The VFG believes that informed selling and buying communities are good for the vintage-fashion industry as a whole, and all visitors to the website have access to the VFG resources. These are continually updated and constantly evolving, thanks to a dedicated volunteer staff.
Our blog features our picks of the freshest vintage items, member news and articles. We have also created a growing series of articles on some classic designers.
The Vintage Fashion Guild™ (VFG) is an international organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of vintage fashion.
The Vintage Fashion Guild™ (VFG) is an international community of people with expertise in vintage fashion. VFG members enjoy a wealth of resources, avenues for promoting their shops and specialties, and camaraderie with others who share a common interest and passion.
One of America’s oldest luxury menswear brands, Hickey-Freeman was founded by partners Jeremiah G. Hickey, Jacob L. Freeman, and Thomas Mahon in 1899, in Rochester, New York, as a manufacturer of men’s suits. In 1900, the name was changed to simply Hickey-Freeman Co. After years of steady growth, in 1908, it merged with another menswear manufacturer, Beckel, Baum & Leopold Co., retaining the Hickey-Freeman name. Emmett Baum became vice-president of Hickey-Freeman Co. after the merger, and guided the company’s decision to manufacture only high-quality clothing. Ready-to-wear suits were seldom made with hand-craftsmanship of any quality at the time, but Hickey-Freeman set itself apart in the marketplace by recognizing the importance of quality construction.
By 1912, Hickey-Freeman Co. was successful enough to build a large, modern factory on North Clinton Avenue, which still exists today. Although the new factory was one of the most complete facilities of its kind in the country, it became necessary for Hickey-Freeman to add space to the building twice more during the 1920s, to accommodate the company’s increased volume and over 1,700 employees. The company’s reputation for quality continued to define the brand, and through the mid-1980s, descendants of the original partners served consecutively as presidents of the company.
Hartmarx purchased the company in 1964, but went bankrupt in 2009. The Hickey-Freeman brand was sold and acquired by a number of entities since then. As of 2023, it was owned by Peerless Clothing International, the largest producer of men’s and boy’s tailored clothing in North America, and can be found in over 20 free-standing stores, shop-in-shops, as well as its own web store.
Written by Ranch Queen Vintage
from a 1950s sport coat
from a 1960s sport coat
inner pocket label from a 1960s sport coat