Best hangers for vintage jackets?

[Stewie]

Look for Setwell hangers on eBay - these work great for vintage clothes.

 

[captainshields]

Look for Setwell hangers on eBay - these work great for vintage clothes.

thanks! Any particular style? I’ve seen them before.

another question, would this wide shoulder style of hanger be best for heavier jackets or is this also more for tailored suit jackets, etc?

 

[captainshields]

Would these setwell hangers be good? Even for heavier leather, wool, etc jackets? Or would a wide shoulder hanger like the above be better?

Setwell American Made Coat Hangers 10pcs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XXS2ZLH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_QEK1Q3WK4X0X89R9W083

 

[Stewie]

Would these setwell hangers be good? Even for heavier leather, wool, etc jackets? Or would a wide shoulder hanger like the above be better?

Setwell American Made Coat Hangers 10pcs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XXS2ZLH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_QEK1Q3WK4X0X89R9W083

I dont know how these fare versus the vintage ones, I like the larger rounded shoulder versions if you can find them.

 

[captainshields]

Maybe a stupid question, but would 2 standard wood hangers used at the same time work/be better for a heavier jackets long term?

(or am I totally overthinking this haha)

 

[dieworkwear]

another question, would this wide shoulder style of hanger be best for heavier jackets or is this also more for tailored suit jackets, etc?

I think it would help to look at why we have these types of hangers in the first place. JefferyD made a great post many years ago showing the shaping that goes into a tailored jacket. You can read it here:

guide to touching up your suit without wrecking it

A large part of the beauty of a tailored garment is due to the shaping and molding imparted by a careful and elaborate pressing. In a manufactured garment. there are over 20 different underpressing operations and around 15 steps in the final pressing, most of which have specially-designed forms...

www.styleforum.net

When you have a high-end tailored jacket, the garment is made from many layers of material -- the outer shell, the canvassing, haircloth, padding, and careful stitching that goes into making a three-dimensional garment. Additionally, once the coat has been made, it is pressed with a hot iron to get further shaping. This is how you can get a coat that fits as beautifully as this:

Such garments need careful maintenance to retain their shape, along with regular repressing for when they lose their shape. For one, you shouldn't use a steamer (this has been written about at length on this forum). Running steam through the garment risks taking out all the shape and potentially blowing out the seams, causing them to pucker.

Additionally, you need special hangers that mimic the shape of your body. Such hangers should be curved (to mimic your posture) and have flared ends to hold the shoulder. Its' also important for the shoulders of the hanger to both support the shoulder padding without going too far. And the collar should fit correctly around the neck of the hanger. Here we see a collar that stands a little away from the hanger with nothing to support it. Over time, it can cause the collar to stretch.

Instead, you want a hanger that properly holds the gamrent, including giving support to the collar, as you see here:

You can read more about this at JefferyD's excellent website on tailored clothing:

The importance of hangers

Bear with me while I rant a little bit. Nothing makes me crazier than those stupid little wishbone hangers that some stores use to hang thei...

tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com

This is why people should not store high-end tailored garments on hangers such as this:

Despite the provenance and fancy label, the hanger is not well-suited for storing high-end tailored garments on a long-term basis. Probably fine for hanging a garment between fittings, but not for years in your wardrobe.

If you have a heavy horsehide jacket, then you'll want a hanger that has flared shoulders so you don't set creases into the shoulder line. It may be useful in such cases to get hangers with a flared shoulder, but the curvature of the hanger probably doesn't matter much because it's not a tailored garment. Casualwear also doesn't have to fit as precisely as high-end tailoring.

Other garments, such as field jackets (pictured below), can be hung on anything. Again, with the recognition that casualwear doesn't have to fit like tailored clothing, such garments also don't have the kind of careful construction that goes into tailored garments -- the canvassing, haircloth, stitching, careful pressing, etc. There is nothing inside this garment. It is just a cotton shell.

If you want to get fancy hangers for your own enjoyment, that's perfectly fine. But high-end hangers are typically used for high-end tailored clothing because they serve a function, not just to look pretty in a closet. Think about how the garment is constructed and then you will know what kind of hanger you need. Sweaters should be stored in a drawer or shelf, folded. Tailored garments need certain hangers to keep their shape. Everything else can go on whatever you please. (Exception maybe heavy horsehide jackets, which may need additional support).

 

[prof.contingency]

Hi guys,

As a different option that satisfies some of your requirements, Nakata also offers some really thick and contoured hangers (e.g. AUT-03), which are Made in Japan.



Hope this helps!

Disclaimer: We sell these at Arterton. But let me know if anyone has questions.

 

[TN001]

Just for the record, the shoulders on the Poole hanger are quite wide at the end, and sized to terminate close to where the sleeve head meets the shoulder.

 

[captainshields]

I think it would help to look at why we have these types of hangers in the first place. JefferyD made a great post many years ago showing the shaping that goes into a tailored jacket. You can read it here:

guide to touching up your suit without wrecking it

A large part of the beauty of a tailored garment is due to the shaping and molding imparted by a careful and elaborate pressing. In a manufactured garment. there are over 20 different underpressing operations and around 15 steps in the final pressing, most of which have specially-designed forms...

www.styleforum.net

When you have a high-end tailored jacket, the garment is made from many layers of material -- the outer shell, the canvassing, haircloth, padding, and careful stitching that goes into making a three-dimensional garment. Additionally, once the coat has been made, it is pressed with a hot iron to get further shaping. This is how you can get a coat that fits as beautifully as this:


View attachment 1715051


Such garments need careful maintenance to retain their shape, along with regular repressing for when they lose their shape. For one, you shouldn't use a steamer (this has been written about at length on this forum). Running steam through the garment risks taking out all the shape and potentially blowing out the seams, causing them to pucker.

Additionally, you need special hangers that mimic the shape of your body. Such hangers should be curved (to mimic your posture) and have flared ends to hold the shoulder. Its' also important for the shoulders of the hanger to both support the shoulder padding without going too far. And the collar should fit correctly around the neck of the hanger. Here we see a collar that stands a little away from the hanger with nothing to support it. Over time, it can cause the collar to stretch.


View attachment 1715052 View attachment 1715053


Instead, you want a hanger that properly holds the gamrent, including giving support to the collar, as you see here:


View attachment 1715061



You can read more about this at JefferyD's excellent website on tailored clothing:

The importance of hangers

Bear with me while I rant a little bit. Nothing makes me crazier than those stupid little wishbone hangers that some stores use to hang thei...

tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com

This is why people should not store high-end tailored garments on hangers such as this:


View attachment 1715054



Despite the provenance and fancy label, the hanger is not well-suited for storing high-end tailored garments on a long-term basis. Probably fine for hanging a garment between fittings, but not for years in your wardrobe.

If you have a heavy horsehide jacket, then you'll want a hanger that has flared shoulders so you don't set creases into the shoulder line. It may be useful in such cases to get hangers with a flared shoulder, but the curvature of the hanger probably doesn't matter much because it's not a tailored garment. Casualwear also doesn't have to fit as precisely as high-end tailoring.

Other garments, such as field jackets (pictured below), can be hung on anything. Again, with the recognition that casualwear doesn't have to fit like tailored clothing, such garments also don't have the kind of careful construction that goes into tailored garments -- the canvassing, haircloth, stitching, careful pressing, etc. There is nothing inside this garment. It is just a cotton shell.

View attachment 1715057 View attachment 1715058



If you want to get fancy hangers for your own enjoyment, that's perfectly fine. But high-end hangers are typically used for high-end tailored clothing because they serve a function, not just to look pretty in a closet. Think about how the garment is constructed and then you will know what kind of hanger you need. Sweaters should be stored in a drawer or shelf, folded. Tailored garments need certain hangers to keep their shape. Everything else can go on whatever you please. (Exception maybe heavy horsehide jackets, which may need additional support).

Thanks so much for the great breakdown!
Yeah, I don't have any tailored suits or jackets I'm hanging, it would just be a variety of different vintage coats and jackets (wool peacoats, leather bomber jackets, denim chow coats and some random military jackets)

I do have some heavier leather jackets and plan on getting a heavy shearling and leather rancher jacket. Would I need a different hanger for something like that?

 

[dieworkwear]

Thanks so much for the great breakdown!
Yeah, I don't have any tailored suits or jackets I'm hanging, it would just be a variety of different vintage coats and jackets (wool peacoats, leather bomber jackets, denim chow coats and some random military jackets)

I do have some heavier leather jackets and plan on getting a heavy shearling and leather rancher jacket. Would I need a different hanger for something like that?

You can store heavy leather jackets on coat hangers. That is, hangers with flared shoulders, which will give them a little more support. Unless you're collecting very rare leather jackets, such as bombers made during the first or second world war, I wouldn't worry too much about the other particulars regarding hangers. A hanger with a flared shoulder should give you all the support you need. Other issues such as the shape of the neck and the curvature of the hanger are only issues for high-end tailored clothing.

 

[captainshields]

You can store heavy leather jackets on coat hangers. That is, hangers with flared shoulders, which will give them a little more support. Unless you're collecting very rare leather jackets, such as bombers made during the first or second world war, I wouldn't worry too much about the other particulars regarding hangers. A hanger with a flared shoulder should give you all the support you need. Other issues such as the shape of the neck and the curvature of the hanger are only issues for high-end tailored clothing.

Thanks! So could a flared hanger cause more harm than good if not used for the right jackets? Or in general would it always be better for jackets?

 

[dieworkwear]

Thanks! So could a flared hanger cause more harm than good if not used for the right jackets? Or in general would it always be better for jackets?

Can't imagine how they can cause harm. They are designed to mimic the shape of your shoulders.

 

[taxgenius]

I also like and use Kirby Allison's Hanger Project hangers.

Did anyone notice that the sizing advice on the website differs from the sizing advice on their YouTube video? The website recommends that a size 40 US should choose a size small while their YouTube video recommends a size medium.

 

[dieworkwear]

Did anyone notice that the sizing advice on the website differs from the sizing advice on their YouTube video? The website recommends that a size 40 US should choose a size small while their YouTube video recommends a size medium.

FWIW, I wear a 38 off the rack and use a size medium.

 

[captainshields]

Just a bit of an update. I bought some of the vintage Setwell hangers. Quick question. The arms on the hangers curve/bow forward, whereas other regular modern and vintage hangers, the arms are perfectly flat. It's kind of hard to show in the photos, but basically the arms curve forward on the hangers. The do not lay perfectly flat.

Is this forward bowing normal for hangers or are these somehow warped or something?