Australian Members - Part II - if you read the first post, you'll get what this is all about.

[Oli2012]



Cheers for the heads up, swung past this afternoon, still a few suits and shirts left if you need to stock up the wardrobe with some basics or you want a pinstripe suit (lots left).  If you need sweaters and are a size L or XL then a tonne left slightly cheaper than Uniqlo I think.

Uniqlo sweaters pill badly after a year.

 

[Gerry Nelson]

Uniqlo sweaters pill badly after a year.

How often are you using them?

 

[Coxsackie]

I am in crisis.

My supply of Nikka Coffey still whiskies ran out tonight. I brought a bottle of each of the Coffey Grain and Coffey Malt whiskies back from Nippon with me; it's taken two months to get through both bottles, employing strict rationing.

But now the crunch has come.

Google and eBay are of little help. I paid less than A$70 per bottle for these fine drops at Hankyu department store in Osaka. Various local online e-tailers appear keen to charge me more than double that.

Any fine Japanese whisky connoisseurs out there willing to share some tips on securing my further supply at realistic price? Quickly now gents - the insects are starting to crawl over my skin.

 

[LonerMatt]

If this is UK Cambridge, 95% of the men will be wearing notch-lapeled rentals. Burton etc. are some of the biggest shops in the area. This usually means nothing special for the shirt either, plenty of white poplin with MOP/plastic buttons. I agree with the other poster that a self-tie bow tie will improve things quite a bit.

If you're there for a while, I recommend the acquisition of a dinner jacket as there are just so many black tie events (it's worth it just for the May Ball season) and rental will rack up. At the very least, every year you have your Faculty dinner and Christmas dinner as well as your college Ball.

I don't know if that's still the case but the Salvation Army near the station had some great choices for 10 quid. I picked up a POW check DB there for aforementioned amount which I immediately put on too much weight to wear more than twice, but my brother is giving it good service many years down the road. Loads of nice if a bit worn tweed too. In London there's Old Hat if you're into vintage Savile Row - a few friends liked the shop very much but it was beyond my means at the time at around 100-200 quid a suit.

Funny thing is I no longer own a dinner jacket so had to give the alumni dinner a miss this year. A couple friends missed it for the same reason.

Yeah man, this is where I live, though it's my girl who is studying.

Truth be told I really dislike all the pomp and hate dressing up (in suits), so I'm about the worst person for the Cambridge life ever. Especially for, like, a dinner, suits are so inconvenient and restrictive. Ugh.

That being said, my rented tux looks ok - had to go a bit bigger in the shoulders to avoid being wrecked by waist supression, but the trousers are basically spot on.

Will be getting a self-tie bow tie for sure, and might even head in to Old Hat - wouldn't mind another suit (just not for eating dinner in) and a few new shirts.

 

[am55]

Yeah man, this is where I live, though it's my girl who is studying.

Truth be told I really dislike all the pomp and hate dressing up (in suits), so I'm about the worst person for the Cambridge life ever. Especially for, like, a dinner, suits are so inconvenient and restrictive. Ugh.

That being said, my rented tux looks ok - had to go a bit bigger in the shoulders to avoid being wrecked by waist supression, but the trousers are basically spot on.

Will be getting a self-tie bow tie for sure, and might even head in to Old Hat - wouldn't mind another suit (just not for eating dinner in) and a few new shirts.

Ha, I hear you. It was fun at the time though, and probably the last time in my life I could get away with literally anything so long as it followed the rules to the letter (there's a photo somewhere of a linen suit with a checked navy shirt and a yellow/green/red/orange tie...).

If I were to go back, I'd get a splendid DB smoking jacket in dark green or midnight blue or dark red velvet and rock that to the black tie events. It's "legal". It might even be supremely comfortable, in those underheated halls (or when the lady takes you as her +1 to her college Ball), and cycling in the cold windy night.

It will definitely be cheap second hand, even from a reputable Savile Row tailor, because there is literally no other occasion, time or place where you will get away with it again (at least I have not found one), and yet it's completely alright, almost encouraged in Cambridge.

The trick for shopping is to wait for the January sale in Savile Row (first 2 weeks?). This is where I got some of my best clothes, including a glorious blazer from Chester Barrie before it got ruined, complete with the most amazing hand stitching of the lapels. The markdown can get pretty insane in both the Row and Jermyn Street.

 

[md2010]



Uniqlo sweaters pill badly after a year.

How often are you using them?

I think I said this a year ago. Uniqlo sweater pills badly. I am gentle on my clothes and uniqlo sweaters are on a once every 2/3 weeks rotation and in a year they look extremely poor. These are super fine merino wool. These sweaters are good for a season and then throw away. I have mostly prl sweaters on my rotation and some are 5 years old and still looks new. Uniqlo uses short string wool and apparently that cause the excessive pilling. Casual jumper could be ok as they look better beaten up.

 

[Gerry Nelson]



I think I said this a year ago. Uniqlo sweater pills badly. I am gentle on my clothes and uniqlo sweaters are on a once every 2/3 weeks rotation and in a year they look extremely poor. These are super fine merino wool. These sweaters are good for a season and then throw away. I have mostly prl sweaters on my rotation and some are 5 years old and still looks new. Uniqlo uses short string wool and apparently that cause the excessive pilling. Casual jumper could be ok as they look better beaten up.

Maybe it's the way you both wear them but mine are holding up well. The first one I bought is three years old and still going strong. I use the cardigans for layering in suits.

That said, some people, for whatever reason, seem to put more wear on their clothes unintentionally. I think @Fxh posted about this done time ago in relation to suits.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]



Maybe it's the way you both wear them but mine are holding up well. The first one I bought is three years old and still going strong. I use the cardigans for layering in suits.

That said, some people, for whatever reason, seem to put more wear on their clothes unintentionally. I think @Fxh posted about this done time ago in relation to suits.

I don't have so much of a problem with piling for me its the elbows, in particular the right which have worn through on 4 jumpers after 2 years, its not like I prop myself up at the bar drinking pints with fxh either.

The real tragedy is that my Lockie 4ply cashmere has blown out at the right elbow, merde!

 

[ApplesHK]

I'm with you on this. The wool pullovers and cardigan I bought got about half a season's wear before pilling so badly that they have been thrown away. Uniqlo t-shirts, undies and socks are fine and their linen shirts are good value. The cashmere pullovers whilst not pilling, have fallen apart at the seams.
I now go with Black Merino pullovers and buttoned sweaters. You can pick these up at Stafford Ellinson's factory in Preston and I noticed a stall selling a wide range at DFO Docklands . Often avail for $50. A far better proposition.

 

[LonerMatt]

Country Road Merino V necks - bought 2 on sale for $90 each ~4 years ago and they are still going strong.

Always my 'cheap, handy and easily available' knit-wear recommendation. Don't know why they don't get more love.

 

[LonerMatt]

Ha, I hear you. It was fun at the time though, and probably the last time in my life I could get away with literally anything so long as it followed the rules to the letter (there's a photo somewhere of a linen suit with a checked navy shirt and a yellow/green/red/orange tie...).

If I were to go back, I'd get a splendid DB smoking jacket in dark green or midnight blue or dark red velvet and rock that to the black tie events. It's "legal". It might even be supremely comfortable, in those underheated halls (or when the lady takes you as her +1 to her college Ball), and cycling in the cold windy night.

It will definitely be cheap second hand, even from a reputable Savile Row tailor, because there is literally no other occasion, time or place where you will get away with it again (at least I have not found one), and yet it's completely alright, almost encouraged in Cambridge.

The trick for shopping is to wait for the January sale in Savile Row (first 2 weeks?). This is where I got some of my best clothes, including a glorious blazer from Chester Barrie before it got ruined, complete with the most amazing hand stitching of the lapels. The markdown can get pretty insane in both the Row and Jermyn Street.

This sounds ridiculously fun and I should have done it earlier, with only 2 months left here, though, it'd be a bit goofy. Ahhhh well.

 

[Oli2012]

How do CR's merino sweaters hold up?

 

[Henry Carter]

Not bad in my opinion, I only have one though and it gets minimal wear.

I bought a merino ls polo from Hermen Menswear last year (yep they are a stockist but I paid full price for it) and have been really happy with it. They use a thicker merino wool than a lot of those super thin ones do and it seems to help with not pilling. They are priced well too.

 

[akclothpooper]

Speaking of wool I've been looking around for a black or navy (preferably black) wool beanie, I was set on Norse's beanie but seems Incu and UpThere are out, can anyone point me towards a good one that I can buy in Melbourne and surrounding suburbs?
Edit: Btw any SWD peeps know anywhere that stocks Raf Simons footwear?

 

[ASpark]

There are some "donegal" merino v-necks at Charles Tyrwhitt for $55 at the moment. I bought one the other week, and am quite happy with it.

For those wanting a CR jumper, there is extra percentage off for cardholders at the moment, which is usually a week before it applies to anyone else.