London sales - Budd

Public service announcement -- some very good deals at Budd, the seriously old school shirtmaker in the Piccadilly Arcade. They have heavily reduced a large selection of silk ties, in stripes, polka dots and woven patterns. They are also selling off lots of stiff collars (i.e., detachable collars for tunic shirts).

Kiton at Saks Fifth Avenue

Saks Fifth Avenue has been trying for years to create a Kiton boutique in its New York flagship store.

For the uninitiated, Kiton is an Italian clothing company that makes some of the finest quality suits in the world. Their clothes are handmade by a small army of tailors in Kiton's workrooms just outside Naples. Prices are very high: $7000 for a suit and $1200 for trousers.

Saks unveils their new Kiton store on Monday. Unfortunately, their timing is terrible, opening it in the midst of the deepest economic troubles since the Great Depression. Saks's sales fell 23.7% last month and they are laying off 9% of their staff. Like many other retailers, they're being forced to offer discounts of as much as 70% off just to move merchandise out of the door.

Saks is still talking a good game, and undoubtedly there will still be some customers for these clothes in New York, but they must be worried.

Story in today's NY Times.

Paul Stuart

Paul Stuart store exterior, photo from NY Times

The NY Times has a story about Paul Stuart, the clothier and haberdasher on Madison Avenue. It's one of the Man of Mode's favourite shopping destinations in New York.

The store is next door to Brooks Brothers, and it feels like a more stylish, more upscale version of Brooks. The shop is decorated with antiques, including a large Flemish tapestry next to the entrance. The Times describes the overall appearance as being like "the giant walk-in closet of an Illuminati Grand Master".

Their selection of ties is stupendous, with an especially good selection of silk knit ties in every possible colour. They also have an excellent range of bow ties, if that's your thing.

Paul Stuart suits are cut in an elegant hybrid of Anglo American styles. The jackets have some shape at the waist, but are still relaxed and not too fitted. Most have side vents. The trousers are the best cut I've found in ready-to-wear, with a very elegant line -- again, falling somewhere between the looser American cut and narrower English style.


Cashmere navy blazer from Paul Stuart

Notably, their suits are available in the widest selection of sizes in the City. Not only do they offer short and tall sizes, but they also have medium-tall (something I've never seen elsewhere) and extra-tall. They also stock jackets in odd-numbered sizes, so if a 41 medium-tall fits you best, this is the place to go.

A couple of criticisms.

First, the article mentions the sweaters and ties in odd colour combinations. I find that their autumn/winter collections are always very nicely put together, but their spring/summer clothes invariably have some real clangers. It's usually strange mixtures of pastel colours, which might be OK in Palm Beach (probably their target demographic), but which don't appeal to me at all.

Second, the staff in the store can be very overbearing, even downright pushy. Most of the sales staff are incredibly charming and helpful, but I've had bad experiences with a few who were much too aggressive.

The store design doesn't help in this regard, making it difficult to browse without the help of a salesman. Downstairs, all the ties are all in glass cabinets -- although I've always found the sales staff here to be excellent. Upstairs where the suits are kept, the salesmen hover by the top of the stairs, and the floor manager immediately assigns a salesman to each customer who arrives. There are some first rate salesmen here, but there are a few who are way too pushy for a store like this. The hard sell, used car salesman approach doesn't work here, and Paul Stuart needs to take a closer look at a few of the people who work upstairs.

NY Times article - "Restraint feels right, doesn't it"

Paul Stuart
45th and Madison
New York
www.paulstuart.com

Dressing for the downturn

A well-timed ad from Brooks Brothers, sent out to their email distribution list. It re-uses one of their old advertisements from the 1940s.

They recommend buying conservatively-cut, well-made clothes -- things that are made to last.

Good advice then, and good advice now.

Tom Ford at Bergdorf Goodman

A few images from Bergdorf Goodman's men's store on 5th Avenue.

I'm not usually a fan of Tom Ford: this NY Times article from last year sums up all that is wrong with the brand. However, a couple of things in Bergdorf's windows caught my eye.

First, a very simple 3 piece striped suit. Apart from the exuberantly-styled pocket handkerchief here, it's an absolute classic.



Second, a tweed 3 piece country suit - although I don't expect this suit would ever get near a field or a pair of muddy boots.



A closer look. It's an extremely bold pattern -- enough to do Huntsman or Richard Anderson proud -- but the muted colours turn it into a very elegant, even subtle, outfit. Not too keen on the bowtie, but again that's down to Bergdorf's sylists.

Robes in NY

After my previous post on the rich selection of robes available on Jermyn Street, New Yorkers no longer have to feel left out. Turnbull & Asser's store on 57th between 5th and Madison has a good selection of silk robes. There's a blue number with polka dot facings and cuffs in the window - quite similar to the Hackett one in my previous post.

Robes

As we move into Autumn and the evenings get chillier, the Man of Mode ponders wearing a robe around the house. While a towelling bathrobe is practical when stepping straight out of the shower, it's not a very stylish choice for relaxing at home. Fortunately, there are much more sophisticated alternatives available.

A stroll around Jermyn Street reveals many possibilities.

Gingham robes at Budd


Various colourful options at New & Lingwood




The silk facings on this robe at New & Lingwood have a skull and crossbones pattern


A short robe (or smoking jacket) with silk facings in a blue polka dot pattern at Hackett

Rudolf Beaufays

Behind the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg lies a treasure trove of classic English tailoring. Rudolf Beaufays runs a vintage clothing store that out-tweeds, out-flannels and even out-tartans anything in the UK. His shop is filled to the rafters with three-piece tweed suits, shooting jackets, plus-twos and plus-fours, a huge range of vintage suits, and even some kilts. There are polo coats, Aquascutum raincoats and leather flying jackets. There's even an occasional Brooks Brothers navy blazer.

The shop was written up in Men's Vogue a while back.

For any devotee of vintage clothing or classic English style, it's a must-see in Hamburg.

Rudolf Beaufays
Büschstraße 9
Hamburg
www.rudolf-beaufays.eu

Ladage & Oelke

Hamburg's grandest menswear shop is Ladage & Oelke, which exemplifies the anglophile mode of the city. It's located in a colonnade near the town hall, with several smart cafes outside.



Inside, suits and jackets are displayed in old fashioned wooden cupboards. In Style and the Man, Alan Flusser described it as "so fuddy-duddy it's charming".

The range of outerwear is well-chosen for a city close to the North Sea. Duffel coats are a speciality of the shop and there's a good range of rain coats and quilted jackets. They also have an excellent selection of umbrellas. Perfect for the drizzly weather I've experienced every time I've been to Hamburg.

The shop has good range of English shoes, with a large range of Crockett & Jones sold under Ladage & Oelke's private label and a well-edited selection of Edward Green shoes.

Neuer Wall 11
Hamburg
www.ladage-oelke.de

New Dunhill store in Mayfair

Alfred Dunhill is opening a new store in London on August 30 and the builders are working furiously to get everything ready.



The shop is on Davies Street in Mayfair, just off the top of Berkeley Square, in what used to be the Duke of Westminster's London home. Dunhill promises "the ultimate in masculine luxury and retail lifestyle", offering their full range of clothing and accessories. The shop will also house a bar, private screening room and barber.

The silver lettering on the arch is, I think, a mistake. I would prefer some plain black lettering, or maybe an engraved brass plaque to the side of the archway.



Workers installing some sort of fibre optic lighting between the flagstones in the courtyard.



I'll report back after they open.

Brooks Brothers Fall 2008

Brooks Brothers have rolled out their ad campaign for Fall/Winter 2008, and it's the best work I've seen from them for a long time. The black and white photographs, taken in Central Park, sum up the best things about the brand. It's all about smart city clothes, traditionally-cut suits that don't leave you worrying about the vagaries of fashion, and elegant casual gear for a weekend in town. Then add an extra large helping of big city glamour, with images of skyscrapers rising above the trees of Central Park.

It's self-consciously retro, but there's nothing wrong with that. It's a million miles away from the hideous rhinestone-studded t-shirts on sale at their Las Vegas store that I've written about previously.

The details are artfully done. The first photo above looks could have been taken any time in the past half century, with a very simply-cut suit, pocket handkerchief in a TV fold and a pair of clunky bluchers. The second shot has an alligator handbag, tweed hat, and an impromptu football game in the background. I also adore the dog on the right side of the picture. The third shot is perhaps the most cliched, but I still think it's a strong image.

As a footnote, I find it interesting that Brooks is running a big ad campaign with photos of Central Park and trumpeting their affiliation with the Central Park Conservancy. Paul Stuart, Brooks's more stylish neighbour on Madison, produced their winter catalogue last year full of photographs taken in the Park, which also had a tie-in to the Central Park Conservancy.

Hats from Lock

I was wandering around Jermyn Street and St. James's today and noticed numerous people, at least half a dozen, carrying around hatboxes from Lock. Is there a big event coming up that requires hats?

Vintage watches go mass market

There's been some comment lately on the fashion/design blogs about the vintage watch on sale at J Crew. Mrs. Blandings was one of the first to spot it: a gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual on an Oyster bracelet.



This watch was worn by the models in the catalog photographs, with a discrete note alongside that a vintage watch collection is available on the J Crew website (image below borrowed from Mrs. Blandings).



J Crew is not the only mainstream retailer going into the vintage watch business. Rugby, the cadet branch of the Ralph Lauren empire that targets a preppy, collegiate demographic, is also getting into the game. About a month ago, they announced that their East Hampton store will carry a selection of vintage watches.

Rugby is aiming a little lower than J Crew: vintage Timexes and the like on grosgrain straps (images below from the Rugby website). However, I expect this is a more promising strategy. J Crew gets to flash a classic gold Rolex in their catalog photos, but their vintage watch "collection" looks like a single item. And it has already been sold - they've taken it off the website.





Expect to see more vintage watches at J Crew, but they'll look more like the selection from Rugby. The J Crew men's concept store in Tribeca will definitely go big on this look. For women, they may mix in a few daintier cocktail watches. However, a vintage man's watch (smaller than modern watches) is just the right size for a woman to wear.

Brooks Brothers, Las Vegas

I've seen some stupid things in Brooks Brothers over the years, but this takes the biscuit. The sparkly rhinestones make it all the more preposterous.

Yours for a mere $44.50 plus tax.

Resails

With plastic shopping bags being deeply frowned upon these days, it's important to find an environmentally friendly alternative for carrying home the groceries from the supermarket. If the bag is made from recycled materials, so much the better.

Re-Sails has come up with the terrific idea of turning old sailcloth into a range of tote bags and duffel bags. The bags are made of brightly coloured sailcloth, often with racing numbers or printed lettering still visible.

The bags are available from Re-Sails' stores in (where else?) Newport and Annapolis. The complete range is also available online at www.resails.com.

Going Dutch

The Dutch menswear chain Suit Supply has arrived in London, with a brash, modern approach to selling suits. They've taken Ozwald Boateng's old space on Vigo Street at the foot of Savile Row, just opposite Gieves. In keeping with the former tenant, they're a sharp contrast to the traditional world of the Row.





Suit Supply isn't trying to compete with the Row. The quality and prices are in line with other high street stores - around GBP 230 for a suit. They also offer made-to-measure for about GBP 300-400.

However, their marketing sets them apart from the other UK retailers. They have the high-profile location just off Savile Row. The store is smart, modern and well-lit. They run a very flashy website: www.suitsupply.co.uk

They also put their alterations tailor front and centre in the store, with an "airport departure board" announcing when customers can pick up their clothes after having the waist let out and the trousers hemmed.

Ralph Lauren takes over the world

. . . or at least one block of Madison Avenue, between 71st and 72nd.

The entire block is lined with various outposts of the RL empire. The only exception is St. James' Episcopal Church, and even that fits perfectly into the WASP, Upper East Side world of RL.

But Ralph is about to build an even bigger presence on Madison.

Just across the street from the Rheinlander Mansion, RL's HQ, sits a low rise, square-ish building that is currently home to the Ralph Lauren Sport line. RL is on the verge of demolishing that building and erecting a four storey Beaux Arts palace. The NY Landmarks Preservation Commision has given preliminary signoff on the building and RL hopes to start construction work soon.


1950s and today

Getting shirty

Ignore all of the touts on Nathan Road in Kowloon, offering "copy watches" and 24-hour suits. For some of the best tailoring in Hong Kong, head straight to WW Chan.

WW Chan is located in Burlington House, just upstairs from the better-known Sam's Tailor (of which perhaps more in a future post). They're on the second floor, which requires navigating a firetrap of a stairwell. Don't be put off by the surroundings. As soon as you make it through the front door of Chan's premises, you'll find a well-appointed tailor's shop. Bolts of cloth are stacked on shelves along the walls, and cutters work at long tables with shears and paper patterns.





Time was short on this trip, and unfortunately there wasn't time to bespeak a suit. Much to their credit, Chan wouldn't even consider putting through a rush job on a suit. They offered to squeeze in the necessary number of fittings in the time I had available, but they would have to mail the finished garment to me.

I decided to order some shirts instead. There was just enough time for Chan to finish the shirts before I left Hong Kong, allowing me to pick them up on the way back to the airport.

Most of my experience with bespoke shirts is in London, but I found the process at Chan to be more exacting than at most of Jermyn Street's best. Chan uses an individual paper pattern to cut their shirts; they also offer a proper fitting at which they adjust the pattern.

The process begins with taking detailed measurements.





After taking my measurements, I then proceed to pick out some fabrics. I choose a couple of bold gingham checks, in mid and dark blue, both from the Thomas Mason silverline books. I also browse through a fantastic selection of linens, which includes good range of stripes and patterns. I pick out a lightweight linen in a pale blue Prince of Wales check.

I return a couple of days later for a fitting. Chan has made up one of my shirts with a complete body and sleeves, but with sample collar and cuffs made of a rough cotton. A few adjustments are made (for those looking carefully, the sleeves are a bit too short here).



Here, the collar receives some close scrutiny. We debate the angle of the collar and end up making the spread slightly wider.



Another couple of days later, I return to Nathan Road to pick up the finished shirts. I try one on, just to be sure that I'm happy with the adjustments they made. Everything is good, so I pick up the shirts and head for the airport. Chan will keep my pattern on file, so I can order more shirts with a simple phone call.
.


I highly recommend Chan for shirts. The fit and quality of workmanship are the equal or better of any shirts I've ordered in London, and the Thomas Mason fabrics are excellent.

W.W. Chan & Sons Ltd.
A2, 2/F, Burlington House
94 Nathan Road
Kowloon, Hong Kong

Phone: (852) 2366 9738 or 2366 2634