Fashion

Calvin Klein vs Tommy Hilfiger | Labels Explained

Comparing two of the most iconic all-American brands we take a look what’s the difference between Calvin Klein vs Tommy Hilfiger. From style differences to the designer, we went back and compared two of the most well-known brands across the world.

Loved by our team for their sport-inspired everyday accessories, we wanted to find out which one would be the number one option…

Who is Calvin Klein?

Calvin Klein was born on November 19, 1942 in the Bronx New York. He grew up around his family’s tailoring shop and fell in love with clothes and design. He studied fashion before apprenticing for a suit manufacturer. In 1968 Klein and Barry Schwartz launched the company with Klein responsible for the design and brand.

Launching the brand with £10,000, they secured a deal with department store Bonwit Teller. With the department store exposure, it quickly became recognised for minimal dresses and tailored coats. Klein then moved into menswear and jeans eventually becoming a major player in the jeans industry. Their sports line later followed the same success and of course their infamous underwear.

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Klein was the first designer to win three consecutive Coty Awards for womenswear and was actually the youngest designer to have ever been awarded. He became famous for his classic and elegant style and his famous advertisement campaigns. The brand is well known for its provocative campaigns over the decades. With many famous faces included some even sparked controversy with the inclusion of young models. With an array of actors, athletes and performing artists all featured, names such as Kate Moss and Kendall Jenner became regular features.

In 2003 Klein sold his company to PVH and retired the following year.

Where is Calvin Klein based?

Calvin Klein headquarters are based in New York, USA and Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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Most popular Calvin Klein bags?

Calvin Klein bags are popular for their easy everyday style. The cross-body styles often feature different versions of their iconic logo and are a great mid-range luxury bag. These bags have a contemporary and timeless aesthetic to complement so many looks in your wardrobe.

Who wears Calvin Klein?

Calvin Klein has dressed some of the most iconic names in the industry. With Raf Simons now Creative Director, the brand continues to dress red-carpet appearances and award events. Emma Stone, Diane Kruger and Lupita Nyong’o are among our favourites.

Who is Tommy Hilfiger?

Tommy Hilfiger grew up Elmira, New York and started working at the age of 18. By the age of 18, he had teamed up with some school friends and was selling jeans out of a truck. It was so successful they opened a stop called ‘People’s Place’. To his parent’s disappointment, he skipped college and pursued his business.

After 7 years, at the young age of 25, People’s Place went bankrupt. Hilfiger decided to go back and study commerce, learning the basics of running a business from balance sheets to budgeting. After a few years of designing for different brands, he decided to start his own brand in 1985. Ironically he was offered a design position at Clavin Klein but turned it down.

By 1988 his brand had sales of $25 million and by the end of the 90’s he had reached $1 billion. In 1995 The Council of Fashion Designers of America named Hilfiger Menswear Designer of the year and he was honoured again by the CFDA in 2012 presenting him with the prestigious Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tommy Hilfiger

The blue, red and white symbol has become a name-sake in people’s wardrobes, widely picked up by hip-hop artists of the 90s. Artists such as Wu-tang-clan, Grand Puda and Snoop Dogg were amongst the likes that iconically wore the all-American brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Polo Ralph Lauren.

Maintaining the relationship, Tommy Hilfiger continued to evolve with the music industry. In the 2000’s he launched into womenswear and went on to sponsor the likes of Beyonce, Gwen Stefani and Britney Spears. With millennials buying into their retro-inspired athleisure and the global rise in the need for loungewear Tommy has managed to stay one of the top most-searched brands.

Where is Tommy Hilfiger based?

The Tommy Hilfiger headquarters are based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The company was acquired in 2010 by the global retail company PVH Corp.

Most popular Tommy Hilfiger bags?

One of our two best sellers for Tommy Hilfiger is the Tommy tote bag. These offer a really practical but not overly sophisticated bag. That’s the great thing about Tommy Hilfiger, they maintain a younger aesthetic without being overly formal.

The second category would be the Tommy Hilfiger cross-body bags which come in so many styles for you to choose from. They have soft leather options with thick cross-body straps or quilted styles. The bags featured the brand’s logo and often adaptations of the three primary brand colours.

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Who wears Tommy Hilfiger?

So widely recognised, there are so many faces who have been spotted wearing Tommy Hilfiger over the years. In more recent years musicians, models, sportsmen and more all support the iconic brand. Lady Gaga, Chainsmokers, Lewis Hamilton, Georgia May Jager – the list goes on.

Calvin Klein vs Tommy Hilfiger

After looking at both brands, we can all draw many similarities from where they are from, the people that wear the brand, and the fact the brands are now owned by the PVH group. The main difference is the brand aesthetic and the style they cater for. Calvin Klein is classic, timeless and tailored while Tommy Hilfiger is retro-inspired, relaxed and laid back.

Both of their sport-inspired ranges are featured in our most-shopped brands so you can draw upon the fact that their sporty ranges and athleisure are extremely popular. They both aim to offer you an affordable but luxury item and they are both as well-known as each other in the fashion industry.