Proper Cloth - Official Affiliate Thread

[ccallis]



Funnily enough I've just done a comparative review of a bunch of online MTM shirt makers -- including Proper Cloth -- and the shirt I got from them was that $85 white oxford. You can read the review here.

Good to see Proper Cloth on Styleforum. Some very good workmanship compared to other makers.

Hey Kayhill,
Many thanks for the great review! Don't forget you have a free alteration to dial in your fit even more. The first shirt looks great, but we're always happy to cut you a new one in an updated fit if there's something you think could be improved.

 

[kayhill]

Thanks. I just might take advantage of that.

 

[ccallis]

Hi Guys,
Today we launched our Spring '14 neckwear collection. We work with an awesome family-owned factory in Malnate, Italy (just at the base of the Italian Alps) on all of our ties and are really excited to put the new collection live. Everything is 100% made by hand using Italian silks and the printed silk styles feature a hand-sewn slipstich, hand-sewn bar tack, and self-tipped blades.

We used a fun, vibrant color story inspired by ocean blues, cobblestone greys, and the weathered orange frescos you'll find in Italian coastal towns. Every tie is 58" long, with prints at 3 1/8" wide and knits at 2.5" wide. All in all, the collection has 6 printed silk ties, 4 knitted silk ties, and 3 linen pocket squares. Ties are all $100 and pocket squares are $50

You can check out the full collection and read a little more about the construction and influence at http://propercloth.com/italian-neckwear

Would love to get some feedback from Styleforum on this, as well as if there's anything you guys have been looking for but struggling to find in the neckwear dept.

Cheers,
Chris

 

[macjedi]

^ Nice offering! Really love the alassio's and silk knits. Wish you able to offer MTM … 58" is too long for me

 

[thirdman]

I recently received the second and third shirts I've had made by Proper Cloth. A few thoughts:

First, the website is generally excellent. Easy to use, good images of the fabrics, etc.

Second, I used measurements from a shirt that already fits well and they seem to have been followed pretty accurately. I made a few small changes with the second order (mainly to address minor issues with the shirt I had based my measurements on) and now have a good fit. The shoulder slope options are a big help, I haven't used the posture options but they're nice to have available. Very easy to understand how to take and record the measurements thanks to the website (videos, general design, etc.).

Third, please offer more fabrics. Especially more name brand fabrics. And heavier oxfords. And linens.

Fourth, please offer the option of unfused collars/cuffs/plackets for all collars (even for an extra charge). Right now some collars get unfused, some get fused. This isn't obvious until you start going through all the collar descriptions. At least make all the button-down collars unfused. I ordered the standard button down collar without realizing that some of the other BDs were unfused, and now I'm realizing how important wrinkles and puckering are to a nice OCBD

Overall, considering the cost I've been very impressed.

 

[ccallis]

Macjedi--Great, we've definitely thought about MTM neckwear but for the foreseeable future we're going to stick to RTW. Appreciate your feedback, though.

Thirdman--Thanks so much for the detailed suggestions--definitely some good stuff to keep in mind!

We'll definitely be bringing in a bunch of new styles from Canclini, Albini, and Thomas Mason. They've done really well for us the last year, so expect those ranges to expand quite a bit over the next few months. Also working with a new mill that'll offer some great stuff in the $80-$120 range.

Linens is something we'd like to launch this spring/summer and are currently testing some fabrics to make sure they pass our quality standards. We try to make sure we use fabrics that don't shrink too much so that sizing from shirt to shirt stays as consistent as possible.

Finally, we're definitely going to be expanding collar options over the coming months. While it may be some time before we have equal numbers of fused and soft collars, rest assured it's on our mind.

Thanks guys and keep it coming!
Chris

 

[JackFlash]

Linens is something we'd like to launch this spring/summer and are currently testing some fabrics to make sure they pass our quality standards. We try to make sure we use fabrics that don't shrink too much so that sizing from shirt to shirt stays as consistent as possible.

Offering linen, particularly linen/cotton options (better for office environments), would be a great addition. Certainly see why you guys are going slow with this. Perhaps linen/cotton would be a good first step as shrinkage would be less severe.

 

[PhilKenSebben]

Linen options for the summer would be a great addition to the line up!

 

[SF96136]

I have five PC shirts and wanted to mention that Brittany was awesome at helping me dial-in my fit for the first shirt. Now they just need to expand to MTM trousers.

 

[carrig]

Can you provide a few details about Canadian orders? I understand there is a US$15 shipping charge. I am wondering about the origin of the shirts from a customs point of view. Do they have "Made in USA" labels, such that they are exempt from duty through NAFTA? If they are labeled as being produced in the far east, they will attract stiff duties, for example about $20 on an $85 shirt.

I'm not saying I'm not willing to pay the duty for a good shirt, I'm just asking for information.

 

[macjedi]



I have five PC shirts and wanted to mention that Brittany was awesome at helping me dial-in my fit for the first shirt.  Now they just need to expand to MTM trousers.   

+100! Brittany was kind enough to help me through my first order, placed today. Only a couple weeks till my first fit … can't wait!

 

[louloufafa]

Cotton Linen blend please!

 

[jungleroller]

MMmmmmMilano Collar

 

[ccallis]



Can you provide a few details about Canadian orders?  I understand there is a US$15 shipping charge.  I am wondering about the origin of the shirts from a customs point of view.  Do they have "Made in USA" labels, such that they are exempt from duty through NAFTA?  If they are labeled as being produced in the far east, they will attract stiff duties, for example about $20 on an $85 shirt.

I'm not saying I'm not willing to pay the duty for a good shirt, I'm just asking for information.

Hi Carrig,
We cover the duty fees and ship directly to our Canadian costumers, so rest assured there are no additional mark ups.

 

[ccallis]



Offering linen, particularly linen/cotton options (better for office environments), would be a great addition. Certainly see why you guys are going slow with this. Perhaps linen/cotton would be a good first step as shrinkage would be less severe. 

JackFlash, Vorhees, and louloufafa--thanks for the feedback. Looks like some affordable cotton/linen options passed our testing so we should be rolling those out in a month or two. We'll be testing some great cotton/linen and pure linen options from Canclini very soon.