John Helmer Haberdasher

A fantastic, magical place. It’s been there for as long as I can remember (I’m talking old school cool), and I’d always wanted to go in.
Sure, it’s mostly (if not all) men’s clothing/​accessories, but I found so many things I wanted myself (like scarves and hats). The selection is amazing. And it’s not like a place that only businessmen/​suit-​wearers can enjoy – thanks to generation GQ, I feel like most of today’s men can appreciate a nice tie or custom-​made dress shirt.
What I’d say is one of the best things about JHH is the customer service. Every time I’ve been here I’ve been greeted and welcomed around the store. I felt like they wanted me to have a good experience, vs. just buy something.
I wholeheartedly recommend this place for the distinguished gentlemen in your life.

This store breathes craftsmanship, attention to detail, and quality products cared for by knowledgeable and skilled staff and ownership. The kind of store I imagine my grandfather and great grandfather would have counted on to find the perfect gentleman’s accessories and clothes. After reading about John Helmer on their website I was excited to visit on a weekend trip to Portland. The store more than met my lofty expectations. When I walked in and started looking at hats, the distinguished woman behind the counter told me my exact hat size, talk about knowing your craft. She helped me through the process as I looked for a hat resembling one I owned some 35 years ago. She also assisted my wife in trying on some women’s hats. I left with a new Stetson and loads of information about hats. I would travel to Portland just to visit this shop.

Great experience. Staff was knowledgeable and listened to help me find my new favorite hats

this is a wonderful store. the best selections of hats that you can buy. over the years I’ve bought a Imperial French beret made in France, a cotton beret made in Canada, and a nice Panama hat which were made in Ecuador.
this is a very small store they do self slacks, jackets and shoes.
outstanding customer service.

John’s shop is fantastic. I recently went in to purchase a new hat and was guided by his team. They were both professional and knowledgeable in giving me ideas. They are a necessity for anyone interested in dressing the part.

Our adult son needed a new suit for an important interview. We had passed this store for years so, having been disappointed with the selections in other stores, thought we would give it a try.
Though the inventory, of off the rack suits, is somewhat scant, the quality and prices were pleasantly surprising. We were pleased to find a decent suit for a reasonable price and from there were able to accessorize totally to create a total outfit. (We also noticed that they charged less for some of the same brands of suits that their competitors carried.)
The staff is knowledgable, helpful and courteous. We were able to complete our purchase, complete with a fitting, in under an hour.
We will definitely consider them in the future.
We would believe that their inventory of hats is unsurpassed in the Portland area, which provided a wonderful distraction for another adult son as he waited for his brother.

Having just been in John Helmer twice last weekend, I have to commend the management and staff on their excellent service, along with an almost old world charm.
Besides the hat selection, which is extensive and unique, there are suits, shirts, sport coats, shoes, and really nice accessories.
Price range is wide, including very high and quite reasonable. There are beautiful sport coats for over a grand, or you can order a black camelhair sport coat, in just your size, for under $ 350. That is a truly great deal on a warm, stylish, and very durable jacket, and I plan to go for one soon.
This time I purchased a black patterned silk winter scarf, and a bunch of pairs of really nice dress socks, with mostly wool content. Warm socks that look cool! Who knew they made these in such great colors and patterns? Now, I know. I love the place, and I hope John Helmer remains part of Portland forever.

Until two years ago, wearing a hat never occurred to me.
When it was time to «cover the dome», I looked in other stores before I went downtown and visited John Helmer.
My Summer hat — now a bit of a trademark, featured in my Unilocal photo was the first. Then, I also got a winter and a lighter spring/​fall cap.
Good service, lots of styles and In many sizes, at fair prices.
What’s not to like?
Oh yes, Sweetie purchased a cap there for me as a gift, but in the wrong size. They traded it in for the correct size, no quibble (but it was like new, unworn!)

A friend commented that hats haven’t been a gentleman’s wardrobe priority since the Kennedy administration; however, that’s an individual matter. I’m 68 and I do not pretend to be on the cutting edge of the current fashion. I don’t care what qualifies as «fashion»; I’m an adult and I prefer a hat that suits (or withstands) the environment.
A quality hat lasts for a long time (e.g., one of my Stetsons lasted 11 years of almost daily wear). There are hats I wear in the field for outdoor activities and others I wear in the city for better-​dressed occasions, but I prefer hats made by Stetson and Borsalino. Admittedly, even the best of hats can take on so much «character» that the wear is obvious, like a threadbare suit, so I replaced my worn-​out hat with another from young John at John Helmer’s about 18 – 24 months ago. Wouldn’t you know it? Last month, a guest’s dog used that hat for a chew-​toy! Understand, a good hat is expensive, and that was not good news.
I promptly returned to John Helmer’s and replaced the badly damaged Stetson fedora with a new one, same style — $ 173. Let me put this in perspective; a custom-​made Rand hat (Billings, Montana) costs $ 400 or more. A hat is not simply a method of protecting my «solar panel»; it’s a personal statement. If you disagree, there are thousands of souvenir baseball-​type caps out there. As I indicated, if properly cared for, a well assembled fur felt hat will last for years, rain or shine.
Customer service in this shop is impeccable. I dress comfortably (jeans, khaki trousers), so the service I receive (d) does not depend on my appearance. I enjoy shopping in this store because they are well-​established and carry the shirts, shoes, ties and clothing I appreciate. Beyond that, even when business is brisk, the atmosphere of customer service is polished, individual, attentive. That means a great deal to me. I highly recommend John Helmer Haberdasher for the quality of service, intelligent personnel, and spectrum of tasteful choices.

Glad that others have had a good experience here. Sadly, that is not the case for myself.
My first trip here there was someone willing to help me but only because my husband was looking for a hat. I did purchase a great hat.
Second time, a salesman begrudgingly came over to tell me the womens hats were not ready for the sales floor.
Third time, which will be the last time I will ever step over their threshold. No one, I mean no one even acknowledged our existence. I tired on maybe a dozen hats looking for something for winter. The salesman standing behind the register never came over help. The salesman helping the gentleman beside me never said anything, like «someone will be right with you».
At this point, ladies, this place is not for you. Why they even keep womens hats in stock in beyond me. The selection has gone down hill in the last 3 years. And their unwillingness to make a sale or even treat me as a human is baffling. The only thing I saw was rudeness, which some think makes them elite, only shows their lack of manners which means I will not reward such behavior by buying anything and informing others, beware!

Love them.
They have a great selection of hats, sports coats, & ties. Very friendly staff.

Wonderful little shop with super friendly staff! They let us try on hats to our hearts content. There are price points for every budget as well, from the simple but stylish $ 40 sun hat, to $ 300 handmade fancy dress hats. Definitely a fun way to spend an hour downtown. The shop definitely caters more to men’s clothing and haberdashery, but there is plenty of the ladies as well.

Excellent quality merchandise and outstanding service. The way sales should be; knowledge, expertise and not a bit of pressure. I love to buy something for my husband each time we visit. And if you are a man or a woman who likes hats, well this is the place! Hat heaven.

Even though we didn’t make any purchases, I have to give this place 5 stars. What a great selection of hats, bow ties, canes, and other gentlemen-​ly things.
The service was great too, helpful but not pushy. There was a very hip 6-​year-​old with his parents looking for a hat. According to mom, the kid is super into hats. The store employee that was helping them, took it very seriously and suggested ones that would fit his head.
I was very tempted to get the wooden shoehorn with the silver duck head as the handle. What a whimsical way to put on your shoes every day.
Great place to source presents for the male folk in your life.

I occasionally notice a small John Helmer Haberdasher add in the New Yorker, and yes this place is the real deal. I stopped in yesterday and enjoyed trying on various straw hats that actually fit my XXL head. They have great merchandise and service here, even though some folks might mistakenly assume that this classy place is «dated».
The next time I’m in town with Gayle I’ll be back, as my sense of high fashion requires her calibration. I also have a funny feeling that she’ll walk straight past the hats and proceed directly to how good I might look in some of those handsome and stylish shirts and suits.

My husband is happy for weeks after shopping here. He’s a mid 30’s gentleman, but loves old man hats. This store has an awesome selection of hats for the stylish man, I just wish my husband would pick some that didn’t make him look like he lived in the 1950s.
The service is always impeccable, never pushy, always helpful. Prices are pretty spendy — definitely more of a luxury store, but really — is there another place in Portland to buy a top quality hat? Maybe, but speaking on behalf of my husband, we’ll take John Helmer please.

I grew up in Los Angeles, where Philip Marlow, Raymond Chandler’s famous detective, pounded the hot tinsel-​town pavement with his fedora and snub-​nose 38. By the 50s nobody in L.A. wore a hat except my Grandfather — he was also the last man in Dallas Texas to stop wearing a six-​shooter into town. I don’t recollect any local haberdashers in L.A. — sunglasses, and flip-​flops, but not haberdashers.
I’ve always liked the way men dressed in the 30s and 40s — especially the hats. In Portland, you need a hat, so I drop into John Helmer’s and inevitably work my way over to the Italian fedoras. Okay, maybe Marlow wouldn’t wear an Italian fedora, but Eddie Mars would, and I would too.
John Helmer has an incredible selection of hats, and I slowly work my way through them, trying them on, peeking at the price, and inching my way toward the Italian hats. I peek at the price…
Sure, I’d wear it, but I’m a working stiff and I can’t afford an Italian fedora, so I’ll just wear this Stetson fur felt job, and drop in every now and then and visit the Italians. What the heck, It’s an excuse to visit my local haberdasher.

I went into this shop while on a man date with an old friend. The store was a breath of fresh air. We got a pleasant sartorial history lesson from the staff. Apparently a haberdasher is a clothier specializing in accessories. This store definitely lives up to the title. The store has apparently expanded to offer a limited selection of mens clothing. The merchandise is awesome; incredible quality, but also incredible prices to match. Still, I have to agree with previous reviews. For good local businesses such as this to continue to survive we have to begin patronizing them in greater numbers.
The store offers custom shirts for prices that make me wonder why I paid so much for off the rack shirts to be tailored. I will be heading back to the Haberdashery next year to purchase some custom shirts when they are offering the two shirt minimum special they have going several times a year. The custom options they offer are ridiculous. I had no idea there were so many ways to cut a collar on a dress shirt. I already have the options I want memorized. They can fit a shirt to any specific style and there are a couple of employees who are usually modeling one of their many shirts with outrageous patterns.
You can usually find John Helmer himself in the store helping customers and conducting the backroom business of the store. He is a very pleasant and helpful man who will direct you anywhere in or out of the store to find what you need. You don’t see that desire for customer satisfaction at any cost any more.

Excellent store. I’ve been going here since the 80s to get my hats, and they have never disappointed. I’ve even gotten hats through their website when I’ve lived out-​of-​town. Always outstanding service, and a selection like you wouldn’t believe. Complementary boxes with purchase, of course.
They have everything you need for your hats: feathers; brushes; waterproofing sprays; hat cleaning services; hat stretching services; even hat stretchers themselves. They also have a wide selection of novelty hats.
They have ladies’ hats, too; my wife has gotten some of hers here. For men, they also have ties, bow ties, canes, other accessories, and a limited – but high quality – selection of men’s clothing & shoes.
This is a family-​owned local business, and if you want local businesses to survive, you have to patronize them. Walk in and give them a look – you won’t be disappointed.

This place is wonderful! I’ve been here a few times, bought two hats from them so far. Their staff has always been very helpful, and knowledgeable. They have an incredible selection and some of the best socks, ever.
I highly recommend visiting this store, even to just get a good look at all of the wonderful goodies!