J.Hilburn Newsroom

Category: Uncategorized

  • Enhancing the Client Experience: Insights from Dallas Studio Manager Bob Esparza

    In a presentation at SLS 2025, Bob Esparza, the Manager of the Dallas Studio and a top-selling J.Hilburn Stylist, shared insights into enhancing the Client experience in a conversation with Chief Creative Officer Simon Kneen. During this conversation, Bob shares effective sales techniques, emphasizing premium products to attract interest. Bob also discusses men’s fashion, focusing on vests and suits, including fabric quality and construction. Client fittings, personalized service, and the benefits of deconstructed suits are discussed. Educating clients about fit and comfort is also emphasized. 

    PRESENTATION CHAPTERS

    Chapter 1

    00:00

    Introduction of Bob

    Introduction of Bob as the manager of the Dallas Studio, acknowledgment of his achievements.

    Chapter 2

    00:50

    Client Experience & Feedback

    Clients feel the studio is boutique-like. Bob shares excitement about the new line and Client preferences.

    Chapter 3

    04:00

    Sales Techniques & Relationships

    Bob explains his sales approach and the importance of building trust and relationships with Clients.

    Chapter 4

    30:15

    Vest and Tuxedo Trends

    Discussion about vest fabric options, tuxedo trends, and pricing details.

    Chapter 5

    31:38

    Suit Quality & Client Fitting

    Inquiry about suit quality, fitting techniques, and Client interaction.

    Chapter 6

    33:23

    Client Reorders & Delivery

    Questions about Client reorders, fitting sessions, and delivery preferences.

    Chapter 7

    36:00

    Deconstructed Suit Benefits

    Explanation of deconstructed suits, their fit, and suitability for different body types.

    Chapter 8

    39:03

    Client Education & Priorities

    Emphasis on educating Clients about fit, comfort, and prioritizing client preferences.

    Links to supplies used for Bob’s boards:

  • Weekly Update – February 7, 2025

    NEW THIS WEEK

    Please note that the following sportcoat linings are running low at the factory – but replenishment is expected on the dates listed below:

    You can still place orders with these sportcoat linings – but there may be a slight delay in fulfillment due to the lining restock. We appreciate your patience and will do our best to ensure timely delivery.

    The Taupe / Navy Paisley Lining replenishment has arrived, but we have encountered a color-matching issue that does not meet our quality standards. We are actively working with our lining supplier to resolve the situation, but at this time, we do not have a confirmed ETA for the corrected shipment.

    We will continue to monitor and provide updates as we receive more information.

    Taupe/Navy Paisley

    DON’T MISS!

    We made a lot of memories this year at Sales and Leadership Summit 2025 in Dallas, Texas! Check out this photo gallery where you can view, download, and save some of your favorites: 

    See the SLS 2025 Photo Gallery

    Our printed Spring 2025 Collection Lookbooks have arrived and pre-orders have shipped! If you missed the pre-order, you’re in luck! We have a limited quantity remaining that is available for order. The Spring Lookbooks are available in packs of five (5) for $30 ($6 per book). These are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to get your order in quickly.  To place your order, visit the Stylist Store. A SKU has been added for purchase, (SS25Lookbook-5pack).  

    We’re excited to offer you this opportunity to maximize your business by putting J.Hilburn in the hands of new Clients and helping your new Stylists get off to a great start.

    Selling

     At J.Hilburn, we pride ourselves on delivering only the highest quality products to you and your Clients. Recently, our manufacturing partner, TAL, made the difficult but necessary, decision to discontinue working with the laundry house responsible for washing our Custom Denim fabrics. This decision was made because the laundry house did not meet the high standards of TAL and J.Hilburn. 

    As a result, we must immediately pause sales of our Custom Denim SKUs. This decision ensures we maintain our commitment to offering your Clients only high-quality products that accurately reflect J.Hilburn’s brand promise.

    Impacted SKUs:

    We want to assure you that we are working closely with TAL to identify a new, reliable laundry house so that we can bring Custom Denim back to you with the quality you expect and deserve.

    In the meantime, we recommend our Cozy Denim as a great alternative to offer your Clients. The Cozy Denim has a similar hand feel to our original denim, but since it is not a true denim fabric, there is no abrasion at the seams. It is a yard-dyed fabric, giving it a “Denim Look,” however, when washed there will be no fading, so the color lasts longer. And, since our cozy denim is part of our 5 pockets category, you are able to offer your Clients the hidden 6th pocket option and the new hidden zipper pockets that we offer on our 5 pockets. These are features that your Clients will likely love but can’t get on denim elsewhere.

     

    Spring leave-behind postcards are officially on the Moo portal now! You have the option to personalize the cards with your name, phone number, and email address or PURL. Follow these steps to create yours:

    • Log in to the Moo.com portal
    • Click the green plus sign (+) to create a new product

    • Click “Use Company Template”

    • Click “Postcards”

    • Choose personalized or plain

    We are so excited to see the success you are having with our new Allen Edmonds styles! We are looking forward to a strong partnership with them. In the meantime, we want to provide you with a few quick inventory updates.

    The Randolph Bit Loafer in Bone will be back in stock on February 11 – we have temporarily removed this style from our site and will reactivate it again once the inventory is available.

    The James Dress Loafer in Black has been temporarily deactivated – it will be back in stock mid-February.

     

     

     

     

    The Randolph Penny Loafer in Pewter Suede has also been temporarily removed from the site – it will be back in stock at the end of February

    • Monday, February 10 – New Arrivals Featuring Sportcoats
    • Wednesday, February 12 – Noted Natural
    • Friday, February 14 – TBD

    Thank you for everything you do! Have a great week!

  • Spring 2025 Collection Training

    Introducing our newest collection for Spring 2025

    This season there are 56 new Suiting swatches from mills including J.Hilburn (JHSU – J.Hilburn sourced), Marzotto, Huddersfield, Mario Bellucci, Reda Flexo, Reda 1865, Trabaldo Togna, Vitale Barberis Canonico, Cerruti, Loro Piana Cloth, and Ermenegildo Zegna Cloth.

    We brought in 40 new Shirting swatches from mills including J.Hilburn (JHS – J.Hilburn sourced), Soktas, Somelos, Canclini, Carlo Bassetti, Albini, and Thomas Mason.

    We have new colorways in Interlock Jersey, Printed Jersey Knit, and Albini Flex Texture.

    In addition, we have brought in two new knit qualities – our new Pique Jacquard Knit and our new Italian Tech Knit, both in multiple colorways.

    For pants, there are new colors in Americano, 4-Way Stretch, and Cozy Denim

    We have also sourced a new pant quality – our new Italian Eco-Performance pant, in 5 colorways.

    We have made enhancements for several options as listed below.

    New options including:

    Shirts & Knits:

    Three (3) New Button Colors

    • Lavender Imitation Mother Of Pearl
    • Oxford Blue Imitation Mother Of Pearl
    • Pale Grey Imitation Mother Of Pearl

    Knits New Options :

    • Zip Mock – Hidden Zipper Placket (added the placket to cover the zipper teeth)
    • Layering Vest – The make/construction change on Placket & Pockets to be the same as the current Full Zip.  With this change, the contrast fabric option will also become available from Spring. 

    Knits Improved Change :

    • Zip Mock – adding the backing at the underside of the zipper as the improvement (not a new option)

    Casual Pants New Options :

    • Hidden Zipper Back Pockets for 5-Pockets, Chinos, and Shorts (not available on Non-Iron), both sides, no location options.

    New Suiting Linings:

    • Hibiscus Floral
    • Herbs
    • Sailing Ships
    • Pink Palms
    • Palm Leaves
    • Navy Vintage Golf
    • Navy & Aqua Nautical
    • Lilac Paisley

    Spring 2025 Collection Kickoff Call with Simon and Nicole (Full Recording)

    Spring 2025 Collection Training Slides

    Slides shown during the call are available in the link below to use as a reference.

    View the Spring 2025 Collection Training Slides

    For information on swatches and details on sales tools, please reference the Master SKU List, Master Swatch List, and Price List linked below:

    Spring 2025 Collection Master List

  • Weekly Update – January 31, 2025

    NEW THIS WEEK

    We made a lot of memories this year at Sales and Leadership Summit 2025 in Dallas, Texas! Check out this photo gallery where you can view, download, and save some of your favorites: 

    See the SLS 2025 Photo Gallery

     At J.Hilburn, we pride ourselves on delivering only the highest quality products to you and your Clients. Recently, our manufacturing partner, TAL, made the difficult but necessary, decision to discontinue working with the laundry house responsible for washing our Custom Denim fabrics. This decision was made because the laundry house did not meet the high standards of TAL and J.Hilburn. 

    As a result, we must immediately pause sales of our Custom Denim SKUs. This decision ensures we maintain our commitment to offering your Clients only high-quality products that accurately reflect J.Hilburn’s brand promise.

    Impacted SKUs:

    We want to assure you that we are working closely with TAL to identify a new, reliable laundry house so that we can bring Custom Denim back to you with the quality you expect and deserve.

    In the meantime, we recommend our Cozy Denim as a great alternative to offer your Clients. The Cozy Denim has a similar hand feel to our original denim, but since it is not a true denim fabric, there is no abrasion at the seams. It is a yard-dyed fabric, giving it a “Denim Look,” however, when washed there will be no fading, so the color lasts longer. And, since our cozy denim is part of our 5 pockets category, you are able to offer your Clients the hidden 6th pocket option and the new hidden zipper pockets that we offer on our 5 pockets. These are features that your Clients will likely love but can’t get on denim elsewhere.

     

    Spring leave-behind postcards are officially on the Moo portal now! You have the option to personalize the cards with your name, phone number, and email address or PURL. Follow these steps to create yours:

    • Log in to the Moo.com portal
    • Click the green plus sign (+) to create a new product

    • Click “Use Company Template”

    • Click “Postcards”

    • Choose personalized or plain

    DON’T MISS!

    PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE SPRING 2025 COLLECTION KICKOFF CALL ON FEBRUARY 3RD AT 12:00PM CST!

    Join Chief Creative Officer Simon Kneen and Director of Merchandising Nicole Coury on Monday, February 3 from 12:00 – 2:00 PM CST for your first look at our Spring 2025 Collection.  Simon and Nicole will take you through the new Collection, its inspiration, and detailed explanations of the fabrics, items, and Key Looks of the new season.

    Stylists attending SLS will receive their Spring 2025 swatches at the event. All other Stylists’ swatches will be shipped on 1/24/25 so that they will be received in advance of the call. HAVE YOUR SALES TOOLS AND SWATCHES ON HAND FOR THE CALL. Be ready to take notes. The call will be recorded and available as soon as possible. 

    There is no better way to be prepared for the Spring selling season than to attend this meeting and gain the product knowledge that will help you to wow your Clients with personalized looks from this year’s Spring Collection.

    The Spring 2024 season launches on Tuesday, February 4th.

    Register for the Spring 2025 Collection Kick Off Call on February 3rd

    2025 has begun, and that means Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! We want to ensure our clients look sharp for any special plans they have that day. Please refer to these dates below as guidelines for when orders should be placed in order to arrive in time for Valentine’s Day.

    Valentine’s Day Cut-offs

    Category

    Date

    Suits, Outerwear, Belts

    1/16/2025

    Shirts, Knits, Casual Pants (excluding Denim)

    1/21/2025

    RTW

    2/5/2025

     

    Based on your feedback, we’re pleased to bring you a new bi-monthly call that features our Stylist community – TIPS FROM THE TOP! This new call will replace Tailored Talks and will occur every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 11:00 AM CST. Each call will feature a Stylist from the field who will share strategies and steps that have led to their success.

    On the 1st week of the month, Tips From The Top will immediately follow the All-Stylist Call which starts at 10:30 AM CST, using the same meeting link.

    Our first Tips From The Top call will happen on Tuesday, February 4 at 11:00 AM CST, immediately following the All-Stylist Call at 10:30AM CST and will feature insights from one of our top selling Stylists, Libby Tonucci.

    Register for Tips From The Top

    Our printed Spring 2025 Collection Lookbooks have arrived and are now shipping! We have a limited quantity remaining available for order. The Spring Lookbooks are available in packs of five (5) for $30 ($6 per book). We’re excited to offer you this opportunity to maximize your business by putting J.Hilburn in the hands of new Clients and helping your new Stylists get off to a great start.

    Can I Still Order the Lookbooks?
    Yes, we have a limited quantity of extra copies on hand for purchase. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to get your order in quickly.  To place your order, visit the Stylist Store. A SKU has been added for purchase, (SS25Lookbook-5pack).  

    Selling

    We’re excited to announce that replenishments for several sportcoat linings have arrived at our factory! The following linings are now available to select in Green Room:

    • Heather Solid Blue
    • Ivory Tonal Paisley
    • Sportscar Print

    However, we are still awaiting restocks of the following linings, which have been temporarily removed from Green Room until they are back in stock:

    We truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we work diligently to restock these items. Thank you for your continued support!

    We are so excited to see the success you are having with our new Allen Edmonds styles! We are looking forward to a strong partnership with them. In the meantime, we want to provide you with a few quick inventory updates.

    The Randolph Bit Loafer in Bone will be back in stock on February 11 – we have temporarily removed this style from our site and will reactivate it again once the inventory is available.

    The James Dress Loafer in Black has been temporarily deactivated – it will be back in stock mid-February.

     

     

     

     

    The Randolph Penny Loafer in Pewter Suede has also been temporarily removed from the site – it will be back in stock at the end of February

    • Tuesday, February 5 – New Arrivals
    • Friday, February 7 – New Soft Tailoring

    Thank you for everything you do! Have a great week!

  • Weekly Update – January 24, 2025

    NEW THIS WEEK

    To help support you as you close out the month of January, Stylist Care and Fit Advice will be available on Friday, January 31st from 8:30AM to 8:00PM CST. 

    Based on your feedback, we’re pleased to bring you a new bi-monthly call that features our Stylist community – TIPS FROM THE TOP! This new call will replace Tailored Talks and will occur every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 11:00 AM CST. Each call will feature a Stylist from the field who will share strategies and steps that have led to their success.

    On the 1st week of the month, Tips From The Top will immediately follow the All-Stylist Call which starts at 10:30 AM CST, using the same meeting link.

    Our first Tips From The Top call will happen on Tuesday, February 4 at 11:00 AM CST, immediately following the All-Stylist Call at 10:30AM CST.

    Register for Tips From The Top

    Last week, at our Sales and Leadership Summit, we launched our Client Value Proposition (CVP). In the latest issue of Simon Says, Simon explains what a CVP is, why we need one, and how our CVP can help guide your business decisions. Click below to read the latest issue of Simon Says.

    Read the Latest Simon Says

    Due to some delays at the fabric mill, our Italian Denim replenishment will not arrive to the factory until February 7th. The Italian Denim SKUs are currently on backorder with a February 7 ETA. During this time, orders can still be placed but will be on hold until the fabric is received by the factory.

    We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to fulfill these orders. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please feel free to reach out to our Support Team.

    We’re excited to announce that replenishments for several sportcoat linings have arrived at our factory! The following linings are now available to select in Green Room:

    • Heather Solid Blue
    • Ivory Tonal Paisley
    • Sportscar Print

    However, we are still awaiting restocks of the following linings, which have been temporarily removed from Green Room until they are back in stock:

    We truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we work diligently to restock these items. Thank you for your continued support!

    We are so excited to see the success you are having with our new Allen Edmonds styles! We are looking forward to a strong partnership with them. We wanted to provide a few quick inventory updates on some of their styles and expected delivery dates.

    The Chili and Black colors in the Mason Reserve Wingtip will not be available until the end of February. These shoes are part of their Reserve collection and take double the time to manufacture. We have temporarily removed these colors from our website until their inventory is available.

    The Randolph Bit Loafer in Bone will be back in stock on Feb 11 – we have temporarily removed this style from our site and will reactivate it again once the inventory is available.

    The Randolph Penny Loafer in Pewter Suede has also been temporarily removed from the site – we are waiting to hear back from Allen Edmonds on when they expect their replenishment. We will keep you posted.

    The James Dress Loafer in Black has been temporarily deactivated. This is due to a holiday-related production delay and high demand generated by events such as the Golden Globes and other upcoming award shows that depleted the inventory they had on hand.

    Allen Edmonds expects this shoe to be replenished early to mid-February. In the meantime, if your Client needs an elevated dress shoe, we recommend the Allen Edmonds Carlyle Oxford as an excellent alternative. This lace-up style offers a sophisticated, polished look and will serve as a great option while we await the return of the James Dress Loafer.

    DON’T MISS!

    PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE SPRING 2025 COLLECTION KICKOFF CALL ON FEBRUARY 3RD AT 12:00PM CST!

    Join Chief Creative Officer Simon Kneen and Director of Merchandising Nicole Coury on Monday, February 3 from 12:00 – 2:00 PM CST for your first look at our Spring 2025 Collection.  Simon and Nicole will take you through the new Collection, its inspiration, and detailed explanations of the fabrics, items, and Key Looks of the new season.

    Stylists attending SLS will receive their Spring 2025 swatches at the event. All other Stylists’ swatches will be shipped on 1/24/25 so that they will be received in advance of the call. HAVE YOUR SALES TOOLS AND SWATCHES ON HAND FOR THE CALL. Be ready to take notes. The call will be recorded and available as soon as possible. 

    There is no better way to be prepared for the Spring selling season than to attend this meeting and gain the product knowledge that will help you to wow your Clients with personalized looks from this year’s Spring Collection.

    The Spring 2024 season opens for sales on Tuesday, February 4th.

    Register for the Spring 2025 Collection Kick Off Call on February 3rd

    2025 has begun, and that means Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! We want to ensure our clients look sharp for any special plans they have that day. Please refer to these dates below as guidelines for when orders should be placed in order to arrive in time for Valentine’s Day.

    Valentine’s Day Cut-offs

    Category

    Date

    Suits, Outerwear, Belts

    1/16/2025

    Shirts, Knits, Casual Pants (excluding Denim)

    1/21/2025

    RTW

    2/5/2025

    We cannot guarantee Valentine’s Day delivery for Custom Denim, given the longer lead time for these items. Please place your orders as soon as possible.

    Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and we’ve made it easy for you to share the love with your Clients with images for texting and social sharing in Custom Made Social. Cupid dropped these images into CMS in the Valentine’s Day category. Happy sharing!

    Later this month, our partners at the VTG factory in Vietnam will be taking some much-deserved time off to celebrate the TET holiday (1/27/2025-1/31/2025). This will add one week to the lead time for shirts, knits, and casual pants – but rest assured, the lead times you see in Green Room will account for the holiday, and order ETAs will be reflected accurately. As always, please feel free to reach out to Stylist Care for any specific questions about your orders.

    Due to high interest, the printed Spring 2025 Collection Lookbooks pre-order has been extended through January! Spring Lookbooks are available in packs of five (5) for $30 ($6 per book). We’re excited to offer you this opportunity to maximize your business by putting J.Hilburn in the hands of new Clients and helping your new Stylists get off to a great start.

    How Do I Pre-Order the Lookbooks?
    To place your pre-order, visit the Stylist Store. A SKU has been added for purchase, (SS25Lookbook-5pack). We will not have extra copies on hand for future purchase, so be sure to anticipate all your spring selling needs and pre-order a large enough quantity to last you throughout the season. 

    Selling

    The Shirt and Knit 3D Configurator for the Spring 2025 Collection is planned for release in the 1st quarter of 2025. We will provide an update on the exact launch date as we get closer to the release.

    • Tuesday, January 28 – Iconic Custom-Made Debut
    • Friday, January 31 – New Arrivals Coming Soon

    Thank you for everything you do! Have a great week!