Tommy Hilfiger

Post Boxing day madness.
Small store and totally geared towards men. I’m not sure whether they had any women’s
wear back when they first opened, but this store is for the testosterone oriented.
In the madness of myself trying to complete my sartorialistic goals, I decided to get a knit tie. Not just any knit tie, but a knit tie with a more traditional width, 3 inches or 9 mm, not the super skinny stuff out there of present day. I did manage to find it online, and hoped to find one here. No such luck. Oh well.
Overall, Tommy Hilfiger is not really my cup of tea, not my style. Too conservative, dull and nada in terms of sartorial style, for me at least. For others maybe, if this is the look you want to put forward to the rest of the world.

I have had no reason to walk into a Tommy Hilfiger until today, in search of Neon. I remember back in the 90’s when TH was the «it» clothing. The way that Ed Hardy is today… okay maybe that is stretching it, however, you get the idea. I didn’t find what I was looking for, however, the staff were super helpful, very customer service orientated.

If you came of age in the last 15 years, you probably remember Tommy Hilfiger as the «it» brand for a few seasons, a flash-​in-​the-​fashion-​pan that all the cool kids wore for at least six months before moving on to FUBU or something equally forgettable. In the fashion world, Mr. Hilfiger is known for his brazen challenge of traditional American menswear, his subsequent marketing genius that had «Tommy» splashed across the sweatered chest of every second kid in school, and the popularity and mass marketing that divested of the brand of much of its credibility.
Forget all that when you walk into Tommy Hilfiger on Robson. Consider this instead:
— The staff are the friendliest and most helpful of any store that sells menswear on Robson, hands down. They are earnest, attentive, and informed.
–The sales are incredible. I have visited four times in the last two months, and have saved 30%-60% off every purchase (full disclosure: the 60% was the day after boxing day).
–The clothes are beautiful, and the fashion is informed more by American design than European, which is important for broad, large men like myself. The cuts tend to accentuate shoulder width, rather than trying to make one’s upper frame look skinnier — this isn’t a judgment, but an observation: to each their own.
–They sell the perfect chinos — and I paid less than $ 40 for them during a pre-​Christmas 40% off everything sale.
–The return policy on sale items — even during boxing week — is 30 days, which is obviously preferable to this «all sales final» stuff you can find on Robson.
On the downside, Tommy loses marks for producing most of their clothes in China (I know, who doesn’t? But religious persecution and a terrible human rights record can’t be ignored) and for not stocking men’s jeans, when I was there, past size 36 (I’m a 34, but I used to be a 38 so I know how it feels).
Despite this, Tommy Hilfiger on Robson is one of my top finds for the winter 2010 season.