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Shirt Tales
The things you can’t live without.
WITH THE SURGE of retail imports onto our Texas soil—including the recent arrival of Barneys in both Dallas and Austin—one might assume good style travels only east to west. Bucking that notion is a century-old Houston clothier: Hamilton Custom Shirtmaker. Founded in 1883 and now managed by Kelly and David Hamilton, siblings and fourth-generation haberdashers, the company has renovated its Galleria-area storefront and online presence, making the fitting and personalizing process more glamorous and accessible. Gentlemen can cherry-pick their fabric, pockets, stitching, cuffs, and collars to the last detail, online or in person. (New for summer is the Italian open-weave cotton voile called Cellostar, which breathes like linen but lacks the sheerness or wrinkles.) The firm is also notable for its turnaround time—two to four weeks per shirt, an industry record—and its Western yoke option, which just so happens to be the signature finish for Simon Doonan, Barneys’ creative director. Doonan has been wearing hand-cut and -stitched Hamiltons for ages—floral prints are a favorite. “The only time I’m not wearing a Hamilton shirt is when I’m in bed sleeping,” he says. “If you have a fantastic product, you can be based in Timbuktu. Quality and luxury are drugs. People will seek you out wherever you are.” Richmond Avenue included.
$200–$400. Hamilton Custom Shirtmaker, 5700 Richmond Ave., Houston, 713-780-8222, hamiltonshirts.com. 
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