Hickey: A Quick Retrospective

For a brand that virtually no longer exists I sure do talk about Hickey a lot.  After reading Angelo's (one of today's foremost Hickey historians) post today I did get a little nostalgic, I'll admit.  If people are still writing blogs in 20 years or so, which is up for serious debate, I would not be surprised at all to see quite a few The Trad-esque style posts referencing Hickey as one of the great brands of our time that unfortunately feel by the wayside.  There is a great tradition of men's clothing brands that rose almost as fast as they crashed and Hickey is no exception.  I'll spare you any excessive praise, but if you really want to read about one of my favorite brands ever you can hit the tag at the bottom of the post.  The purpose of all this, however, was to draw your attention to a great video circa early 2009.  Below you can watch Hickey's extremely talented Design Director, Aaron Levine (now with Jack Spade), talk about the concept behind the brand at one of its Pitti Uomo showings.  Looking back, would Hickey do things differently?  I, obviously, can't answer that for them, but I truly hope they wouldn't change the clothes all that much.  This stuff was, and still is, perfect.



-L.A.S

Lusting After: Hickey Double Breasted Sportcoat

Double breasted jackets, much like double monk straps, get a 100% cosign from yours truly.  I'm always on the lookout for new joints to add to a collection that always seems extremely under nourished.  As much as I'm currently on the hunt for that perfectly WASP-y gold button number, I can't seem to shake this seriously classy jacket from Hickey.  As you well know there is a time for everything and there are times when something like gold buttons just aint gonna cut it - you don't always want to be that guy even if you think you do.  What started at almost a grand has now dropped to just under $400 and who knows how low it will go considering Hickey's whole sudden brand discontinuation thing (I'm still thoroughly pissed about this by the way).  At 90% cotton, Italian fabric and USA manufacturing it fires on all cylinders as a great summer buy so make sure you pick one up for me on your way to the register.  I really want to pair this with some reds.

-L.A.S

Lusting After: Hickey Cotton Pea Coat

Trenches are for sure cool when it comes to this whole warm weather outerwear game, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm partial to cotton pea coats myself.  Maybe it's my unhealthy double breasted fetish or the fact that they are less popular - who knows anymore?  There are some cheap options available (Gap sometimes has them, Lands End Canvas has one now) and then there are the top notch joints. Those made in Italy, side slash pocket, taped seam joints. You get the idea.  Hickey's cotton gabardine pea coat (now on sale) is all of the above making it one of the most lust worthy cotton pea coats you can get your hands on.  Another fantastic feature on this baby is the ivory colorway separating it even further from the khaki and navy numbers floating around.  Ivory is one of those colors that may seem a little delicate, but when paired up with some dark denim creates a killer contrast of both color and fabric.  Just make sure you stay away from any of that spring mud when wearing this. That would not be a good look.

-L.A.S

Hickey Ties And The Sid Masburn Effect

Sid Mashburn has become the gold standard for men's haberdashers due mostly in part to his understanding of style.  This ability to recognize what's classic, while at the same time translating that to the modern man has played a huge part in his assent to the best in the business.  One of the elements Sid has really pushed is the tie twist, in which the smaller, more narrow end of the tie doesn't lay flush with the wider end.  This nonchalant move creates a casual attitude often described as "sprezzatura".  It's surely not for everyone, but for the guy that likes to wear neckwear on his day off it is a nice way to keep things decidely less stuffy.  Check out examples of Sid and my man Conor rocking this below.

When browsing the sale items at Hickey earlier today I came across these really cool knit ties on sale for a cool $50 and immediately thought how great they would look twisted.  With stripes on the narrow end they could be worn normal for a standard knit tie look or pulled out for a real punch.  I've always believed that knit ties lend themselves to the Italian sprezzatura look much more so than your standard tie so this option, presumably designed by Aaron Levine, really hits the mark without hurting that wallet of yours.  It's the weekend people, let's get a little twisted.

-L.A.S

Hickey S/S 2010

If you checked out Prepidemic recently you saw the bombshell that a new season from the now defunct Hickey has just gone live.  I talked to former Hickey designer Aaron Levine about it and he confirmed that this is indeed the last of his work for the brand.  He told me that the collection was the best out of all his work at Hickey and that he probably would not be getting credit for the gear.  Well let's give some credit where credit is due because the stuff really is incredible.   Highlights for me include the classic looking polos and the linen lined fishtail parka, which are just a small part of the extremely well edited collection.  Overall it's more of the same, but when the same is this good everybody wins.  Seeing what is sure to be the last remnants of one of my favorite brands is a little bittersweet though I am extremely excited that there is still an opportunity to grab some stuff I love and to give one of my favorite designers some deserved shine.  Check out my favorites below.

-L.A.S

Flying V

Like a fat kid watching a vending machine I've been hitting up Hickey on the reg just waiting for those prices to...drop.  Some of the best looking stuff out there won't be available much longer as the brand is no more so I would definitely drop by to see if there is anything you want to snag.  Personally, I'm all over this long sleeve polo/rugby shirt that doesn't really look like anything else currently on the market.  It's a pretty versatile piece (100% cotton) that works especially well in springtime when the weather has that whole in between thing going on where it can get quite chilly as soon as the sun takes a breather.  As it stands now the price is at a 50% off clip and grabbing both the gray and blue versions seems like a pretty good plan.  If you're reading this and going "what the hell is (was) Hickey" be sure to check out what's left of one of my personal all time favorites and if you like what you see be sure to head over to Rogues Gallery too where my dude Aaron Levine is currently stationed and killing it as per usual.

-L.A.S

Closing Doors and Opening Wallets

As I am sure you are well aware of by this point, both Hickey and Martin + Osa are no more.  So what does this mean for you, the consumer?  Basically it's time for you to cash in on the misfortunes of others.  A little harsh I know, but you get the point.  Anyway, be sure to head over to Hickey, where everything is on sale, and M+O where new sale items are being added daily.  Feel free to wipe away your tears with all those extra bills you're gonna have laying around.  My two favorite pieces from both sales are below.

Hickey Toggle Coat...$518.00 (was $1,295.00)

Martin + Osa Boating Anorak...$89.95 (was $160.00)

-L.A.S

[Editor's Note: Post #500 is in the books.]

Lusting After: Hickey Merino Wool Shawl Collar Sweater

[Pictured: Hickey Merino Wool Shawl Collar Sweater.  Available here for $345.00.]

Lusting After is quickly becoming one of my favorite posts as you can probably tell as I drop yet another one on you guys.  As I was traveling the information superhighway looking for gloves to talk about in Part 2 of Fall Looks: Bundle Up, I came across this superb fall offering from Hickey.  When it comes to sweaters, I struggle to find ones from brands that I know have great fits and great details.  Luckily for all of us Hickey (always?) hits both of these out of the park.  Click the link above to get a better view of the fabric, the toggles (!), the elbow patches and the fabric surrounding the collar.  While this sweater is about 3x's what I want to pay, who am I to turn it away.  At this point I'm sure we all have damn near O.D.'d on sweater coverage, but c'mon...look at this thing.

-L.A.S

Attn: Hickey Sample Sale On Gilt

[Pictured: Just another perfect ensemble from Hickey.]

Tomorrow at noon Gilt's Hickey sample sale goes live.  We love both Hickey and Gilt here at Sartorially Inclined (see: The Search for the Perfect Chinos) and will most surely be clicking away during tomorrow's lunch break.  If you need a Gilt invite click here or if you want to learn more about what they do click here.

p.s. Sorry about all the links.

-L.A.S

In Search of the Perfect Chinos...Pt. II

As you may recall, Sartorially Inclined was on the hunt for the perfect pair of chinos.  Well after some shipping mishaps and world class customer service (no sarcasm) my Hickey chinos finally arrived today.  Ladies and gentleman, I think we have our winner.   I'll do a quick run down of what I was looking for, how the chinos actually stacked up and post some pictures.

[Pictured: New Hickey Chinos feat. argyle socks]

1. Fit - The chinos are just slim enough to not make them not look too fashionable, but at the same time have a much more modern fit then say, a pair of Dockers.  I own a ton of pairs of so called "modern-fit" or "slim-fit" or "tailored" chinos, but Hickey really nailed it.  Somewhere in between formal (a summer chino suit pant) and casual (classic officer's chino) exists this version from Hickey.  The waist and length are just what I expected so no surprises from a pair of pants I did not try on before I purchased them.

2. Material - This may be the ultimate victory as far as Hickey's craft is concerned.  They found the perfect cotton weight that will actually work year round.  Substantial enough to feel like a pair of true chinos, but not too thick that they would be cumbersome on the deck of a sailboat come summer...one word: versatile.

3. Details (See pictures below) - There are some great lining features as well as a unique coin pocket, and internal buttoned pocket, a notch in the back of the waist, red accented zipper and a great hem.

Sartorially Inclined recommends these to anyone looking for that new great pair of chinos.  I truly believe I am going to be wearing these to work and also out to the bar on Saturday night.  The fact that they are on sale is all the more reason to drop some coin on a pair of pants that hits all the right notes.  The perfect pair is out there, it just takes a little hard work to find...but, then again, that's where I come in...

[Notice the unique coin pocket and red accented zipper.]

[Cool internal button pocket and lining detail.]

In Search of the Perfect Chinos...Pt. I

I could easily write an essay about my search for the perfect pair of chinos. Somewhere out there a pair exists that can do everything a chino is supposed to do: Look great rolled up with boatshoes, sit perfectly atop a pair of wingtips, look natural with a pair of sneakers when going to the supermarket, etc. A lot is expected from the chino as it is supposed to be the ultimate versatile style weapon in any guys arsenal. I have owned countless cuts from J. Crew, The Gap, Banana Republic (all the major players) and have yet to find that multipurpose gem. Not one pair can walk the line between formal and casual without losing its inherent classical American charm. Luckily for me I may just have found my perfect pair...


While browsing the Hickey online store I came across a fantastic pair of chinos, the Twill Americana Slim Trouser to be exact. I had no idea Hickey sold items online (big ol' shame on me), but if there ever was a time to discover this it was now. For those not in the know, Hickey is the younger, hipper, slimmer brother of Hickey Freeman and is a brand that get lots of love from the right people, i.e. GQ, men.style.com, etc.

These chinos are not only the number 1 contenders to end my lifelong search, but are also easy on my checking account, retailing for $78 marked down from $195. This is a comparable price point with J. Crew's chinos which are by no means as "hip" or well constructed as Hickey's (a purchase should never be made solely off of hipness, but it is something that should be at least mentioned in this discussion of price). It should be noted that my total order came to around $90 after shipping and tax. The search for the perfect chino is ongoing and you can expect a sequel to this post, where in which I will discuss all the specifics once these arrive in the mail. The realization that I am leaving a lot up to chance is dully noted. Having ordered my standard waist size and hoping the length works out is a dicey move. Every now and then a little risk and luck go a long way...especially in fashion and ESPECIALLY with chinos.

-L.A.S