RIP JAMES HAMILTON, 1943-2023
MR is saddened to report the passing of James Hamilton, who died on August 11th. He was the third generation to head up Houston-based Hamilton Shirts, a highly respected custom shirt manufacturer known for its fine fabrics and exceptional craftsmanship. Jim spent 36+ years at his family business, and truly enjoyed every aspect, from sweeping the floors at the Richmond Avenue workshop to visiting fabric mills in Italy and Switzerland to fittings and conversations with clients.
Jim was known to be a fabulous husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend, famous for his colorful stories. As was told in the Houston Chronicle, “Jim was grand and generous. He was dashing, stylish, and embodied the essence of bespoke in every sense of the word. He was a legend, a leader, and a storyteller that scripts are made of… He loved Texas football and always believed in the promise of next year.”
In 2006, Jim passed the business to his children, Kelly and David. In addition to his children, he is survived by his wife of 50 years, Cathy; his daughter-in-law Allison; his granddaughter Annabelle; sister Jane, and many nieces and nephews.
Perhaps this quote from designer Todd Snyder best sums up the impact James Hamilton has had on the menswear industry:
“The world is a slightly less dapper place without Jim Hamilton in it. And as an American menswear designer, knowing that some of the best-made dress shirts in the world were hand cut and sewn in Hamilton’s Houston workshop always gave me a real sense of pride. These are shirts that could go toe-to-toe with the finest French, British or Italian haberdashery. Our company felt like we’d really arrived when we partnered with Jim, David and Kelly to create our own Hamilton x Todd Snyder dress shirts.”