Interview With David Hamilton, Owner of Hamilton Custom Shirts

David Hamilton is the co-owner of Houston-based Hamilton Shirt Co. Hamilton Shirt Co. is one of the oldest custom shirt purveyors in the United States founded in 1883. At Hamilton Shirt Co., customers are given suggestions based on their style, needs, and appearance, giving the shopper a very personal experience. Crown & Caliber spoke with Hamilton, who tells us about his influences and his father’s Rolex watch.

What do you hope your legacy will be?

First and foremost, that I was a great father, husband and friend.  Professionally, we want to be the greatest American shirtmaker, and we’re so fortunate to have a heritage that dates back to 1883.  I’d like our legacy to be that we never “rested on our legacy”.  Every day we come to work and continuously string to get better at what we do.

What would you say was the greatest lesson you learned from your dad? OR Who inspired you?

In business, my dad often calls himself a “small picture guy” in a self-deprecating way.  In truth, he understands that our business is all about the quality of our product and service, and he focuses intently on that.  My generation has come of age in an America where we don’t make too many things by hand anymore.  It leads to this way of thinking where the object is secondary to the idea.  People will very nicely say to me, “I love your brand” or “your company has such a great story”.  While I certainly appreciate the sentiment, we’re much happier when someone says, “I love your shirts,”  because that’s what is different about Hamilton.  We’re in the business of making shirts – not stories.  That’s a lesson that I’ve learned from my father.

Tell us about why you have a watch, and what it means to you?

For me, a watch is about an appreciation of craftsmanship; a valuing of tradition and history.  My father gave me his Rolex Oyster Perpetual 14K Gold.  In the 1980s, Hamilton Shirts were sold almost exclusively in Texas.  One of my dad’s first wholesale accounts was Barneys New York.  He told me that in his first meeting with their buyers he was embarrassed because they kept staring at his watch.  Rolex’s like his were popular in Texas at the time, but maybe sort of the male equivalent to Texas women and “big hair”.  Definitely not a style that was popular in New York.  Today, we are the leading custom shirt vendor at Barneys and many of the best men’s retailers across the country.   I think the watch is a testament to all that my father accomplished.  Fashion is a very insular, New York driven industry.  Being from Texas, the odds were definitely stacked against us, but he succeeded. Never wavering on the integrity of our business.

Twitter: @hamiltonshirts

Instagram: @hamiltonshirts