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Big changes at HF were discussed here a few weeks ago. Wow, good for Rochester that the factory will stay open. Apparently 75% of their production is for Brooks Brothers, Tod Snyder, etc. anyway. I hope they succeed.
I noticed a while back their website started carrying more Made in Canada stuff as they are owned by the group that also owns Samuelsohn. Then the shop link was removed. Hoping Nordstrom keeps the Rochester factory busy and doesn't carry the Mexico stuff.
Zegna makes it's Z Zegna line in Mexico. Tailoring not comparable to their European factories but shirts and stuff are okay IMO.
More details here:
After 124 years, iconic clothier Hickey Freeman is leaving Rochester - Rochester Business Journal
Hickey Freeman, the iconic men's clothing brand that has been a prominent part of the Rochester business landscape for more than a century, will soon bid farewell to the city.rbj.net
Thanks for posting this @smittycl ... I can speak to this in depth. I actually posted on Reddit about it a few days ago. Some users there were asking what "Rochester Tailored Clothing" is, so I broke it down.
With regards to your points:
1) They're making our clothing, Todd Snyder, J.Press, Ralph Lauren, the MiUSA portion of Brooks Brothers, and "Southwick" branded items for Japan. They do a lot of pieces for the government and the military as well.
2) I'd be surprised if they keep making Hickey branded items for Nordstrom, but anything labeled RTC is made at the exact same facility by the exact same operators as MiUSA Hickey Freeman. Hopefully Nordstrom just changes over to the RTC brand.
3) Pretty sure that the Z by Zegna factory in Mexico is the same one that will make Hickey Freeman going forward. It's decent. It's not on the level of RTC, but it's not priced at that level either.
And here's what I told everyone on Reddit....
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We've been an account for RTC since 2020, and I'm one of their biggest wholesale clients.
We've produced around 800 individual custom garments with them (no small feat with the pandemic), and I've personally visited the factory three times.
Prior to 2020, I was a Southwick account for 10 years. I'm very familiar with the make and quality of both factories.
I'd be happy to answer any questions that I can. You post them or DM me. You can also ask through the chat function of our website (epauletbrand.com) as all the messages there come straight to me.
Here's a few points that I can make:
- RTC is made at the Hickey Freeman factory in Rochester. Their excellent staff is the same staff that made Hickey-branded garments, so nothing has really functionally changed. The IP of "Hickey Freeman" is out of their hands now and, I believe, will start to be produced in Central or South America soon. So purchasing an RTC-made garment is buying an authentic MiUSA piece that's a Hickey in every single way except the woven label.
- The craftspeople there are a wonderful and hardworking team. They come from a huge range of immigrant backgrounds, and they're excellent at their jobs. It's a solid middle class career. You can feel good about your dollars going to support this team.
- The quality of RTC is definitely superior to Southwick. Construction is cleaner, fits are better, and the button and trim options are more extensive. The fabric selection is much more limited, but we have a nice mixture of basics, luxury, and novelties. It's also possible to do CMT (cut, make, and trim) where the client supplies his own fabric.
- Full canvas is available on all sportcoats and it's beautifully executed. A nice upgrade from Southwick who only offered it on a few different models and complained like crazy every time I ordered it.
- We have most Southwick fits on file, and if you own a Southwick garment, then just a clear photo of the inside tag is enough for us to cross-reference it. I've made a ton of custom garments in classic Southwick patterns over these past few years. If you'd like a suit, sportcoat, or trouser in a Southwick shape, then drop me a line and I can set that up.
- Southwick overcoats are not possible at this time. We have a nice lineup of RTC overcoats though... and a few are fairly analogous to Southwick designs.