A Dapper Time With HALL&MADDEN

Hall&Madden - A service every man Once in a while, there comes along a brand, that every man needs.  Hall&Madden is that brand.  While it may seem eerily similar to the typical internet service delivery business models such as Birchbox & Trunk Club, it is in a league of its own.  The brand has an elevated aesthetic and has targeted a niche market that caters to the average joe out there who is looking for convenience, quality and fit.  

It’s a fact, guys don’t like to shop like us ladies do. This service caters to the young and busy guys who may not have a woman in their life to curate their work wardrobe. Instead of wasting precious hours scouring the men’s department at your local shop, the team at Hall&Madden do the hard work for you.

Rather than style you up in an outfit you may or may not like – the brand is offering something every guy in Chicago needs: dress shirts. AND these are not just your run of the mill dress shirts, they are of the caliber that you’ll find in the designer shops or high end department stores, but without the designer prices. Hall&Madden offers a service that sends you a set of 3 dress shirts custom fit to your  measurements on a timed schedule in an array of dapper styles.

The Halfstack team and our “average joe” had the opportunity to visit the offices of Hall&Madden and get an insiders view of what this start up is doing right in the heart of River North.

As it turns out the founders (Richard and McGregor) run two brands: Hall&Madden and Propersuit. While Hall&Madden caters to the “dudes” – Propersuit is there to cater to the debonair businessmen who are looking for a made to measure custom suit. While Propersuit is a bit higher on the price scale, Hall&Madden is for the young professional who is all about the commodity price, but is still looking to build his wardrobe. Therefore, Hall&Madden offers a range of styles from conservative to more trendy items. Through the styling service they are able to educate men on the product and trends.

McGregor Madden

Richard Allan Hall 

Richard notes that the brand is “very price competitive.” They sell 3 luxury shirts for $150. Due to the fact that both Richard and McGregor come from the sourcing and manufacturing side of the fashion industries, working for brands such as FCUK and Hugo Boss, it makes sense that they can create a strong product at an even stronger price.

The Hall&Madden brand offers subscriptions that are all about quality and fit. The brand is there to work with customers that want to round out their wardrobe. Hall&Madden sends 3 curated dress shirts every 3,4 or 6 months based on your measurements that fall into one of their three designed cuts: slim, athletic or classic. Why the subscription, you ask? Well, the Hall&Madden team understands that men are creatures of habit and the mail order service makes it easy to get the new styles that the businessmen need.

When asked why the brand decided to establish its roots in Chicago, Richard explained, “When guys buy a product – they want it right away. With the Midwest location we are able to reach 70% of our customer base within 2-3 days due to the central location. Also, the fact that Chicago is an affordable city gives us the opportunity to house our offices and maintain our inventory space within our spacious 4000 square foot workspace.”

The fact that the brand is also centrally located in the heart of River North, gives the Chicago based customers a great opportunity to get custom measurements. Hall&Madden offers walk-in visits to their Chicago based subscribers. Due to this, Halfstack wanted to get the full H&M treatment while visiting.

Our “average joe” went through the process of getting fit for a custom shirt. They took his measurements and had a talk with him about style and his problem areas of fit with his regular dress shirts. They then educated him on the nuances of their shirts, why they fit better and the special cuts.

After all was said and done, when asked if he would subscribe he had this to say: “To be honest, I would buy from these guys. Not just because the shirts fit well, but also because they were nice guys. They were not pretentious and they made the experience easy, informational and comfortable. There aren’t many places you can go to get something like this done and feel at home.”

Hall&Madden has made Chicago it’s home and it looks like the Chicago has welcomed them with open arms. Currently, the brand is looking grow in terms of their subscribers and offerings. They are looking to offer trendier short run style and are working on a mobile app possibility. Overall, it looks like they are on the rise in the Windy City. When asked if they could offer closing advice to young people looking to start their own business, they had the following tips:

- Figure out what you are passionate about and go for it. 

- Keep an open mind because you don't always know your passions until you try the job & don't be afraid to try as many as you can. 

- Take the time to utilize social media - keep an open dialogue with people in the industry.  

Make sure you check out Hall&Madden online: www.hallmadden.com 

This full article is featured in the Half Stack Magazine Digital Print Summer Issue.  Click HERE for this article and to read up on other great articles pertaining to books, music, fashion, and more...  

By Jennifer M. Lezan