No Wire Hangers!

It had to happen. Midpriced menswear retailer are selling high-end suits, like Brooks Brothers' new $2700 "Black Fleece" styles, and Banana Republic's luxury-fiber BR Monogram line. Now, other retailers are selling consumers on high-end hangers

This year, Great American Hanger Co. sent out its first consumer mail-order catalog; sales are projected to reach $10 million, up from $7.5 million in 2006. The Hanger Project, a year-old retailer, recently placed a wholesale order for 10,000 hangers; it's first, last fall. was for 800 Premium hangers boast details like extrawide shoulders, flocked, nonslip trouser bars, a range of widths to accommodate different suit sizes, and a variety of finishes to match your closet. Oh, and they cost as much as $35. Each.

The emperor's new clothes hangers?
Not necessarily, says Alan Katzman of Alan Couture, a bespoke clothier in Manhattan whose suits range from $5,000 to #30,000. He calls quaility hangers a must. Unlike the dreaded wire versions, hangers with wide shoulders and a broader overall design prolong a garment's life by preventing sagging or stretching. We followed his advice and ordered top-of-the-line models of solid wood.

Still, even a five figure-suit man has his spending limit. When we showed our selection to Mr. Katzman and told him the raw cedar version form Woodlore cost $35, he burst out laughing. He also deemed it, and the similarly unfinished cedar hanger from the great American Hanger Company, unpleasantly rough. (Both companies say if cedar is varnished, it loses its moth-repelling qualities.)
The smooth, hardwood model form hangers Direct had a different problem: Mr. Katzman said its sloped shoulder bars would, over time, make a suit droopy.

Best Value this week is the model from Henry Hanger Co., the same one Mr. Latzman uses in his shop. It has clean lines, with a thick, flocked trouser bar to keep pants from
slipping or creasing. Although there´s a 12 piece minimum, the price works out to $10.50 each. Our expert gave an enthusiastic Best Overall to the $21.95-a-pop entry from the Hanger Project. They're pricey, but Mr. Katzman loved the extrawide shoulders and topdrawer finish.