Founded in 1924 in Metzingen, Germany, Hugo Boss AG is, alongside Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren, one of the biggest companies in the world. There are several lines under its umbrella, each having a specific style and catering to a different demographic.

In this guide, you’ll learn (almost) everything you need to know about them!

Buckle up!


Read: Differences BETWEEN an ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA SUIT and a SUIT MADE FROM ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA FABRIC


#1 – Introduction


Before we begin, I’d like to mention that :

(1) … the main focus of this guide are clothes from Hugo Boss – watches, jewelry and cosmetics are outside the scope of this article.

(2) … I’m neither affiliated with Hugo Boss nor paid to write this guide. All opinions about their labels are based primarily on my own personal experiences.

An image of a Hugo Boss shop.

Read: Where is Hugo Boss Made? Is it in Germany?


#2 – High-end Hugo Boss Labels


Baldessarini Hugo Boss


Named after the former chairman of Hugo Boss, Werner Baldessarini, Baldessarini Hugo Boss was Hugo Boss’ premium brand line, aimed at men and women who chased style over fashion. This line features clothes of classic and conservative design and in the picture below, you can see me wearing one of their cashmere sport coats. Most are made from some of the finest fabrics available (like high grade Mongolian and Chinese cashmere, of which the sport coat I’m wearing is made of) and have excellent construction (suits are fully canvassed and feature some handwork).

Leon Papo (aka yours truly) wearing a Hugo Boss Baldessarini cashmere sport coat.

For the most part, Baldessarini Hugo Boss clothes were made in Italy by various reputable companies (such as Raffaelle Caruso and Belvest) and were quite pricey – I don’t know for how much exactly they retailed for. After Werner Baldessarini left Hugo Boss around 2007, this brand line became a standalone brand (Baldessarini) which was, at some point, acquired by Ahlers AG.

At first, Baldessarini’s target customers were the same ones it previously targeted – men and women who chased style over fashion. Because of this, their style (classic and conservative), quality (mostly Italian-made products of excellent fabrics, construction and finishing) and prices (high) remained the same as before. Unfortunately, sales didn’t meet expectations, forcing Baldessarini to change its very core. This ended up being a smart move since they’re still in business as of time of this writing.

Dyatlov stating his opinion about Baldessarini's quality.

From what I’ve seen, Baldessarini clothes are heavily inspired by Hollywood’s golden era and are aimed exclusively for men who prefer to chase fashion over style. Their clothes cost around several hundred Euros on average on their official site (much cheaper than it used to be), are made outside Italy (one blazer that I’ve seen in a thrift store was made in Uzbekistan) and their quality is, in the words of comrade Dyatlov, neither great not terrible (fabrics, construction and finishing are good, but nothing special).

Hugo Boss Baldessarini label.

As far as Baldessarini logos are concerned, there’re two variants that’re relevant.

The first Baldessarini logo variant (seen in the picture above), a white square with “Baldessarini” written in a black cursive on the top and “Hugo Boss” written in black capital letters on the bottom, comes from a period when Baldessarini was under the Hugo Boss’ umbrella. Clothes from this period are, as I said before, of high quality (their quality of materials, construction and finishing are very high) and I strongly recommend that you snag them. If you don’t, it’s OK – if they’re to my liking, I will 🙂 .

The second Baldessarini logo variant (seen in the picture below), a white square with “Baldessarini” written in a black cursive on the top and Baldessarini” written in black capital letters on the bottom), comes from a period after Baldessarini became a standalone brand. If you see an ITALIAN made piece of clothing with this label, take it immediately! In case it isn’t, take it ONLY if it’s cheap and if you REALLY like it.

To my knowledge, there aren’t any Baldessarini Hugo Boss line/Baldessarini fakes out there.

Baldessarini label.

Read: The Ultimate Guide to Ralph Lauren Brand Lines


Hugo Boss Tailored (formerly Hugo Boss Selection)


Hugo Boss Tailored (formerly known as Hugo Boss Selection) is, as of time of this writing, Hugo Boss’ premium brand line. It offers a selection of shoes, jackets, suits (seen in the picture below) and dresses of classic and conservative designs aimed at men and women who prefer to chase style over fashion.

Hugo Boss Tailored Selection suit

Despite being made of high-quality leathers and fabrics (sourced from Guabello, Fratelli Tallia di Delfino, Loro Piana and others) and coming with a hefty price tag (from 500 to 1500+ Euros on Hugo Boss’ official site), the construction and finishing of Hugo Boss Tailored/Selection clothes aren’t on the same level as of their Baldessarini Hugo Boss counterparts (for example, Hugo Boss Tailored/Selection suits and blazers are half canvassed and feature little to no handwork, whereas those coming from Baldessarini Hugo Boss are fully canvased and feature at least some handwork). Their quality is still decent, though – if you find something from this brand line for cheap on eBay or in a thrift store that you like, buy it. Or I will 😀 .

Hugo Boss Tailored clothes are mostly made in Turkey, Italy and Poland. Some older items (usually suits and blazers) are made in Germany by Regent.

Current Hugo Boss Tailored selection label's logo.

As of time of this writing, the Hugo Boss Tailored logo (seen in the picture above) is a black square on which the former logo of Hugo Boss AG is located the top side and the word “tailored” (both being of white color) on the bottom side.

Clothes from the Hugo Boss Tailored/Selection brand line, as far as I know, aren’t counterfeited.


Read: The ULTIMATE Guide to Giorgio Armani Brand Lines on the Internet


#3 – Middle-end Hugo Boss Labels


BOSS (Hugo Boss Black Label)


BOSS is Hugo Boss’ most popular brand line which features almost every kind of clothes and accessories imaginable – from underwear to leather jackets. * Its designs are, for the most part, classic and conservative and are aimed at men and women who chase style over fashion.

Leon Papo (aka yours truly) wearing a Hugo Boss Black Label blazer.

As far as quality of BOSS is concerned, it’s really a mixed bag – suits (you can see me wearing one in the picture above), jackets and dresses are overall OK quality (they’re made from high quality fabrics but their construction leaves a lot to be desired), whereas their jeans and dress shirts are of relatively poor quality.

Why I’m saying this?

Because two pairs of BOSS pants that I’ve owned lasted for only a year! In comparison, my Levi’s 511, which were significantly cheaper, are still going strong lasted around two years. As far as their dress shirts are concerned, their fabrics and construction are quite poor – I own and had owned at least several.

As far as cost of BOSS clothes is concerned, they cost anywhere from 100 to 800 Euros on Hugo Boss’ official site. From what I’ve seen, footwear and accessories are mostly made in Italy, leather jackets in India and Sri Lanka and suits and blazers (like the one I’m wearing in the above picture) in Turkey, Bulgaria and Lithuania.

Current Hugo Boss Black Label's logo.

As of time of this writing, the BOSS logo is a black square with “BOSS” written in white bolded letters on top, as seen in the image above.

BOSS clothes are HEAVILY counterfeited – especially shirts, footwear and activewear. If you intend to buy them from third-party sellers, leave a comment down below (or better yet, on my Instagram) and/or consult with someone who’s familiar with BOSS products before buying.


*According to Hugo Boss’ 2020 annual report (page 76), 85% of its merchandise was sold under the BOSS label.


Read: The DEFINITE Guide to ALL Canali Lines


HUGO (Hugo Boss Red Label)


HUGO is Hugo Boss’ trendier brand line which, like BOSS, features almost every kind of clothes and accessory imaginable – from underwear to leather jackets. Clothes from this brand line are aimed at men and women who chase fashion over style – they’re slimmer, colorful (not as much as Dolce & Gabbana and Etro, however) and usually made from various high-quality techno-blends, like the blazer I’m wearing in the picture below.

Leon Papo (aka yours truly) wearing a Hugo Boss Red Label blazer.

As far as quality of HUGO clothes is concerned, it’s somewhat lower than BOSS’ – their suits (still great fabrics, horrible construction), dresses, jackets are of OK quality while EVERTHING ELSE is of poor to terrible quality.

Why I’m saying this?

Because their dress shoes that I bought from an authorized dealer (thus 100% genuine) began to fall apart after only a couple of wears! Also, their dress shirts (which unfortunately fared much better than the dress shoes) are of terrible quality. In case you’re a looking for trendier clothing, I STRONGLY suggest avoiding HUGO and giving brands like Emporio Armani or Etro a chance – they’re far more fashionable and are of better quality.

HUGO clothes cost anywhere from 100 to 500 Euros on Hugo Boss’ official site. From what I’ve seen, HUGO footwear and accessories are mostly made in Italy and China, leather jackets in India and Sri Lanka and suits and blazers in Turkey and Bulgaria.

Current Hugo Boss Red Label's logo.

As of time of this writing, the HUGO label logo is a red square with “HUGO” written in black bolded letters on top. In the image above, you can see how it looks like.

HUGO clothes are HEAVILY counterfeited – especially shirts, footwear and activewear. If you intend to buy them from third-party sellers, leave a comment down below (or better yet, on my Instagram) and/or consult with someone who’s familiar with HUGO products before buying.


Read: Where Are Ralph Lauren Clothes Made? In the US? Or Perhaps in China?


Hugo Boss Orange and Green Label


Hugo Boss Orange is Hugo Boss’ casual brand line mainly featuring jackets, shirts and casual sport jackets aimed at men who prefer laid-back and casual styles with a streetwear vibe. Their quality is, based on several items that I’ve sold on eBay a few years ago, on pair with their BOSS’ counterparts – in other words, OK.

Hugo Boss Orange clothes cost anywhere from 100 to 550 Euros on Hugo Boss’ official site. From what I’ve seen, their leather jackets (like the one in the picture below) are made in India and Sri Lanka, jeans mostly in Romania and Turkey and casual sport jackets in China.

Hugo Boss Orange Label leather jacket.

Hugo Boss Green is Hugo Boss’ casual brand line consisted mainly of athleisure (hoodies, polos, t-shirts and more) aimed at men who prefer laid-back and casual styles with a fitness and sports vibe. Clothes coming from this line cost from 100 to 300 Euros on Hugo Boss’ official site and are made mainly in the Far East (Thailand, China, Vietnam).

Truth be told, I don’t have much experience with Hugo Boss Green – the only thing I owned was a single hoodie, whose quality was decent.

Hugo Boss Orange Label leather windbreaker.

In 2018, both brand lines became sub-labels of BOSS. As of time of this writing, their logos are nearly identical to BOSS’, the only difference being the color of the letters (Hugo Boss Orange/Green labels’ letters are of green/orange color).

Clothes coming from the Hugo Boss Orange/Green brand lines are HEAVILY faked – especially shirts, hoodies and jackets. If you intend to buy them from third-party sellers, consult with someone who’s familiar with HUGO products first.


Read: The WORLD’S ULTIMATE Guide to Prada Lines


#4 – Some Parting Words


Now that you’re familiar with various Hugo Boss brand lines, I’m certain that you’ll be able to find a nice item from this brand for a very great price. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments!

Rich Sommer Hugo Boss quote

Thank you for reading. If you’ve liked this article and want to see more like them, make sure you bookmark this site and to follow me on Instagram!

Until next time.

Your man,

-Leon

This Post Has 17 Comments

  1. Allen

    I can across a Vintage Hugo Boss Blazer online today. It was pretty old in my opinion, but still in great shape. Unfortunately the person taking the pictures I guess didn’t feel like looking for all the tags because I don’t know the size, material, or the model. They did provide a picture of the Boss tag which read like this:
    BOSS
    CREATION HUGO BOSS PARIS
    Any ideas of which Hugo Boss tag this was made under, and if it’s of high quality? It does look very nice, and I’m pretty positive that the material is 100% wool but possibly wool cashmere blend. I look forward to your reply, thanks.

    1. Admin

      Hello. Sorry for the late reply.

      This blazer is 100% fake since this Hugo Boss line never existed.

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