A little over three years ago, I was introduced to a new suit hanger that blew away the then-leading clothes hanger on the market. Specifically, I am talking about Butler Luxury, the brand created by Mike Cregan, a clothes hanger veteran of 25 years.
Better Than Best?
What impressed me about the original Butler Luxury hanger was its solid quality, felted hanger bar as well as the smooth, matte finish that looked so much more sophisticated than the thickly coated varnish from The Hanger Project.
Although it was the best hanger on the market at the time, Mike wanted something better, and so I suggested he create a hanger with a round neckline that mimics the curve of the neck. I had seen these hangers in tailor shops in Italy and provided him with photos.
Prototypes & Improvements
He started working on the first prototype, which turned out to be the perfect idea with imperfect execution.
Of course, Mike was anything but happy with the situation, and he went back to the drawing board. After a few months, he came up with a new three-piece construction and a superior neckpiece that truly provides the best possible hold for a tailored garment. The widest shoulder pads in the industry had just the right shape; the weight was hefty, and finish felt luxurious.
Double Trouser Hangers
The original Butler Luxury hanger always had one felted trouser bar that ensured that pants would never slip down. However, men who wear suits on a daily basis often invest in a second pair of trousers because they usually wear out faster than the jacket.
Therefore, Butler Luxury add a second trouser bar allowing you to hang two trousers and one jacket from one hanger, which is fantastic. That way you always see your entire suit, and you never have to stack multiple pants on top of each other.
Why Buy a $38 Hanger?
I get it – this hanger is anything but cheap, but if you own tailored clothes, it is a highly recommended investment, especially since the price goes down the more hangers you buy.
Here EIGHT reasons it’s worth investing in great hangers from Butler Luxury:
1. Thin wire, plastic or wooden hangers will destroy the shoulder of your tailored jacket over time.
2. The price is a small fraction of the cost of your suit, and it helps to prolong the life of your garments, which means the cost per wear decreases.
3. You will not find a nicer hanger around anywhere. The silky matte finish, in combination with the weight and superior shape, makes this hanger a joy to look at in any closet.
4. The materials are first rate; these hangers are made of the fine German beechwood.
5. The hangers will match or contrast your existing closet: you can choose between a deep butterscotch color and a darker espresso walnut finish that work with most closets and woods out there. Personally, I prefer tone in tone but others like the hangers to stand out more – the choice is yours.
6. The hangers come in different sizes, accommodating every jacket from size 38 to size 48.
7. Double trouser bar, so you can hang two trousers + one suit on a single hanger. Great for organization AND maximizing the use of your storage space
8. You’ll never need to replace these hangers – they will last for a lifetime.
Butler Luxury Hangers
Is It Really The Best Hanger In The World?
I am always very careful about using superlatives; proclaiming something is “the best in the world” is often a marketing gimmick or an unsubstantiated opinion rather than a result of comparing all the options available in the world.
To date, I have not seen a better suit hanger on the market, and hence I consider it to be the best suit and jacket hanger available today. Is it perfect for everything? No, they are too heavy for travel, simply not necessary for shirts and they are unsuitable for small closets in which every inch matters. However, if you want a functional, beautifully crafted and impressive clothes hanger for your suit investments, look no further than the new Butler Luxury Clothes Hangers.
Will I Get Rid Of My Old Butler Luxury Hangers?
I upgraded all of my clothes hangers to Butler luxury about two years ago, and I could not be happier with them. Since they do not show any signs of wear I will not replace them because it would simply be a waste. However, if I were to buy clothes hangers today, the dark matte espresso Tailor Made Suit Hangers from Butler Luxury would be my first choice.
Get The Hangers! You won’t regret it.
Of course, if you prefer you can also get this hanger with one trouser bar .
What’s Next? Hopefully a Travel Hanger
One thing that I have yet to find is a lightweight travel hanger that is not bulky and works with multiple suits in 29″ suitcases. Maybe Butler Luxury will come up with a solution for that down the line. Considering what they have achieved so far, I would not be surprised!
What’s your take on clothes hangers?
The fly in this ointment is that I use trouser hangers to allow gravity to help pull out wrinkles and make hanging easier without a fold-over. The Hanger Project does offer very nice ones but at last check, Buttler does not. The shiny vs. not shiny finish is a preference and since my tailor gives me my four-figure suits on shiny ones, I think one can accept that the choice is not a measure of class or quality. It is nice that a choice of widths is offered but unless shoulders are wider than usual, I’m not sure that is of great benefit. Buttler’s prices are good for what you get and I would be interested in ones without the trouser bar, but then they would not match my glossy trouser hangers! No!! :)
For years Brooks Brothers offered a heavy duty hanger that accommodated larger sizes. They are about 4 in. deep so they can fill a rack quickly but they keep the shape of my garments. It seems that most of the stores don’t carry them anymore but I’ve been told they are available on line and in some flagship locations.
I use Setwell felt clamping trouser hangers for all my pants and shorts. These clamp at the cuff or bottom without leaving an indentation mark. Granted I’m blessed with space in my closet but folded over creased trousers never look as good.
I imagine ebay or some other vintage resource may be the best solution but it’s certainly worth the hunt.
I have only respect for Mike Cregan at Butler Luxury. He makes a nice hanger and when e first launched, I made a point to call and introduce myself. I believe in friendly competition and always support people within my industry.
That is why I am really shocked at the disparaging, bluntly negative selling that Raphael is doing here on Gebtlemans Gazette. Beginning any review with such a slanderous arrack on a competitor is anything but partial and not how I would expect any gentleman to conduct himself.
Hello Kirby!
I agree, I was surprised by the “so much more sophisticated” line at the top of the article. I love the clamping trouser hanger you offer and have plans to order more in the near future. Butler does not have these, only offering a fold-over hanger for trousers. I would order matching jacket hangers from you as well, but the ones my tailor supplies (in a matching color and shiny finish, with the bonus of saying “Jonathan Behr Bespoke” on them) are excellent and so I’m afraid I’m not in the market for those just now. But, The Hanger Project offers various widths as Butler does, and in my experience their quality is excellent and quite sophisticated. In fact, I believe there are three finishes offered, and one looks rather matte to me. The shape of the collar on the new design that Butler is offering does look interesting for those with walk-in closets. My modest closet stays closed so that the cedar lining and lavender sachets can protect my expensive wool and silk garments.
Joe, if you are happy with your clamp hanger, that is great. Keep using them.
I tried these hangers before and in my experience, pants would fall down eventually, especially the ones without cuffs. Also, with thicker fabric, they would leave marks on my cuffs and so I decided to throw all of them away.
As always, each to his own.
1. In my experience, Butler Luxury Hangers are more sophisticated than Hanger Project Hangers, and that’s why I wrote that. Expressing a preference is neither slanderous nor ungentlemanly. We always express our true opinions in articles.
2. At the Gentleman’s Gazette, we respect companies that always try to improve their products. Actions impress us more than words.
A few years back I asked both companies to come up with a better hanger. Mike Cregan came up with a new and improved hanger, which we think deserves to be shared, after testing, with our readers for solving many issues men have with suit hangers.
3. We also compared Butler Luxury to the lesser known Beverly Hangers. They look very similar to the Hanger Project Hangers to me, but they are less expensive. The workmanship is not as nice as the ones from Butler Luxury but they have a lot more options. To me, Butler Luxury is the best hanger out there.
At the end of the day, everyone has to decide on their own what they like. It is our goal to help people make an informed decision.
I find it comical that the article stating these are the “best” hangers in the world is accompanied by a very nice “BUTLER LUXURY” ad to the right of the article. This blog obviously favors its advertisers. Cant take the review too seriously- hard to keep writer’s integrity when you have money on your hands. What is the saying, “you cant bite the hand that feeds you?”
I have purchased several Hanger Project hangers for myself and my wife, and I have yet to be disappointed.
Dear Carl,
I am glad to hear you like your hangers, and that’s great. If you had actually read GG for a while, you knew that we are always honest and critical and even our advertisers appreciate us for it.
Advertising is a very small part of our income, and we would never dare to jeopardize the trust we built up over years for to please an advertiser.
Again, this is our opinion and if you like what you have, go with it.
For example, this post was written while the company advertised with us, and so were many others.
Bottom line is, to me Hanger Project Hangers are simply not en par with Butler Luxury but I just encourage everyone to test if for themselves so they come to their own conclusion.
Hi, I would just like to know if you receive any compensation, royalty, or commission from Butler Luxury when Gentleman’s Gazette is mentioned on their website ordering form. Thank you.
Dear Rani,
We do not receive any compensation, royalty or commission from Butler Luxury when Gentleman’s Gazette is mentioned on their website ordering form, but you can still mention it if you want.
Were you considering buying hangers?
No
The Hanger Project hanger range is very impressive and they really raised the bar what with different sizes for different jackets and I would still consider them. The new Butler Luxury hanger with its neck roll pushes things further again (but only if you have the hanging space).
Perhaps the best hanger in the world would be a wooden block of ones own torso.
For me the best hanger in the world would have an option in cedar wood, as now that few carpenters line wardrobes and drawers with cedar we need something to keep the moths away. For those with correctly made wardrobes which are cedar lined I would suggest a solid dark walnut or Macassar wood, with the shoulder supports carved to match ones shoulders (this could be done with a 3D scanner and then a 3D carving machine, a 3D printer could be used to make a cheaper version or you could email your scan to a hotel who could then print off your hanger before arrival)..
Would you need a different hanger shape for a Saville Row shoulder as opposed to a Parisian shoulder?
Well done to both firms and I look forward to the next round.
Yours,
Carl
As an afterthought, on a regular hanger perhaps there should be a thumb twist screw to heighten the shoulder on one side as many of us, especially ex oarsmen (crew to you yanks) are a little lopsided. Something that our tailors adjust for by building up one shoulder slightly.
Yours,
Carl
As varnish tends to wear off or chip I woul prefer a. oiled or natural finish to my maccassar or walnut hanger, more like a gun stock and of course the cedar hanger would have to be natural and unvarnished andsandable in order for it to exude its scent to keep moths at bay.
Yours,
Carl