Hackett

Hackett is widely seen as a solid, elegant British label rather than haute couture, with first-rate quality on staples like rugby shirts, polo shirts, moleskin trousers and tweed jackets. Owners report genuine longevity, with some wearing the same tweed jacket for decades. Prices are on the higher side, so many shoppers find the best value buying during sale periods.

The neat shorthand is that Ralph Lauren represents New England prep while Hackett represents Old England. The two share British cultural influences and similar price points, but Hackett leans into the English city-gent, tweed-and-red-cords look. Reviewers often find Hackett's casual trousers and fit a touch better, so it appeals to anyone wanting a more authentically British take on the style.

Hackett built its name on classic, smart-casual British menswear, with rugby and polo shirts, tweed jackets and moleskin trousers as recognisable staples. It frames itself around an essential English wardrobe. That heritage-British identity is the core of the brand's appeal.

Hackett was founded in 1983 by Jeremy Hackett and Ashley Lloyd-Jennings, starting from a stall on London's Portobello Road. The first shop, on the so-called wrong end of the King's Road in Chelsea, sold only used clothes at first. The company gradually moved from second-hand trade to designing and selling its own items.

Hackett's flagship is at 14 Savile Row in London, on Britain's most prestigious tailoring street. The space had been a Hardy Amies shop from 1946 until March 2019, and Hackett took it over in June 2019. Landing on Savile Row cemented the brand's place in London's luxury menswear landscape.

Hackett is owned by the Lebanese holding company M1 Group together with American L Capital Asia, now part of L Catterton. The brand was sold by Richemont to the Spanish investment firm Torreal in 2005, then acquired by M1 Group and L Capital Asia in February 2015. It had previously sat within the Pepe Jeans Group.

The company expanded steadily over several years, adding branches and shifting from buying and selling second-hand clothes to making its own. International growth began with a Madrid branch in 1989, followed by a Rive Gauche shop in Paris in 1994, with children's clothes added the year after. That measured expansion turned a Portobello stall into a global retailer with stores worldwide.

Yes. From the 2015 season Hackett became the official clothing supplier to the Williams Martini Racing Formula One team. The tie-up fit the brand's sporting, British-establishment image. It is part of how Hackett associates itself with traditionally English pursuits.

The clothing is generally well made, but a recurring gripe is button attachment, with some owners reporting buttons coming loose within months even on premium pieces like parkas. It is worth a quick check of buttons and stitching when an item arrives. For the best value, time purchases of staples like tweed jackets and trousers around sale periods.

Hackett is a broad menswear retailer, offering a wide range of clothing and accessories for men and boys. Beyond its signature rugby and polo shirts, the range spans tailoring, outerwear like tweed jackets and parkas, trousers and accessories. It is built to dress a full smart-casual British wardrobe.