Nakata Hanger Review & Arterton London Showroom Visit

The Savile Row Experience

In today’s article we are going to Review the famous Nakata Suit Hanger.

Not only that, but I will also make a quick tour of their official distributor Arterton London.

Let’s go back to Savile Row and figure out what makes these hangers so special.

Second Time’s The Charm

Within 2 months, this was my second long stay in London and I seized the opportunity to meet friends and make content.

I finally got the chance to meet up with William, the managing director of Arterton London.

Arterton is a rather new company based in Savile Row that has impressively built its model on high end hangers and suit bags.

Recently, they also partnered up with 3 brands that I featured on the website before in various Reviews.

One is Bridlen which is the emerging brand from India (Review Here) and the other Yearn Shoemaker (Review Here) where I actually first talked about Arterton London.

I met William in previous iterations of the Shoegazing Trunk Show and we had many discussion about shoes, business and clothes.

He recently partnered up with Paul Brunngård which is a company producing great polishing materials from Sweden.

William and Linus are always impeccably tailored and dress up, to the point I feel underdressed.

It takes one look at them to understand the professionalism and attention to detail and most importantly they are approachable and friendly.

At the end of my visit, they offered me a free Nakata Hanger which I did not have to review at all.

However, I choose to because the price is mind-boggling but eventually makes sense for reasons I will explain later.

Visiting The Arterton London Showroom

Let’s begin by my visit at the Arterton London Showroom.

Located in 20 Savile Row in London, the Arterton Seasonal Showroom is a great, polished experience.

Classic with a twist of modern, it has a minimalist vibe that shows you exactly what it’s all about.

Ways to take care and maintain your shoes, clothes and a very curated selection of emerging shoe brands.

All collaborations with artisans are carefully hand-picked with quality over quantity.

Shoe Care by Paul Brunggård

At the time of writing the window hosts a number of shoe care products by Paul Brunngård Sweden to celebrate their recent launch.

I met them in the Shoegazing Stockholm Trunk Show and even participated in one of their spit-shinning workshops.

The owner (Anders) is extremely passionate about shinning and shoe care products and an expert shiner himself.

I really recommend their extraordinary shoe brushes, valet kit and their shoe polish is not flammable and can ship anywhere freely.

Yearn Shoemaker & Bridlen

Yearn Shoemaker (also known as Slim Shoes in Asia) is an emerging shoe brand making value handmade shoes.

I reviewed one recently and while they impressed me with the sleek design, the fit ended up being tough for me.

Nonetheless, it seems there was an issue in translating the sizes and it seems to be fixed now.

For $400-$450 you can get a very good looking custom shoe and Yearn has a curated, expanding collection.

On the more value side, Arterton also launched a partnership with Bridlen Shoes.

Another emerging shoemaker from India that has a more British design and a fair price.

Having a retailer in the UK means it is more accessible to Europeans or locals that do not want to pay extra import fees.

Both are solid brands and offer different value, aesthetics and philosophy.

Garment Bags & Accessories

I must admit I do not know much about this area, but Arterton has a plethora of high end items to care for your clothes.

Some phenomenal garment bags, umbrellas, shoe bags and brushes to name a few.

I wish I spotted the shoe bag earlier because it looks fantastic and is rather affordable.

The garment bags are top notch and blow Suitsupply’s laughable bags out of the water.

Nakata Hangers

The real reason for writing this article is to talk about the Nakata Hangers.

Originating from Japan, Nakata has been producing high end hangers since 1946.

Made from European Beechwood and in many cases a single block of wood, they are sensational.

There are a few different versions and lines specifically for trousers, shirts, suits, jackets and valet hybrids.

They have meticulous measurements, can have laser engravings and are a tier above most of the other options on the market.

In fact, there is a hanger that (hold on to your seats) costs a colossal $1300 USD.

It is the special edition Wajima Urushi Savile Row Limited Edition Hanger.

The artist makes his own powder from scratch and hand paints it on a single block of wood.

It’s a beautiful hanger, but I must admit I would never buy it (or better say can’t afford it).

Nonetheless, it has its purpose and is directed to a very specific crown with high spending power.

Why Do You NEed A Good Hanger?

Poor quality hangers or the wrong type of hanger can damage your clothes the same way cheap shoe trees can ruin your shoes.

The way the clothes hang (especially shirts and jackets) and the slope on the shoulders and ending can really make a difference.

There are pointy ends and cheap wired hangers that can absolutely misshape the fabric.

Think about it for a second, if you have expensive clothes such as a Bespoke or custom suit, would you want to ruin it by trying to save money on cheap hangers?

At the time of writing, my wardrobe still consists of mostly Suitsupply and Lanieri which come with variations of hangers.

The more expensive Sienna and Jort Lines had higher quality hangers and even their plastic ones work.

But as I go more high-end I see the value in spending a little more to preserve my clothes as much as possible.

Presentation & Specifications

Let’s begin by talking about the presentation and the whole experience.

If Linus and William don’t woo you enough with their sharp outfits and extensive knowledge, you will know you have a special product as soon as you see the packing.

It’s proper packaging that comes with a brochure and reminds you it is an experience.

Actually holding and looking at the hanger feels like a quality experience.

Maybe I am overreacting or I am thinking about it from a shoemaker’s perspective, or simply compare them to the pathetic hangs I have at home from Suitsupply.

Which reminds me my 4th pair of trousers from them ripped at the crotch this year.

Let’s now look at some of the specifications for this particular hanger:

• Brand: Nakata Hanger
• Retailer: Arterton London
• Model: AUT-05 Suit Hanger
• Material: European Beechwood
• Trouser Bar: Felted
• Bar Diameter: 1.5 cm
• Hook: Fully Rotating
• Width: 400-460 mm
• Shoulder Thickness: 57 mm (widest point)
• Color: Smoked Brown (Wood), Gold Chrome (Hardware)
• Made In: Japan
• Price: £103 ($120/€115) Set of 3

As you see, the price is not as big for 3 quality hangers when you think about the expensive suits you would buy.

It is also a lifetime investment and the product description is extensive and well-thought showing care and experience.

Nakata Hanger AUT-05 Quality

I can blabber all day about how it looks and feels and pictures will not do it justice, but this is a quality item.

While I don’t know much about hangers, I am familiar with beechwood, handpainting, woodworking and shoetrees.

Carefully painted with a hint of patina, a beautiful lacquered finish and with quality components.

Just look at the size and girth of the hardware which is very thick and extremely durable.

The engraving is a lovely touch, even though “useless” as the hanger lies hidden in your closet under a garment for most of its life.

But hey, for $5 you can customize your own name and personalize it and it can remind you how far you made it in life.

Actually Hanging Things

Now, it wouldn’t be a review without actually hanging something.

I picked up a few suits and tried them on, including a recent tuxedo I received for a future review.

The shoulders slope well and the back of the collar rests just on the top part of the hanger.

Here’s a comparison with a basic Suitsupply hanger.

Can you see which one drapes better or at least looks nicer?

It also reminds me how much I despise Black Suits during the day.

Just look at the lint and dirt that accumulated during one short trip downstairs.

While I don’t care so much about how trousers hang, I do find it extremely irritating when they slip or the detachable felt doesn’t work.

Let alone plastic trouser bars that break in the point that connects to the spine (what is the word for that joint?).

Always hang your trousers properly by the way since that removes creases natural as you let gravity do its work.

Nakata Hanger Sizing

Wait, what do you mean sizing?

Well, just as shoes, clothes and shoe trees there is a size for everything.

When you hang jackets, the width of the hanger depends on what size you are wearing.

If you check out the specifications table once more, you will see it varies from 400 – 460 mm.

This corresponds to your chest size in increments of 30 mm.

• 400 mm = Chest Size 35-38
• 430 mm = Chest Size 39-42
• 460 mm = Chest Size 43-45

You don’t want too large or too big hangers as it is the equivalent of buying too small or too big shoes.

Value & Pricing

When I found out about the price, I though “who spends so much on hangers” and it was a question that bugged me about Kirby Allison for a while.

And when I showed the Nakata Hanger to my girlfriend and some friends the first question was if I actually paid for it and if I was insane.

However, you can look it from a very different perspective and I will give you two good reasons.

For the price of $40 USD ($120 for 3 Hangers) you get a quality item that will last forever and will take care of your clothes.

Not only that, but if you buy expensive MTM suits or clothes that cost over $1000 or Bespoke that costs 3-4 times more it is a marginal cost.

Additionally, when I review or buy high end shoes that cost those amounts I always recommend buying lasted shoe tress which often cost up to $150.

Think of these hangers as high end shoe trees but for your clothes.

Of course, it is not for everyone and that is fine but if you have the budget for such clothes I do recommend getting at least one good hanger.

Nakata Hanger Review – Conclusions

Here we are at the end of the Nakata Hanger Review and my visit to Arterton London.

I still cannot believe I wrote a 1800 word article about hangers, but here we are.

It was an excellent experience and I am thankful I could be among friends and finally try their products.

As always, I would love to hear your opinions and what do you think about quality hangers.

I will see you next week with a new Review.

Thank you for reading,

Kostas Mandilaris,
Misiu Academy