anywhere instead of finishes. Our KAHP brand finish is cross between a beautiful cherry wood and walnut with brass hardware.

All hangers in the KAHP brand finish are available in stock and for immediate shipment. However, sometimes clients come to us with special concerns for custom finish. We are able to custom-manufacture any hanger in any finish with a proper custom-production lead time. Below are some thumbnails of some of the custom-production projects we have done for our clients. If you are interested in custom production wooden hangers, please contact Kirby Allison directly at customerservice@hangerproject.com.

I'm excited to write that our new Runway Collection of luxury women's hangers has cleared customs and is en route to our warehouse in Dallas. This new collection of wooden hangers is the result of over 18 months of product collaboration with some of the industry's leading stylists. And we are quite happy with it's success.

The collection is comprised of three profiles, with the Suit Hanger and Skinny Top/Bottom hanger being offered in three different configurations. Below is an overview of the entire collection. More information to follow!

The Profiles

The Configurations

High-Quality Beech Wood Construction

Beech wood is a high density hardwood, which gives the wood great strength and durability. Its beautiful wood grain has made it a popular choice for high-end furniture and paneling.

High-Gloss Mahogany Finish with Brass Hardware

The high-gloss mahogany finish gives the hangers a beautiful, scratch-resistant luster that showcases the beech wood grain. Paired with brass hardware, the deep-brown finish retains a refined, classic essence with modern detailing. (Note: photographs are from production samples that had chrome hardware. Actual hangers do not have chrome -- they have brass hardware).

Felted Shoulders – The Runway Collection Touch

The shoulders of each hanger are finished with opulent purple felting, which securely, but gently grips garments naturally (not plastic or rubber). Added traction prevents garments from sliding off hangers or, even worse, stretching, which occurs when the garment slides down the hanger but does not fall off.

Two Widths Available – Petite 15.0” and Standard 17.0”

One size does not fit all when it comes to your wardrobe; the same should be true when it comes to your hangers. Improperly sized hangers are one of the leading causes of garment damage and increases dry cleanings. The available of two sizes ensures that your hangers properly fit and protect your wardrobe.

Heightened Visual Cohesiveness

When hung in the closet, KAHP’s entire Runway Collection retains the same, consistent side-profile throughout the entire closet. This enhances the visual organization and harmony in the closet.

Three Profiles and Seven Hangers Guarantee Perfect Fit

With seven hangers in three distinct profiles, every garment in your wardrobe is protected with a specifically-designed hanger profile. The unprecedented breadth of this collection is an industry first. Profile A and Profile C hangers available in three configurations: no hardware, delicate clips, and felted trouser bar.

After a few months of incredibly-strong sales of our luxury shoe polishes by Saphir, I decided to take a trip up to New York to introduce it to some editors of Men's magazines. And I thought what better way than by flying the best shoe guy up there with me (Rickey Thornton, Morning Glory Shoe Service) to perform spectacular shines with it.

You may ask how things went -- well, incredibly well. The editors at all of the magazines enjoyed greatly their shoe love. What I can report is that although there are more shoe shine stands in New York than any place I have ever seen, they are not nearly utilized enough because some shoes were in desperate need of some care.

Luckily, it was the perfect job for Saphir Renovateur. If you have only one shoe care item, this is the one to have. Most importantly, it restores the vital moisture to leather, preventing it from drying and, eventually, cracking, which is about the worst damage that can occur to a pair of shoes. What makes this product even better is that it can be used on any pair of shoes, regardless of finish, and can achieve quite a nice shine.
 

Hopefully you'll be reading more about The Hanger Project soon in your favorite magazine!

Also, special thanks to Nick at B. Nelson's Shoes for lending me his portable shoe shine stand.

Thomas Mahon at English Cut is perhaps the most well-known bespoke tailor in the world. His blog, English Cut, was the first of its kind to open the private world of bespoke British clothing to the sartorially-curious and receives thousands of visits daily. English Cut brings forth for its readers the distinctions that define bespoke tailoring. Kirby Allison's Hanger Project is proud to have been selected by Tom as his exclusive provider of Luxury Garment Hangers for all bespoke suit deliveries. Click the below logo to visit English Cut and learn more about the world of Savile Row Bespoke Tailoring.

Welcome to Kirby Allison's Hanger Project Blog! Well overdue, I now look forward to sharing with you my interests with you on a more regular basis. I founded Kirby Allison's Hanger Project almost four years ago out of frustration with the lack of wooden hangers that actually protected and extended the life of my bespoke suits. Over the years and, most often, at the request of customers, we have slowly grown into providing a greater array of garment car accessories.

In addition to our full collection of wooden hangers for both men and women, we carry a full collection of shoe care products and other garment care items.

I invite you to engage with me as I journey through the world of luxury garment care -- if you have questions, please send them to me through our "Contact Us" section or by posting a comment.

Cheers,

Kirby Allison
Founder
Kirby Allison's Hanger Project