Came across this in looking up HSM Bench made. Interesting stuff. they were huge. One if the first clothing branders, or labelers, and pioneered ready made and wholesaling, and also big and tall sizes.
Hartmarx traces its history to 1872 when, immediately after the great Chicago Fire, brothers Harry and Max Hart pooled their life savings of $2,700 and opened a small men's clothing store on Chicago's State Street. 'Harry Hart and Brother' opened a second store a few blocks south in 1875. Max Hart became fascinated with labeling after working as a delivery boy for his father's butcher shop. His job, applying labels to delivery packages, taught him the importance of branded products. At the clothing store, he pursued this interest by asking tailors to affix Hart brand labels to the clothes they sold. A short time later, a downstate Illinois merchant expressed an interest in the label and asked to sell Hart suits.
In 1879 the Harts' brothers-in-law, Levi Abt and Marcus Marx, joined the partnership, which was renamed Hart, Abt and Marx. The small shop continued to prosper on sales to businessmen in Chicago's Loop financial district.
At the same time, however, the wholesale business began to grow, overtaking the retail operations. On the strength of wholesale production, Hart, Abt and Marx won contracts to produce clothing for the U.S. military. This introduced the partners to prefabricated off-the-rack clothing and marked their entry into the ready-made suit trade.
Marx and Abt left the business in 1887. A cousin named Joseph Schaffner took their place, however, whereupon the company was renamed Hart Schaffner & Marx. Schaffner was an excellent businessman who oversaw much of the early growth of the small firm.
The industrial revolution added newer, more efficient tailoring methods that reduced the time to make a suit. With such favorable economics, many suit manufacturers entered the catalog business, introducing their own brands. Hart Schaffner & Marx responded in 1897 by running national advertisements for its products and began selling off-the-rack suits through a variety of distributors. Hart Schaffner & Marx commissioned well-known illustrators to paint pictures for style books and retail posters. These ads portrayed the company's latest fashions in rich surroundings, establishing Hart Schaffner & Marx as a premium brand.
By 1906 the company had branched into sizes for men who were unusually tall, short, or overweight. Hart Schaffner & Marx thus became a mass-market brand, enabling virtually any man to have a fine quality suit at a lower price than a custom tailored suit. On May 10, 1911, after years of steady growth, the partnership was incorporated.
In 1917 the company introduced the first tropical worsted suits. Hart Schaffner & Marx's production facilities also were pressed into service during World War I making uniforms.
Although it operated a number of small retail outlets of its own in 1926, the company expanded its retail presence considerably with the acquisition of Wallach's, a large clothing chain. Hart Schaffner & Marx continued its expansion over the next 30 years by taking over the operations of numerous other smaller retailers, opening new stores, and placing a strong emphasis on advertising.
After producing a large quantity of uniforms for the government again during World War II, Hart Schaffner & Marx began making bolder acquisitions. In 1954 the company took over Society Brand, a major manufacturing house. Ten years later Hart Schaffner & Marx added Hickey-Freeman, a premium brand. The company acquired Jaymar-Ruby in 1967 and, in 1969, added M. Wile. In fact, Hart Schaffner & Marx made so many acquisitions between 1966 and 1969 that the U.S. Justice Department became involved. The government filed suit against the company on antitrust grounds, complaining that Hart Schaffner & Marx had established an anticompetitive domination of the clothing market. The company settled with Justice Department lawyers by signing a consent decree in which Hart Schaffner & Marx was obliged to sell off several recent acquisitions and promised to purchase no more companies, without court approval, for a period of ten years. This agreement took effect in June 1970.
The consent decree was not a serious setback for Hart Schaffner & Marx. Instead of external growth, the company merely changed its emphasis to internal growth. This was actually a better strategy because the company had launched several successful lines during the 1960s that required attention.
One night in 1966, television host Johnny Carson walked on stage to deliver his nightly 'Tonight Show' monologue wearing a turtleneck sweater and a collarless Nehru jacket. Within a week the nation's stores had been depleted of both items, and Carson had unwittingly established himself as a fashion trendsetter. Celebrity endorsements were not new, but the episode demonstrated to many the value of using stars to introduce new styles. The idea was not lost upon Hart Schaffner & Marx, which got an agreement to market a new casual line of suits under the Johnny Carson name and, later, under Jack Nicklaus's name.
Hartmarx traces its history to 1872 when, immediately after the great Chicago Fire, brothers Harry and Max Hart pooled their life savings of $2,700 and opened a small men's clothing store on Chicago's State Street. 'Harry Hart and Brother' opened a second store a few blocks south in 1875. Max Hart became fascinated with labeling after working as a delivery boy for his father's butcher shop. His job, applying labels to delivery packages, taught him the importance of branded products. At the clothing store, he pursued this interest by asking tailors to affix Hart brand labels to the clothes they sold. A short time later, a downstate Illinois merchant expressed an interest in the label and asked to sell Hart suits.
In 1879 the Harts' brothers-in-law, Levi Abt and Marcus Marx, joined the partnership, which was renamed Hart, Abt and Marx. The small shop continued to prosper on sales to businessmen in Chicago's Loop financial district.
At the same time, however, the wholesale business began to grow, overtaking the retail operations. On the strength of wholesale production, Hart, Abt and Marx won contracts to produce clothing for the U.S. military. This introduced the partners to prefabricated off-the-rack clothing and marked their entry into the ready-made suit trade.
Marx and Abt left the business in 1887. A cousin named Joseph Schaffner took their place, however, whereupon the company was renamed Hart Schaffner & Marx. Schaffner was an excellent businessman who oversaw much of the early growth of the small firm.
The industrial revolution added newer, more efficient tailoring methods that reduced the time to make a suit. With such favorable economics, many suit manufacturers entered the catalog business, introducing their own brands. Hart Schaffner & Marx responded in 1897 by running national advertisements for its products and began selling off-the-rack suits through a variety of distributors. Hart Schaffner & Marx commissioned well-known illustrators to paint pictures for style books and retail posters. These ads portrayed the company's latest fashions in rich surroundings, establishing Hart Schaffner & Marx as a premium brand.
By 1906 the company had branched into sizes for men who were unusually tall, short, or overweight. Hart Schaffner & Marx thus became a mass-market brand, enabling virtually any man to have a fine quality suit at a lower price than a custom tailored suit. On May 10, 1911, after years of steady growth, the partnership was incorporated.
In 1917 the company introduced the first tropical worsted suits. Hart Schaffner & Marx's production facilities also were pressed into service during World War I making uniforms.
Although it operated a number of small retail outlets of its own in 1926, the company expanded its retail presence considerably with the acquisition of Wallach's, a large clothing chain. Hart Schaffner & Marx continued its expansion over the next 30 years by taking over the operations of numerous other smaller retailers, opening new stores, and placing a strong emphasis on advertising.
After producing a large quantity of uniforms for the government again during World War II, Hart Schaffner & Marx began making bolder acquisitions. In 1954 the company took over Society Brand, a major manufacturing house. Ten years later Hart Schaffner & Marx added Hickey-Freeman, a premium brand. The company acquired Jaymar-Ruby in 1967 and, in 1969, added M. Wile. In fact, Hart Schaffner & Marx made so many acquisitions between 1966 and 1969 that the U.S. Justice Department became involved. The government filed suit against the company on antitrust grounds, complaining that Hart Schaffner & Marx had established an anticompetitive domination of the clothing market. The company settled with Justice Department lawyers by signing a consent decree in which Hart Schaffner & Marx was obliged to sell off several recent acquisitions and promised to purchase no more companies, without court approval, for a period of ten years. This agreement took effect in June 1970.
The consent decree was not a serious setback for Hart Schaffner & Marx. Instead of external growth, the company merely changed its emphasis to internal growth. This was actually a better strategy because the company had launched several successful lines during the 1960s that required attention.
One night in 1966, television host Johnny Carson walked on stage to deliver his nightly 'Tonight Show' monologue wearing a turtleneck sweater and a collarless Nehru jacket. Within a week the nation's stores had been depleted of both items, and Carson had unwittingly established himself as a fashion trendsetter. Celebrity endorsements were not new, but the episode demonstrated to many the value of using stars to introduce new styles. The idea was not lost upon Hart Schaffner & Marx, which got an agreement to market a new casual line of suits under the Johnny Carson name and, later, under Jack Nicklaus's name.
