# Hickey Freeman different lines



## FilipI (Jan 31, 2014)

Hello to all! I've been looking around the net about different Hickey Freeman lines, and my question is how to recognize them? Especially if you are in my situation - I live in Europe, so my only possibility to purchase American brands is online, and online retailers (NM LastCall, Nordstrom, Sierra) don't really provide much information when it comes to whether a suit is Madison, Lindsey, LTD, Mahogany (I'm just listing here what I could find on the net). Any help with this? Also, is it possible to recognize different lines according to the label on the interior pocket? I attach here pics of three different labels - any thoughts on what they mean?
Thanks...


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## Stubbly (Jul 26, 2013)

Sorry, I don't know how the labeling differs. I'm pretty confused about HF suits. You need to be careful. Some lower-grade HF suits are sold at discount stores & websites. Direct Clothiers is a reputable dealer who sells HF suits.

https://www.directclothiers.com/Hickey_Freeman_Suits_s/450.htm

You can also buy directly from Hickey Freeman. They occasionally have sales. The website doesn't seem to have much of a selection. You may need to call them.

https://www.hickeyfreeman.com/

more info:
adventures in online suit buying - Hickey Freeman and HSM
https://askandyaboutclothes.com/com...-in-online-suit-buying-Hickey-Freeman-and-HSM


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## TheoProf (Dec 17, 2012)

^^This is good advice. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for.


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## jm22 (Apr 18, 2013)

STP are the lesser line correct? Half-canvased?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Stubbly (Jul 26, 2013)

williamsonb2 said:


> ^^This is good advice. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for.


I'm happy to get something on sale for 25% off. For each alleged great deal out there, there are at least 1000 bad deals masquerading as great deals.



jm22 said:


> STP are the lesser line correct? Half-canvased?


I don't know whether this is true. In any case, a half-canvassed HF suit is still a nice suit. It could happen, but don't expect to get a deep discount on a mainline HF suit at STP.


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## FilipI (Jan 31, 2014)

Stubbly said:


> Sorry, I don't know how the labeling differs. I'm pretty confused about HF suits. You need to be careful. Some lower-grade HF suits are sold at discount stores & websites. Direct Clothiers is a reputable dealer who sells HF suits.
> 
> https://www.directclothiers.com/Hickey_Freeman_Suits_s/450.htm
> 
> ...


Yes, I see many people have difficulties with HF lines. I guess the best thing is to go to a store, but as I said, that's not an option for me living in Europe.
I know HF website had a huge sale recently, but by the time I noticed it, all in my size was already gone. Direct Clothiers are obviously reputable, but unfortunately, their prices are quite out of my reach.
I actually bought a HF suit from LastCall during their pre-Christmas sale, and when the suit arrived I saw the HF ticket saying it was a Lindsey model. Nevertheless, it fits perfectly and it feels really nice, so I guess it was a good purchase, for $380 (which is ca. 280EUR, and for that money you can't buy much in Europe)...


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## David A. (Mar 8, 2006)

Aside from quality issues, bear in mind that the fit of the different HF lines is quite different. I've found Lindsey to much boxier than the others, and I'm no beanpole.


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## Acme (Oct 5, 2011)

FilipI said:


> Any help with this? Also, is it possible to recognize different lines according to the label on the interior pocket? I attach here pics of three different labels - any thoughts on what they mean?
> Thanks...


The pictures of the labels that you've provided don't mean very much, as they don't indicate the model of the suit. Inside the inner breast pocket, however, is a label that states the model name of the suit.

Note the second line of the tag above, which indicates the suit is from the Boardroom line.

HF offers several models (Ltd, Lindsey, Madison, Diplomat, etc). If you don't know which model you prefer, I'd recommend contacting HF's customer service desk to ask them what models are currently being produced and what the differences are. You could also search old threads here for more information.


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## FilipI (Jan 31, 2014)

Acme said:


> The pictures of the labels that you've provided don't mean very much, as they don't indicate the model of the suit. Inside the inner breast pocket, however, is a label that states the model name of the suit.
> 
> Note the second line of the tag above, which indicates the suit is from the Boardroom line.
> 
> HF offers several models (Ltd, Lindsey, Madison, Diplomat, etc). If you don't know which model you prefer, I'd recommend contacting HF's customer service desk to ask them what models are currently being produced and what the differences are. You could also search old threads here for more information.


Thanks, this helps a bit, althoug it works only when you have the actual suit in your hand...


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## dks202 (Jun 20, 2008)

I called HF one day a couple of years ago. They said ALL patterns are on file for every model ever made. Anyone can have a pattern MTO. If you find the one you like, I'd stick with it.


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## ckgs (Apr 13, 2013)

Short answer is generally yes, you can. I use the online pics of the lining to tell them apart when shopping online. I have a mainline HF and a diffusion line suit from one of the discount guys (Bluefly I think). In my experience, the "main line" HF suits, which are fully canvassed, have different interior pockets that include pocket flaps with buttons and a pen pocket. The first one you posted looks exactly like the pockets on my diffusion line suit, which is nice enough but half-canvassed.

You can see the interior pocket of an Addison (mainline A-series) in this eBay post: 


Some of the better online retailers will tell you the model which is the best way know the line. HF web site has the latest names for mainline (A, B, C).


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## FilipI (Jan 31, 2014)

ckgs said:


> Short answer is generally yes, you can. I use the online pics of the lining to tell them apart when shopping online. I have a mainline HF and a diffusion line suit from one of the discount guys (Bluefly I think). In my experience, the "main line" HF suits, which are fully canvassed, have different interior pockets that include pocket flaps with buttons and a pen pocket. The first one you posted looks exactly like the pockets on my diffusion line suit, which is nice enough but half-canvassed.
> 
> You can see the interior pocket of an Addison (mainline A-series) in this eBay post:
> 
> Some of the better online retailers will tell you the model which is the best way know the line. HF web site has the latest names for mainline (A, B, C).


Thanks, this is very helpful! In my short HF suits hunter experience I gather that only Bluefly and STP show interior pockets pictures (Nordstrom and LastCall don't), but it's a start...


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## ckgs (Apr 13, 2013)

True, but Nordstoms will tell you if it's a Beacon or Addison, etc, both are main line fully canvassed btw.

For STP, check the Q&A. They often post the model there line Lindsey or milburn (diffusion half canvessed). 

Good luck!


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## Stubbly (Jul 26, 2013)

FilipI said:


> I actually bought a HF suit from LastCall during their pre-Christmas sale, and when the suit arrived I saw the HF ticket saying it was a Lindsey model. Nevertheless, it fits perfectly and it feels really nice, so I guess it was a good purchase, for $380 (which is ca. 280EUR, and for that money you can't buy much in Europe)...


$380 is a very good price for a suit that looks good, and fits well.


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## FilipI (Jan 31, 2014)

ckgs said:


> True, but Nordstoms will tell you if it's a Beacon or Addison, etc, both are main line fully canvassed btw.
> 
> For STP, check the Q&A. They often post the model there line Lindsey or milburn (diffusion half canvessed).
> 
> Good luck!


Great, thanks for the advice, I appreciate it!


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## FilipI (Jan 31, 2014)

Stubbly said:


> $380 is a very good price for a suit that looks good, and fits well.


Yep, that's what I thought, so no regrets there...


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

jm22 said:


> STP are the lesser line correct? Half-canvased?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yes. I don't like my STP HF. I don't think the fabric's nice. Construction's ok. The question is, what's better at the same price? One of these days I'll give Jack Victor at STP a try. But these days I buy almost exclusively vintage Brooks Brothers on the Trad Exchange, Ebay, Etsy, etc. Superior suits for pennies on the dollar.

Edit: for $380, I think it's a good buy. The closer the price gets to $500, however, the weaker the case becomes. But again, to what are we comparing it?


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## taylorgtr (Jun 1, 2013)

Almost all the H-F's I've seen @ STP are Lindsey models. I have 4 of them, and they're certainly good enough for my daily business wear. I have a Hardwick Navy suit that I really like, and just picked up a Jack Victor from STP as well. I haven't had the pants hemmed yet, but it is well-constructed, and the jacket fits me nicely without any alterations.

The main thing with STP is not to get focused on the MSRP....just focus on the bottom line price for something that you already know and have on your target list. Sign up for the DealFlyer, and check prices frequently. When you get a 40-45% DF discount, that's the time to get serious. Recently, I got an '80% off' DF deal...which put the price of a HF Lindsey in the $300-350 range, and a JV in the 250-280 range. In the same sale, Ralph Lauren sport coats were around $90. Again, not high-end stuff, but very good prices for mainstream daily business wear (and nice casual for the sport coats).

I'm still a Hardwick fan - I've got one of their Navy blazers, a black/tan check sport coat, and have a charcoal suit on order. For under $300, you get a decent half-canvas construction suit in separates that are good for daily office wear.


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## VaEagle (Oct 15, 2013)

I love Hickey Freeman, especially the newer stuff that is a bit more tailored than their suits of old (like the standard Madison). Here's a quick rundown on what they offer, which probably covers about 75% of what they sell. I may be missing some lines.

The best suits - fully canvassed - are in the Mahogany collection, and they are all designated as A-series (most notably the Addison, but other "A" names too); the trimmer B-Series (most notably the Beacon, but other "B" names too); and the very trim and hard to find C-Series (like Colton). The A series Addison is the standard HF fit. It replaces the older standard-bearer Madison, but is just slightly trimmer. The B Series (my favorite) is trimmer still, with higher armholes and flat front pants. The C Series is very trim and no one seems to have it. Again, theses are all the best HF suits from the Mahogany collection

The next most popular HF suits appear to be the Lindsey and Millburn models. Both are half-canvassed and really not that bad. I've seen the Lindsey suits at Neiman's for $1,095, but you can find them sometimes on STP or similar for $400. The Lindsey is cut like the Addison. The Millburn is trimmer.

If you see models like Madison or Boardroom, you are looking at suits that have been out there for a while. 

Unfortunately, the discount sites like STP, Hautelook, Gilt, Bluefly, etc. are not very good at listing the names of the suits, and without that info (or the actual measurements), it s total guess on whether they will fit.

Regarding the tags above. I believe the grey one was what appeared on the older fully-canvassed mainline suits, like the Madison. The new Mahogany suits have a brown (Mahogany-ish) label.

Hope that helps.


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## FilipI (Jan 31, 2014)

VaEagle said:


> I love Hickey Freeman, especially the newer stuff that is a bit more tailored than their suits of old (like the standard Madison). Here's a quick rundown on what they offer, which probably covers about 75% of what they sell. I may be missing some lines.
> 
> The best suits - fully canvassed - are in the Mahogany collection, and they are all designated as A-series (most notably the Addison, but other "A" names too); the trimmer B-Series (most notably the Beacon, but other "B" names too); and the very trim and hard to find C-Series (like Colton). The A series Addison is the standard HF fit. It replaces the older standard-bearer Madison, but is just slightly trimmer. The B Series (my favorite) is trimmer still, with higher armholes and flat front pants. The C Series is very trim and no one seems to have it. Again, theses are all the best HF suits from the Mahogany collection
> 
> ...


Yes, ti actually does help, especially in combination with other information posted here. I think I can now have a better picture of the issue... As for the label, the first (gey) one looks exactly like the one on my HF suit, which turned out to be a Lindsey...


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## VaEagle (Oct 15, 2013)

FYI, I have been through the whole on-line purchase experience for years, and find that I am quite often less than pleased with what I get now that I know what goes into a better suit. My approach now, since I know the HF lines well and what fits me, is to call the HF outlets (I don't live near any of them) a couple of times a year when they have their best sales. I call during a slow time, say what I am looking for (for example, "looking for a Beacon or other B series in 40R"), and they are usually more than happy to describe what they have in stock at the time. I can then often find the suit on-line - typically an image exists from the HF website even if the suit is no longer available on-line - and take a good look at it before deciding whether or not to purchase. Picked up two Beacon suits for $450 each that way around Black Friday. They are beautiful, and the price was incredible for suits with a full price of $1695 - 1895.


One other comment about the other HF lines. While the Lindsey is just half canvassed, you can often find one with some of the higer quality fabric on it, like Loro Piana. Then it is a very nice looking suit. Wear it, look good, and enjoy your cost savings.


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## FilipI (Jan 31, 2014)

VaEagle said:


> FYI, I have been through the whole on-line purchase experience for years, and find that I am quite often less than pleased with what I get now that I know what goes into a better suit. My approach now, since I know the HF lines well and what fits me, is to call the HF outlets (I don't live near any of them) a couple of times a year when they have their best sales. I call during a slow time, say what I am looking for (for example, "looking for a Beacon or other B series in 40R"), and they are usually more than happy to describe what they have in stock at the time. I can then often find the suit on-line - typically an image exists from the HF website even if the suit is no longer available on-line - and take a good look at it before deciding whether or not to purchase. Picked up two Beacon suits for $450 each that way around Black Friday. They are beautiful, and the price was incredible for suits with a full price of $1695 - 1895.
> 
> One other comment about the other HF lines. While the Lindsey is just half canvassed, you can often find one with some of the higer quality fabric on it, like Loro Piana. Then it is a very nice looking suit. Wear it, look good, and enjoy your cost savings.


Great advice and info, thanks!


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