H. Halpern Esq. and the modern dandy

The moment you walk into H. Halpern Esq. your senses are awash in colour. Despite the clean, minimalist white interior, the shelves house a veritable explosion of hues, tints and tones, from ties to socks to shirts to accessories. There is no fear of colour. In fact, it is pure celebration, a home for the modern dandy. It will have you challenging your ideas of “masculine” colours and how much colour you can have in your wardrobe. That vision comes from owner Howard Halpern himself but also from his daughter, Meredith, the store’s manager.

But the name “Halpern” wasn’t always associated with swagger. The original Halpern’s at Yonge and Melrose sold conservative suits for husky men and boys since 1936. But in the 70s, the company began shifting to school uniforms (which it still sells today). But Howard, one of the original owner’s sons, was more interested in shirts and ties so he started his own company. Adding just the “H.” to the name wasn’t enough. He wanted a name with prestige, thus “Esquire.”

Traditionally in England, “Esquire” was bequeathed to men with a coat of arms but no title, landowners or sometimes, simply, a “gentleman.” Our definition of “gentleman” has changed over the years from landowner, to upper class to, today, a man of manners and elegance. What hasn’t changed in 200 years, however, is that gentlemen don’t wear flamboyant colours. We have the original dandy Beau Brummell to thank for that.

One of the biggest effects Brummell had on Western culture was to practically eliminate colour from a man’s wardrobe. Reacting to the flamboyance of the Regency period, Brummell helped to entrench black, gray and brown as “masculine” colours. He was influenced by the world around him, the newly industrialized cities that were mostly black, gray and brown. But despite all the changes in our culture since then – the Gatsby 20s, the Ivy League 50s, the casual 90s – menswear is still draped in muted tones.

In some ways, I appreciate that. It gives me clear guidelines as to what will work well together. I don’t need a degree in colour theory to combine my tie, shirt and vest. However, does masculine dress have to be drab? Is it inherently so?

This is a men’s Korean hanbok. It is traditional formalwear and has changed little in hundreds of years. And what is most obvious? Two shades of pink. And this is a rather conservative hanbok. I’ve seen much brighter pinks mixed with reds and yellows and every other colour in the rainbow. So yes, obviously, our associations with colour and masculinity are purely cultural.

Meredith feels it is time men throw off the Brummellian shackles once and for all. “There is a time and place for elegance,” she concedes, “but I also think men have been allowed out of the box. Women have always been allowed to be flamboyant and show their personality in what they wear. I think men have earned the right to show a little bit about who they are in what they wear.”

Elegance versus flamboyance. I think many men would rather be associated with the former, but I maintain that you cannot have true style without some of the latter. And that is perhaps the best reason to visit H. Halpern Esq. – to ease colour into your wardrobe. Meredith is not there to dress you like a clown. If you want something conservative, they have that – white shirts and simple ties. But if you are willing to challenge yourself, if you are interested in adding a bit of dash to your wardrobe, I have yet to meet someone in Toronto as dedicated to the task as Meredith.

I’m also impressed with their vision of the company. Meredith and her father have tried to focus on Canadian-made items and accessories with a number of locally-made pieces. Most of their shirts, for instance, are designed by the Halperns themselves and made right here in Toronto. Being located in a hotel, with a lot of travellers as customers, a local focus also helps set their business apart.

All this considered, I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that their best seller is colourful socks. “We’ve been selling crazy socks for a long time, long before the trend,” Meredith told me with pride, “and we still sell one or two pairs every day.” I admitted to Meredith that I am not that big a fan of “fun socks” because every part of my wardrobe is an expression of self, not just my socks. I fear that these socks are becoming a ghetto of creativity and that this little touch of colour will disappear from men’s wardrobes once the trend dies.

Then again, I’m sure Meredith will do everything she can to make sure that never happens.

H. Halpern Esq. is located inside the InterContinental Hotel at 225 Front Street West