Hart Schaffner Marx
An American menswear brand with roots in nineteenth-century Chicago, best known for ready-to-wear suits, tailored clothing, and classic formalwear.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Hart Schaffner Marx is an American menswear brand whose origins reach back to a small Chicago clothing store established by brothers Harry and Max Hart in 1872. The business initially combined retailing with the production of work clothing and gradually became a large wholesale manufacturer supplying independent clothing retailers across the United States. After Levi Abt and Marcus Marx joined the partnership in 1879, the enterprise became Hart, Abt & Marx; Joseph Schaffner joined in 1887, leading to the Hart, Schaffner & Marx name. During the late nineteenth century, the company moved toward better-quality men's suits, overcoats, raincoats, and trousers. It developed a nationwide wholesale network and became an early user of coordinated advertising, dealer sales materials, style books, and illustrated fashion promotion. The company's advertisements helped establish the idea of a recognizable national ready-to-wear clothing label, rather than an anonymous garment supplied by a local retailer. The H. S. & M. label, featuring white gothic lettering on a dark field, became an important part of its brand identity. The company was incorporated in 1911. Its history also intersects with organized labor: a major Chicago garment workers' strike in 1910 involved the company and contributed to improved workplace conditions, an arbitration-based union agreement, and the development of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. During both world wars, company facilities produced military uniforms, while the First World War period also saw the introduction of tropical worsted suits. In the mid-twentieth century, Hart Schaffner & Marx expanded through acquisitions and licensing. It purchased or absorbed companies and brands including Society Brand, Hickey Freeman, Jaymar-Ruby, Kleinhans, and M. Wile. It also developed or licensed designer and celebrity-associated lines, including products connected with Johnny Carson, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Christian Dior, Nino Cerruti, Pierre Cardin, Perry Ellis, and Daniel Hechter. In 1982, the corporate parent adopted the name Hartmarx Corporation, reflecting a broader holding-company structure. The late twentieth century brought diversification, retail expansion, later divestitures, and increasing international sourcing. The company acquired additional apparel businesses, including Plaid Clothing Group, Pusser's, Coppley, Noyes and Randall, and Royal Shirt Company. At the same time, it closed domestic factories and shifted some production to China, Mexico, and Costa Rica to reduce costs. By the early 1990s it had exited most retail operations, and the remaining Kuppenheimer chain and tailored-clothing factories were sold in the mid-1990s. Hart Schaffner Marx received substantial public attention during Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign because Obama frequently wore the brand and commissioned suits for major appearances, including his victory speech and 2009 inauguration. Hartmarx Corporation and its United States subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy protection in January 2009. The assets were acquired by Emerisque Brands and SKNL North America later that year. Hart Schaffner & Marx subsequently became the flagship label of HMX Group, whose assets were largely sold to Authentic Brands Group in 2012 after another Chapter 11 proceeding. Today, Hart Schaffner Marx remains associated with American classic menswear and ready-to-wear tailoring. Its offer centers on suits, sport coats, trousers, shirts, outerwear, and related formal or business clothing. The brand retains a Chicago-area manufacturing and corporate heritage, although its historical production model has included domestic and overseas facilities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, its Des Plaines plant temporarily closed and workers were furloughed; after reopening, the facility produced thousands of protective face masks for essential workers.
History
Hart Schaffner Marx began in 1872, when brothers Harry and Max Hart opened a men's clothing store on State Street in Chicago under the name The Great Globe One-Price Clothier. The business first served local customers but also developed manufacturing and wholesale activity. Levi Abt and Marcus Marx joined the partnership in 1879, creating Hart, Abt & Marx. In 1887, Joseph Schaffner joined the firm, which then adopted the Hart, Schaffner & Marx name. The company increasingly concentrated on wholesale production during the 1880s and 1890s. It made work clothing and later specialized in suits, overcoats, raincoats, and trousers for independent retailers. Its distribution expanded from the Midwest and South to a national market. The company was an early innovator in apparel marketing, providing retailers with newspaper advertisements, illustrations, sales materials, and the Art in Dress style book. It also advertised directly in large-circulation magazines and commissioned prominent illustrators, helping turn the company name into a national consumer-facing label. Labor relations became a defining part of the company's early twentieth-century history. The 1910 Chicago garment workers' strike associated with Hart, Schaffner & Marx resulted in improved employment conditions and a union agreement containing an arbitration provision. The dispute also contributed to the formation of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. On May 10, 1911, the partnership was formally incorporated. During the First World War, the company supplied uniforms and introduced tropical worsted suits; it again produced military uniforms during the Second World War. Expansion accelerated after the war. Hart Schaffner & Marx acquired Wallach's, a New York clothing chain, in 1926 and Baskin, a Chicago retailer, in 1927. In the 1950s and 1960s it acquired Society Brand, Hickey Freeman, Jaymar-Ruby, Kleinhans, and M. Wile. The scale of these acquisitions led to an antitrust consent decree restricting further acquisitions without court approval for ten years. The company later acquired Intercontinental Apparel, the United States licensee for Pierre Cardin, and expanded into additional retail and women's clothing activities. The 1960s and 1970s were also a period of licensing and brand development. The company marketed lines associated with Johnny Carson and later Bobby Jones and Jack Nicklaus. It introduced or produced clothing under names such as Austin Reed, Christian Dior, Nino Cerruti, Allyn St. George, Playboy, Pierre Cardin, Perry Ellis, and Daniel Hechter. In 1982, the corporate parent changed its name to Hartmarx Corporation. Further acquisitions in the 1980s included Briar Neckwear, H. Ortisky, Anton's, Boyd's, Raleigh's, and Biltwell. The company retrenched during the early 1990s. It sold or closed most retail operations, retained the Kuppenheimer chain for a time, and ultimately sold that chain and two tailored-clothing factories in 1995. Production was increasingly transferred overseas, with ten domestic factories closed and manufacturing shifted in part to China, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Hartmarx nevertheless continued to acquire apparel businesses, including Plaid Clothing Group, Pusser's, Coppley, Noyes and Randall, and Royal Shirt Company. The Hart Schaffner Marx label received unusually prominent exposure during Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. Obama, a Chicago political figure, wore the brand regularly, including suits made for his acceptance speech and the 2009 presidential inauguration. In January 2009, Hartmarx and its United States subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy protection. Emerisque Brands UK and SKNL North America acquired the business later that year, and the brand became the flagship of HMX Group. Authentic Brands Group acquired most HMX assets in 2012 following HMX's Chapter 11 proceedings. The Des Plaines plant remained part of the brand's modern American identity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it temporarily closed and approximately 300 workers were furloughed. After reopening, employees produced thousands of face masks for essential workers. Hart Schaffner Marx now operates as an Authentic Brands Group-owned menswear label focused on classic American ready-to-wear tailoring and related clothing.
- 2020
Des Plaines plant makes face masks
[1]Following a pandemic-related closure, the facility resumed production and made masks for essential workers.
- 2012
Authentic Brands Group acquires HMX assets
[1]Authentic Brands Group acquired most HMX Group assets after HMX entered Chapter 11 proceedings.
- 2009
Bankruptcy and ownership transition
[1]Hartmarx filed for bankruptcy protection, followed later that year by an acquisition by Emerisque Brands and SKNL North America.
- 1995
Kuppenheimer and tailored-clothing factories sold
[1]The company sold its 91-store Kuppenheimer unit and two tailored-clothing factories.
- 1982
Parent company renamed Hartmarx Corporation
[1]The corporate parent changed its name to Hartmarx Corporation as the business operated through multiple apparel subsidiaries.
- 1964
Hickey Freeman acquired
[1]Hart Schaffner & Marx acquired the Rochester-based Hickey Freeman men's clothing brand and retailer.
- 1952
Society Brand acquired
[1]The company acquired the Society Brand manufacturing business as part of postwar expansion.
- 1926
Wallach's acquired
[1]The company expanded its retail presence by acquiring the New York-based Wallach's chain.
- 1911
Business incorporated
[1]The long-running partnership was incorporated on May 10.
- 1910
Chicago garment workers' strike
[1]A major labor dispute led to improved conditions, an arbitration-based union agreement, and broader labor-organizing consequences.
Products and positioning
Classic American mid-to-upper-market menswear emphasizing traditional tailoring, ready-to-wear suits, formal clothing, and long-established brand heritage.
Menswear
Ready-to-wear suits
The brand's central product category is classic men's ready-to-wear suiting. Its historical assortment has emphasized structured tailoring, conventional business silhouettes, and formal occasion clothing sold through retailers rather than relying exclusively on made-to-measure production.
Menswear
Sport coats and tailored jackets
Hart Schaffner Marx has produced sport coats and tailored jackets for business-casual and formal wardrobes. The category connects the label's traditional suit-making heritage with more flexible separates intended to be worn with contrasting trousers.
Outerwear
Overcoats and raincoats
Overcoats, raincoats, and other outerwear have been part of the company's assortment since its nineteenth-century expansion into better-quality men's clothing. These products complement its tailoring offer and reinforce its classic American positioning.
Menswear
Dress shirts and trousers
Dress shirts and tailored trousers extend the brand's formalwear range beyond complete suits. The company also historically operated or acquired shirt and neckwear businesses, giving it experience across coordinated components of a men's wardrobe.
Menswear capsule collection · 2016
Hart by Hart capsule collection
Hart by Hart was a capsule collection created by designer David Hart for the men's ready-to-wear Spring 2017 season. Its stated inspiration came from Slim Aarons photographs of tropical settings, bringing a resort-oriented visual direction to the established label.
Marketing campaigns
- 2008Barack Obama presidential campaign visibility
United States
Barack Obama wore Hart Schaffner Marx extensively during his presidential campaign. The company made suits associated with his acceptance speech and the 2009 inauguration, while Obama's Chicago connection gave the label additional personal and regional resonance.
Outcome. The exposure generated significant publicity and associated the brand with presidential, Chicago-rooted American style.
- 1895Art in Dress style book
United States
Hart Schaffner & Marx produced a fashion magazine and style book called Art in Dress, distributing it through dealers and by mail to consumers.
Outcome. The publication provided style education and strengthened the connection between the company's garments and a distinct branded fashion message.
- 1894Dealer newspaper advertising program
United States Midwest · United States Great Plains
The company supplied retailers with illustrated newspaper advertisements, copy, and apparently customizable printing materials. This helped independent stores market Hart Schaffner & Marx clothing as a recognizable national label.
Outcome. The program supported broad distribution and helped establish the brand's early national identity.
Brand decisions
2012
Transfer to Authentic Brands GroupM&ABackground
HMX Group entered Chapter 11 proceedings after owning Hart Schaffner & Marx and other apparel assets.
Action taken
Authentic Brands Group acquired most HMX assets for an undisclosed price.
Aftermath
Hart Schaffner Marx became part of Authentic Brands Group's portfolio of consumer brands.
2009
Bankruptcy restructuringOtherBackground
Hartmarx Corporation and its United States subsidiaries experienced severe financial pressure and entered bankruptcy proceedings.
Action taken
The company filed for bankruptcy protection in January and subsequently sold its assets through the bankruptcy process.
Aftermath
Emerisque Brands UK and SKNL North America completed the acquisition in August 2009, preserving Hart Schaffner & Marx as a flagship brand within HMX Group.
1990
Shift toward overseas productionStrategyBackground
The company faced cost pressure and continuing losses while operating a substantial domestic manufacturing network.
Action taken
It closed ten domestic factories and shifted part of its production to China, Mexico, and Costa Rica.
Aftermath
The move reduced the company's domestic manufacturing footprint while aligning production with a lower-cost international sourcing model.
1982
Creation of the Hartmarx corporate identityStrategyBackground
The company had accumulated numerous apparel businesses, brands, and retail operations.
Action taken
The parent company changed its name to Hartmarx Corporation and operated Hart Schaffner & Marx as one of its principal brands.
Aftermath
The holding-company structure supported further acquisitions and brand diversification during the 1980s and 1990s.
1911
Formal incorporation of the partnershipStrategyBackground
After decades of expansion in wholesale apparel production, the partnership formalized its corporate structure.
Action taken
The business was incorporated on May 10, 1911.
Aftermath
The incorporated company continued its expansion as a major American menswear manufacturer.
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