Hackett: Celebrating 40 Years of Exceptional Menswear

Jeremy Hackett founded his eponymous menswear brand in 1983 on the King’s Road in Chelsea, making a name for himself selling pre-loved tailoring long before online vintage dealing became popular today. Back then, he would visit London’s street markets buying essential gentleman’s clothing such as bespoke Savile Row suits, Aquascutum raincoats, tweed jackets and corduroy trousers “all done well with a good cut and cloth”, displaying them beautifully in the style of a gentleman’s outfitters.

The canny retailer then decided to launch a range of new clothes and so Hackett was born. Instant hits included the numbered polo shirt and country-style hunting jackets, beloved by Sloane Rangers and Yuppies.

Today, the Hackett menswear collections – Hackett London, Savile Row Collection Harry Edition and Hackett Sport – still revolve around impeccable tailoring complemented by luxurious casualwear. For Autumn/Winter 2023, softly tailored and lightweight tweed jackets are offered in gilet and safari styles. Its popular chinos come in a gamut of colours, while its signature polo shirts remain best sellers. The brand also has strong sporting links with the likes of Henley Royal Regatta and Aston Martin.

This year, to mark its 40th anniversary, Hackett has created a variety of 1983 sportswear to commemorate the occasion along with a limited-edition tweed cloth for bespoke customers. Four decades on and it is clearly doing something right. “Today, retail is an incredibly competitive world and no matter how good your products are, if you don’t offer good service the customer will go elsewhere. That’s why we go the extra mile,” says the ever-dapper founder and chairman of the brand.

With regards to milage of the geographical kind, it’s also worth noting Hackett’s links to British fabric producers including Fox Brothers in Somerset and Lovat in Scotland – Jeremy has had a long working relationship with both. Elsewhere, manufacturing takes place mostly in Italy, where the tailoring is exemplary. Indeed, mixing British cloth with Italian expertise gives Hackett’s clothes the edge. As for the clothing designs, all ideas are hatched at the Hackett studios on Savile Row.

Just how does the brand keep up with today’s changing menswear styles, in particular the move from formal attire, towards more casual designs? “I believe that knowing your customers’ demands is part of the secret to our ongoing success, as is taking care of all their sartorial needs,” says Jeremy. “We have a point of view that is essential for a brand to retain. Also, by constantly evolving our products we remain in tune with our customers. And I always say that if you remember the customer’s name that’s great but if he remembers yours, you are probably doing something right,” he adds.

Meanwhile, the brand continues to expand both at home and across the globe with the opening of new stores in key markets. Recent additions include Stockholm, Vienna, Abu Dhabi and Mexico City. In November 2023, it opened another London store, this time at 69 New Bond Street. Another jewel in its retail crown is of course Jermyn Street.

Says Jeremy: “Jermyn Street is one of my favourite Hackett shops. I visit it regularly. We have been on the street for about 25 years, and it is consistently one of our most successful shops. It is tailored to suit the Jermyn Street customer and attracts men who appreciate the British sense of style. Here, they can have shirts, shoes and hats made, purchase cigars and dine at Wiltons. There’s no other street for gentlemen that has the finesse of Jermyn Street.”

Looking ahead, there’s much to be optimistic about. Hackett has just added a sports line which it describes as being ‘simple and fresh, featuring all the technical attributes for the athletically minded.’ Plans are also afoot to launch a new cologne, ‘Absolute’. And Jeremy’s Sussex Spaniels, Harry and Muffin who have been brand ambassadors for many years, are the inspiration for a new range of canine accessories launching soon.

As for Hackett the brand, there’s life in the old dog yet!