Daniel Hanson is a small however important, British producer of the highest-quality menswear. They match proper into the PS wheelhouse, so to be sincere I’m stunned we’ve by no means lined them. 

Hanson make dressing robes in Nottingham and have finished since 1987. At their top they had been a manufacturing facility of 60 folks. They made the robes for all the large US shops – Neiman Marcus, Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman in addition to manufacturers like Paul Stuart. And within the UK they provided Harrod’s, which was their first account again in 1988. Apparently Daniel (above, within the early ’90s) bumped into the nightwear purchaser on a practice.

As we speak the US shops have all switched to large manufacturers or gone downmarket, though Hanson nonetheless promote to Harrod’s. And so they’ve smaller collaborations with the likes of Paul Smith (a Nottingham connection) in addition to growing their very own direct-to-customer mannequin. 

This, in fact, has been the sample of the previous 20 years, and one Everlasting Fashion has loved supporting. High quality producers have been capable of join on to clients by means of the rise of e-commerce after which social media, and in consequence developed sustainable platforms for his or her craft because the wholesale mannequin was eroded. 

Certainly, the Hanson household are one thing of a private illustration of that journey. When Daniel Hanson died in 2019 (above) the enterprise handed to his two sons, Nicholas and Julian, the primary of which now handles the design and the latter gross sales and PR. They’ve tripled the enterprise since then, shifting slowly away from wholesale. 

There are actually 12 folks working within the Nottingham workshop, and the purchasers divide pretty evenly between wholesale beneath the Daniel Hanson label (eg at Harrod’s), making for different manufacturers (often known as CMT, lower make and trim), and direct orders with their clients. The latter are all made to order, so there’s a number of room for bespoke changes. 

There’s additionally a store on Savile Row, at the least for the second. The Hanson group had been initially supplied a pop-up house on the Row in one of many areas we used to make use of for Everlasting Fashion pop-ups again within the day. It was presupposed to be for six months, however over two years later they’re nonetheless there. 

They are going to be leaving in some unspecified time in the future within the first half of this 12 months although, so it’s price popping in you probably have an opportunity – and need to see the robes first hand. 

If I’m sincere I’d walked previous the store a number of instances, however wasn’t certain if the type of the robes was for me. That’s my fault: I ought to have recognized to look nearer. It is a frequent concern with lots of specialist makers: as a result of they will make something, there’s lots of every part; you might want to spend a bit extra time searching for the factor you need.

Daniel Hanson additionally experiment greater than most. Latest collections have included designs by the founding father of Intercourse Skateboards, Louis Slater (beneath), and earlier than that one with Nottingham artist DILK that featured hand-painted multi-coloured panels. Nicholas Hanson himself has a bit hanging up that he constructed from beer mats. 

However in addition they make easy, merely luxurious robes. There’s a number of plain cashmere right here and silk, there’s good velvet and Maison Hellard linen. There are additionally pretty, delicate patterns just like the de Le Cuona materials we first lined at Emma Willis.

And the make is what you’d count on from a luxurious dressing robe, plus a bit. You get all the fragile piping and hand-knotted fringes (if that’s what you need) however Hanson additionally like to make use of silk linings on most robes. 

“Silk is nicer than viscose, significantly in opposition to the pores and skin,” says Julian. “Viscose by no means actually softens in the identical approach. Silk could be extra delicate, however that’s solely a difficulty if somebody wears them with a belt, or carries keys round so much.”

I used to be additionally significantly concerned with a machine-washable robe they make, which is Hellard linen on the surface and cotton lining inside. “The way in which to make it mechanically cleanable is to pre-shrink all of the materials, use cotton lining, and take away any fusing or interlining across the edges,” says Julian. 

The robe’s mixture of cotton and linen appears to be like like it will be significantly good in heat climate. The design can be illustrative of that earlier design level – the instance within the store has vibrant orange lining and piping, in opposition to earthy windowpane linen; my type could be to have each lining and piping extra tonal. 

Discussing the finer factors of that robe additionally introduced us onto the concept of patterns, of various cuts.

This isn’t one thing I’d actually thought of with dressing robes as a result of all of them appear so uniform and primary in form. However there are some pretty large variations. 

“A method to consider it’s that some robes are made for parading, others for lounging on the couch,” says Julian. “You wouldn’t really need the 2 lower or made the identical, as a result of the meant impact is completely different.”

A better, extra parading robe would have a narrower physique for example, and so a smaller wrap when it’s belted. That is neater, however permits much less room for motion. Some smarter ones may even have a dart within the waist, and a shoulder that’s lower squarer, with a little bit little bit of roping. 

A extra relaxed robe, against this, will often be lower with a extra dropped shoulder, no roping, an even bigger form and fewer fusing. 

It’s not like evaluating the construction of bespoke fits, however as soon as these numerous particulars are identified, the results are apparent and revealing. 

As soon as the Savile Row store has closed, Julian says the plan is to hold on working on-line and thru trunk exhibits. In the long term, although, they’d like to be again on the Row. 

“I’m unsure we might justify it but, however we are going to sooner or later and I like the neighborhood on the road. So many individuals have stopped by and mentioned how effectively they knew my father,” says Julian. 

The ability of being on the Row was additionally palpable as I used to be leaving. An older American couple got here in, saying they had been passing and searching for a great dressing robe. It turned out they particularly wished to exchange a robe that the husband had purchased from Neiman Marcus within the ‘90s, and had served him effectively ever since. Given the retailer, chances are high that Daniel Hanson made that robe. 

It was nice to know the guests had discovered the identical high quality and maker, 30 years later, simply in a brand new kind.