Which Hugo Boss Brand is Best?

As any regular customer at Mainline Menswear knows full well, German brand Hugo Boss is one of the biggest designer labels on the website and has huge collections from all three menswear sub-labels: Business, Casual and Athleisure. Each one has its own independent style, price range and design traits. But unless you have been buying Hugo Boss for a number of years, you will find it hard to figure out which one suits your personal style the best. So in order to help you out, we have provided a closer insight into each of their labels which will give you at least some idea where to start.

Brand History

Hugo Boss was formed way back in 1923 at a time when their country was battered and bruised from the World War and it wasn’t a very prosperous time for businesses in the country. Their main objective was to sell work clothing, raincoats and overalls for practical professions from their base in Metzingen near Stuttgart. In 1948 Hugo Boss himself passed away and the following years were the quietest of their existence, but all hope was not lost because at the end of the 1950s boss’ grandchildren Jochen and Uwe Holy took control of the firm and straight away they began to change its fortunes. This time they began making suits and this is still something that remains a huge part of their legacy and history today.

Soon after they began to develop  fashion concious and and sport inspired garments too and this coincided with the launch of their fashion brand in the ’60s which is widely accepted to be the start of the Hugo Boss Black brand. They began to dominate the German market and when they started to produce off the peg suits it really took it to the next level and made them move towards international expansion. One of the methods they used to do so was by sponsoring F1 team, McLaren, for whom they have built up a long standing commercial partnership with. That sponsorship is now one of the most iconic in the sport and it certainly contributed to their brand awareness. Since they expanded to this scale they have grown steadily to the point their increasingly bulging lines have been divided into sub-category brands to deal with the sheer volume of new styles and designs in each season. By the 80s the brand reputation had escalated and they became a public company and the brother’s control of the business was relinquished. it wasn’t until this change that they began to operate on the sub-category brand strategy, which is what has cemented their place as one of the industry leaders.

The Brands

Boss Business – As previously mentioned – Boss Business (originally known as Boss Black) is the original fashion arm of the business and therefore it has the most traditional style of the three we see today.

Boss Business is home to many classic silhouettes and naturally leans towards a more formal style, even with Boss Black joggers and t-shirts. At Mainline Menswear the business range features everyday essentials such as lounge-wear, underwear, socks and basic t-shirts and jumpers which are easy to throw on at any given occasion. Boss Business’s clothing is timeless, and it is designed to suit wearers of all ages.

Boss Casual – This sub-label was introduced as Boss Orange in 1999 and their premise is to design clothing with a contemporary style, up-to-date with on-going fashion trends. They are much more reactive to other brands activities and their strong fashion element means that they have a younger demographic of customer. Boss Casual is characterized by printed t-shirts, trainers and jeans, all of which could be ideal for a man who is looking for a fashionable fix or a quick weekend outfit.

Boss Athleisure – Officially this off-shoot was created as Boss Green in 2004 but in reality, it just its changed its identity. Boss Golf was initiated in the late ’90s and catered for the smartly dressed golf players, however, as the years wore on they began to channel the trends in other sport too, thus inspiring their renamed brand. The collection does still have a heavy golfing influence in terms of its style and most of its commercial activity revolves around golfers too; but added to their classic polo shirts you will now see garments inspired by outdoor sports too. This brand offers a style for those with an active lifestyle but at the same time appreciate good quality clothing.

So…which brand will it be? 

Hugo Boss has something for everyone and that is the whole point in their sub-brand expansion. Finding the right one for you requires a simple self assessment of your lifestyle- Boss Business is probably the one with the broadest appeal thanks to its classic aesthetic whilst Casual and Athleisure are a little more specialist and perhaps lean towards a younger target audience. Whilst each of the three brands appeal to certain types of styles and personalities- one Hugo Boss label which can appeal to everyone is the Hugo Boss Watches brand which arrived at Mainline Menswear this year. Take a look online to see why their vast collection of smart and luxurious timepieces are held in such high regard.

Shop the full Hugo Boss collection here at Mainline Menswear