Women's Wear Daily - Haggar Going Retro By HOLLY HABER Original Post at http://www.wwd.com About Haggar: About Us Haggar Since its beginnings in a one-room office in Dallas, Texas in 1926, Haggar Clothing Co. has grown from a manufacturer of men's fine dress pants and slacks, into one of the most recognized and original apparel brands in the market. Haggar coined the term "slacks" in 1938 and continued to lead menswear innovation with the introduction of pre-cuffed pants, wash and wear pants, expandable waist pants, forever-prest pants, and wrinkle-free cotton casual pants. Haggar is the first apparel company to advertise in national magazines and on TV, adopt EDI and UPC technologies, ship pants pre hung, invent the size strip sticker, and offer jackets and pants as suit separates. In addition to its Haggar brand, the company has developed and launched the highly successful and eco-friendly LK Life Khaki brand. Haggar is the "Official Clothing Partner of the Hockey Hall of Fame" and the "Official Provider of the Gold Jacket to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinees since 1978." Haggar Clothing Co. today commands the #1 market position in men's dress pants in the United States, as well as the #2 share in men's casual pants, and has been a leader in men's apparel for over 87 years.

1. Haggar Going Retro
By HOLLY HABER
FROM:
WWD Issue 12/05/2013
SPECIAL ISSUE
Men'sWeek Issue 12/05/2013
Looks from the Haggar Vintage fashion show.
Photo By Sterling Steves
DALLAS — At 87 years of age, Haggar Clothing Co. is
reinventing itself as a lifestyle brand that can dress men of all
ages in apparel ranging from classic to cool.
It’s also delving deeper into women’s wear with last week’s
purchase of Tribal, an established misses’ sportswear firm in
Montreal with annual sales of more than $40 million, mostly to

2. independent U.S. boutiques.
“Our overall strategic direction and plan really involves
extending beyond our core men’s wear business,” explained
Michael Stitt, chief executive officer. “We are getting into new
categories and going international, and part of that is new
labels.”
Haggar’s new push was on display one crisp night late last month
when it staged its first runway show at a charity fete in Deep
Ellum, a bohemian downtown district here. Men strolled the
runway in slim, vibrant plaid pants paired with shirts, ties and
fedoras, and rolled selvage denim jeans with plaid jackets.
The hipster Haggar Vintage bottoms sport plaids that are
identical to the ones found on 40- and 50-year-old Haggar pants.
They’ll be sold come spring on the company’s Web site, ticketed
somewhat higher than Haggar’s average $30 to $40 pants. The
goal is to land Haggar Vintage pants next fall in Millennialoriented retailers that have never carried the brand, Stitt said.
The dark denim is also due next fall under the label Mustang, a
trademark the company owns in the U.S., according to design
director Rafael Soto.
“We want to protect and grow our core men’s bottoms, and
within that we have our classic traditional offering that has a
tremendous following across North America, and at the same
time also have an offering that is more modern and updated,”
Stitt explained. “In addition, we want to make it more of a
lifestyle brand from dress to casual for all occasions with the
introduction of sweaters, dress shirts and other accessories and,
of course, suit separates are an important part of our future
plans.”
Haggar has big expectations for Cotton Performance Slacks, a
retro-inspired label launching in the spring to a broad
demographic target. Breathable, wrinkle- and soil-resistant, the
pants are cut in straight and slim fits and designed for work and

3. leisure. They hark back to Haggar’s coining of the term “slacks”
— pants for slack time — back in 1938.
“We had done some pretty extensive research eight months back
and found that over 50 percent of men are looking for pants for
an everyday occasion, especially Millennials looking for 24/7
pants,” noted Tim Lyons, president. “That’s when this idea of
slacks started coming back to us.” Besides design inspiration,
Haggar’s heritage is a useful marketing tool, Stitt noted.
“We think we have this interesting story to tell that will resonate
in other parts of the world, particularly with our Texas heritage,
which is somewhat unique to us,” he said. He said sales are up 10
percent this year and he’s projecting the same double-digit gains
for next year, not including Tribal.
Now counting 7,500 doors, including every Target carrying the
label Haggar H26, the company is getting close to the sales peak
of $476 million it reached before it was taken private in 2005.
Since then, it has shed its private-label business and most of its
women’s wear. Haggar is jointly owned by Perseus LLC, a
merchant bank and private equity company, and a unit of Pou
Chen Group, a Taiwan shoe manufacturer.
The company still offers Haggar classic misses sportswear in
Canada, and the line will get a design boost via the Tribal
acquisition, Stitt said. He’d also sees potential for Tribal to create
a new label for department stores.
A Canadian, Stitt has been a Haggar executive since 1999 and
was promoted to ceo in 2012. He’s intent on creating a culture of
enthusiasm and entrepreneurship at the company.
Noted Stitt, “Our goal is for everyone to get really excited about
being at work, and we’re trying to do everything we can to realize
that environment.”