You wouldn’t doubt how impactful the apparel sector has been, since the early 2000s till date. It has been a tight contest between brands, leading to some kind of fashion revolution as some brands sought to see fashion from a different perspective.
While they were at it, a selected few resorted to remain not static, but indulging little change. They maintained their standard of production and quality, while still flowing with the tide of trend and modernity.
This is the fate of some brands like the Lacoste brand, which never thought changing the croc emblem which they have had for years will resonate with modernity, they left it, and guess what?
They are still top-notch, with one of the best designs around the world.
On the other side of my side, I will be expounding the Tommy Hilfiger brand which is undoubtedly one of those brands that moved on with trend and modernity.
Let’s see how far these two brands have gone, on their quite different paths.
The Major Difference between Lacoste and Tommy Hilfiger
What do you know about the quality of a product and the name of the brand? Well, if you have the slightest of knowledge on these two factors of apparel purchase, then you will know the difference between the Lacoste brand and Tommy Hilfiger.
Lacoste is a record-breaker in making quality products, with an undying commitment to do so with premium material. They pay much attention and detailing to parts like the polo collar, which has been testified by customers as no-fading stuff.
The same virtue cannot be said of the Tommy Hilfiger brand which has recently lost its touch in production and quality, while it was more concerned about the fashion of the day.
Their products have been seen in big shows and worn by entertainment stars. But all these didn’t validate them, hence the major difference between them.
Even their contractual relationship with stars did not give them a soft spot in fame, which Lacoste brand has courtesy of their relationship with many sportsmen and women.
Brief History of Lacoste
Who would have thought that a small joke about a man’s attitude towards the field of play, would transform into a big clothing line? Nobody, of course! But that’s the origin of that your polo shirt with a crocodile trademark.
Lacoste S.A. was founded in 1933 by a tennis player named Rene Lacoste, and entrepreneur Andre Gillier.
The brand which was formerly known as La Chemise Lacoste is a French-based clothing line that started as a trademark idea by Rene Lacoste.
Do you know that the crocodile trademark it has today is not some wild thought, but was because of Rene’s aggressive style of playing tennis which earned him the crocodile?
Therefore, to create a unique line the croc embroidery was printed on the chest of Lacoste’s first polo shirts.
Focused on mainly sportswear production, the brand was bought outright in November 2012, by a Swiss family-managed group Maus Freres.
Moving on, the brand has a very long history, from experiencing some managerial setbacks with Izod (1977) to some kind of environmental-based controversy involving a particular part of Asia that was deemed exploited by the company and other fashion companies.
The current fame of the Lacoste brand was not overnight, because it was earned strategically as the brand endorsed a whole lot of sportsmen and women.
The list ranges from tennis players who have the biggest number of contracts, down to golf players which joined the train after.
The players which pushed Lacoste to a more public eye include former Swiss Olympic Gold medallist Stanislas Wawrinka, American tennis players like John Isner and Andy Roddick, and golf player Jose Maria Olazabal.
Lacoste licenses their trademark to other companies which then handles the production process, such as the Devanlay group which handles their famous Polo shirts.
Similarly, the brand is currently under the leadership of Thierry Guibert as CEO and is sold in most department stores as a high-end product.
Brief History of Tommy Hilfiger
American-based clothing like Tommy Hilfiger was brought into reality from a creative thought by fashion guru Thomas Jacob Hilfiger.
The brand was founded in 1985, due to the founder’s quest to make a product that caters to individuals’ comfort while still maintaining a stylish outlook.
The brand went public in 1992 and birthed its first-ever store a year after in Beverly Hills., Loa Angeles, USA.
Apax Partners bought the brand in 2006, and sold it to Philip-Van Heusen (PVH Corp.) in 2010, after a 4-year management run.
Philip-Van Heusen (PVH Corp.) which is also the owners of brands like Calvin Klein, Warner’s, and Olga & Co., bought Tommy Hilfiger to upscale its line in the fashion community.
Tommy Hilfiger is quite a popular brand, thanks to its capacity to headline big shows and concerts by musicians around the world.
Soon, most celebrities jumped on this trend-inspired brand and it brought positive returns of hike in purchase and production.
The Tommy Hilfiger brand has 4-super product lines which include Tommy Hilfiger (their main line) and their jeans collection Hilfiger Denim which also foresee other products.
Other product lines include the Hilfiger collection for women with products like handbags and jackets inclusive, plus the Tommy Hilfiger Tailored, which caters to classic American menswear.
The brand is sold in most shops due to its status as a semi-luxury brand, which denotes its availability in almost all shops as against premium luxury brands that are scarce or reserved for a targeted audience.
Comparison between Lacoste and Tommy Hilfiger
I have my scale of comparison, and these two brands would be made to stand on each side of the scale.
This evaluation is not directed to degrade or discredit any of these brands, because it is just my professional view at play as a fashionista.
Therefore, there will be criteria on which the comparison between the Lacoste and Tommy Hilfiger brands would be based and these factors include:
Style
I will discuss the fascinating ‘Crocodile’ brand first, then drift to the trend-filled Tommy Hilfiger. Lacoste started as sportswear for men and it has remained so have included the women’s line and other wear.
Their style is purely casual, sporty, and easy to wear. Their polo shirt for both golf and tennis players is their main line, even their shoe and headgear lines denote ‘sporty’.
I have a different view of Tommy Hilfiger, a brand that clearly is for the life-of-a-party type of people.
With its rock and roll American vibe and the fusion of the 2000s revolutionary fashion style, the brand is regarded as classic clothing because of its design and presentation.
For instance, the products listed in their Hilfiger collection are only available during fashion shows like the New York Fashion Week.
These products which are mostly women’s specialty are regarded by designers, hence their intense style of trendy clothes.
Management
Tommy Hilfiger is run by one of the best companies in the industry of clothing. The Philip-Van Heusen (PVH Corp.) which is headed by Martijn Hegman, has a record of managing other renowned brands like Calvin Klein and Warner’s.
These brands record great results and sales, which is undoubtedly the same fate as Tommy Hilfiger. Tommy Hilfiger is rated high by the company, which means that it is not sidelined like other brands in a jointly owned franchise.
However, Lacoste’s parent company Maus Freres is also a joint franchise but records show that Lacoste is the forerunner of its brands.
This gives the brand an enabling environment to operate and keep dishing out quality products. The brand’s affairs are overseen by Thierry Guibert.
The company took control of its brand name after hiring fashion designer Christophe Lemaire in the year 2000. This gave them an edge to upscale their quality and standard of production.
Brand Popularity
The popularity of these two brands is a topic of deliberation because they are both renowned and well-known. But then again, I have to draw a line between them for my comparison to thrive.
Now, Lacoste is often placed below Tommy Hilfiger, because the brand reigns mostly in the field of the sport only, while Tommy Hilfiger is a multifunctional brand.
The Tommy Hilfiger brand cuts across many works of life including sports, designers, and even classic women’s products.
To this end. I will say that Tommy Hilfiger is more popular than Lacoste from the angles of dominating niche and acceptance by people.
Market Value
It is no debate that Tommy Hilfiger is priced lower than Lacoste. Lacoste is more of a high-end brand with its products being sold in luxury shops and boutiques like JD Sports in the UK, Nordstrom in the US, and even Harry Rosen in Canada.
The price of their premium polo shirt at $100, is outrageous for most people and is rarely seen in stores down your street.
On the contrary, you could easily spot and even purchase a product from the stables of Tommy Hilfiger. They are affordable and equally available in most department stores.
Fashion Items
Lacoste is one of those brands out there that has a good number of products to offer. They do this with a standard of quality and professionalism that remains sacrosanct.
They are specialists in the production of premium clothing materials mainly sportswear and other branches like footwear, eyewear, fragrances, towels, quality watches, and even leather goods.
I can bet that none of their products can be bought with a penny, which indirectly shows how standard they are.
Tommy Hilfiger, they are way more organized as the brand has a product line that consists of 4-collections.
Tommy Hilfiger: This is the company’s mainline and their frontier collection. It covers products like sweatpants, polo shirts, and shorts. It has a demographic range of about 25-40.
Hilfiger Denim: This line of products consists of premium jeans, bags, shoes, and other minor items like towels. The demography of this line is from 18-30yrs.
Hilfiger Collection: Women’s clothing is the specialty of this line. It offers products like designer jackets and tops and targets the age bracket of 25-40 years. This line debuts periodically, especially during the New York Fashion Week show.
Tommy Hilfiger Tailored: The final collection on their line is the Tommy Hilfiger tailored that specializes in American styled-apparels.
This line has products like buttoned-down shirts, even casual wear, and suits. The Tommy Hilfiger Tailored line is rated top-notch in the area of exclusive men’s wear and dress.
Luxury
Lacoste is a luxury brand, but an accessible one at that. Reports show that they are only seen in a store situated around where their targeted customers reside.
It is high-end apparel valued at around $2.3 billion, according to its recent financial audit in 2021. However, luxury in Lacoste was reinvented by the new management which took over in the early 2000s.
Differently, Tommy Hilfiger is not that much of a luxury brand like Lacoste. Although it has been given the luxury tag for some time, I believe it is just a matter of the brand name and affluence. Not even their price or quality marks them as a luxury brand.
Work Environment and Culture
The working environment at Tommy Hilfiger does not qualify to be rated above 6 if I am rating on a scale of 1-10. Some of their workers have lamented how unyielding to improvement the company has proven.
There is no form of growth among the workers, just the regular assignment every day. The culture rate is at B+.
Lacoste has a similar case but on different grounds. The payment at Lacoste is static, no matter the number of years you have spent on the firm which is seen as non-appreciative of the corporation.
There is an interaction between workers but there is also a high rate of neglect from the corporation in the aspect of incentives, which will boost the morale of workers. The culture rate is a D.
Final Verdict
My take and preference between these two brands are based on quality and market value. I noticed most people buy Tommy Hilfiger because of the name and not the product’s quality.
They do so because they believe it’s cost-friendly, therefore they resort to quantity over quality. But I beg to differ. What if you get these products at a cheaper rate and have to buy them again in a space of 2 months due to spoilage?
Are you not spending unwisely than a person who buys quality Lacoste polo shirts for $100 and wears it for over 6 months.
So, the verdict is very clear. Lacoste beats Tommy Hilfiger in quality, standard, and value for the cost.
And I think you should drop by at any department store near you and ask for their polo shirt. Because they have been with me for over 12 months and are still as good as new.
Conclusion
This is where I draw the curtain and lay down my scale of comparison, in the trial between the two big brands Lacoste and Tommy Hilfiger.
I believe my verdict is valid, and also speaks for a lot of people out there, who know the worth of quality and value for the cost.
They are great brands but have different approaches to the fashion industry, a feature that proves their uniqueness.
Do well to check them out and also draw your personal decision on them, but I think that my analysis would be a great alibi for your consideration.
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