The name sounds so simple that must either be made up or real. The truth lies somewhere in between. Anton Meyer has been created using the two founders‘ names Marc Anthony and Max Meyer-Abich. Marc Anthony runs a made-to-measure shop Hamburg’s district of Bahrenfeld since 1995 and he is well known locally (his name is no invention either, it is pronounced the German way, not English or French). The company they founded together in 2012 is positioned somewhere between the Hackett stores of the late 80s and SuitSupply. The similarity to Hackett is that Anton Meyer nails the style, the similarity with SuitSuppy is the young appeal of the collection (which attracts more mature buyers too).
Most comparisons are lame to some extent and so is the one with the two two brands from England and the Netherlands. In Anton Meyer’s collection the Englishness is only part of the look, the fit is rather Italian for instance. And the suits are cut for the German which is very often tall and sometimes slightly corpulent. And there is the one big difference to SuitSupply that the suits sold by Anton Meyer are not made in China, they are supplied by the same manufacturer that has been making the made-to-measure clothes for Marc Anthony for many years. The prices are moderate in comparison to the quality offered. The suit “Ingmar BF” costs 485 Euro, the linen sportsjacket “Chester” is 345 Euro, the shirt “Helmut Blau” 95 Euro and the chino pants “Nr. 6” in green are 125 Euro.
The fabrics are mainly woven in Italy, eg by Vitale Barberis Canonico. Overcoats and sportscoats are frequently made up from cloths woven in Austria by Leichtfried. English fabrics are also part of the range once in a while like the “sun cloth” from William Halstead, a copy of the Original Solaro used for a suit named “Gianni”. Suits made of this type of fabric are almost impossible to find off-the-rack in Germany. Max Meyer-Abich admits that “Gianni” was not the biggest seller but it did find its friends. Single-breasted dark blue and grey suits are what customers usually buy for business wear. Nevertheless a couple of double-breasted and three-piece-suits are part of the range, some brown and checked suits also. For smart casual wear Anton Meyer offers sportsjackets in seasonal fabrics and its German counterpart, the “janker” made of the traditional “Jägerleinen”. A fairly recent but already successful addition is the goatskin “Valentin” jacket modelled after a certain Italian classic.
At first glance Anton Meyer seems to have countless competitors. If you look for others offering high-rise trousers with side-adjusters, brace buttons and pleats off-the-rack the number of rivals shrinks dramatically. In Hamburg you might something similar at Shoes & Garment, in Berlin at Chelsea Farmers Club, nevertheless their range is much smaller. Anton Meyer offers the additional advantage that you can buy the jacket and the trousers in different sizes (and the also the waistcoat if available in the matching fabric). The fit of the suits is excellent, at least for my figure. Their size 48 looks very good on me straight from the peg, trousers in size 46 only need to be shortened a bit.
Another strong point is their formal wear department. In fact it was one of their morning suits that caught my eye when I first walked by their shopwindow in Munich. At Anton Meyer you can choose between a dozen black tie outfits including white dinnerjackets and velvet smoking jackets. For morning wear a nice range of linen waistcoats is available and even a frock coat for white-tie affairs.
Most men like to buy complete outfits, not only a suit. Anton Meyer offers matching shirts, ties, pocket handkerchiefs, belts and braces. Everything is available both in the shops and in their webshop with the exception of the shoes which are only for sale in their stores in Hamburg, Munich and Vienna. Anton Meyer offers one of the widest ranges of Carmina shoes in Germany, their shoe department in Vienna outshines many specialized shoeshops.
If you want to see the shops and try the collection you could that in Hamburg, Munich or Vienna. The shops are all located in the centre, in Hamburg only minutes away from the town hall, in Vienna just off the most exclusive shopping street “Graben”. In the moment the situation is very difficult for Anton Meyer as for every retailer but at least their online shop is still open.
