Rubato

[K. Nights]

I lurked a bit the older pages of the Drake's thread and the arguments about the price increases were epic. Now, everyone has accepted it.

But I guess Drake's manages to be more cool than Rubato who are trying a bit hard, which is kind of cringe sometimes.

Also, everyone seems to enjoy their conversation with Drake's people which doesn't seem to be the case with Rubato people.

Also I think there is some understanding that Drake's has much greater overhead, given they have physical stores, develop many new designs each season, and produce a significant amount of editorial content and lookbooks.

 

[henrip]

Ouh there were plenty discussion about prices on the Drake’s thread 😄. I guess most have now accepted the high prices of Drake’s and see the brand as one of the semi lux life style brands. Sadly they’re not about nice scarfes and shirts anymore but about travelling, drinking/dining and riding the wave with the crew. Let’s see if that’s the direction where Rubato is heading too…

 

[astrobuoy]

I do feel that one difference is that Drake's was fairly established before their prices went up, and despite the grumbling on these forums there's still an amount of goodwill towards the brand. By comparison Rubato is so new and not nearly as well known. It seems risky to alienate your small core of buyers by raising prices to this degree so soon

 

[TheIronDandy]

I'm guessing that the Rubato guys decided to try and capitalize on the publicity they've gotten, and try to position themselves higher up in the food chain early on. It's a gamble for sure: once Crompton stops promoting them so much, I don't know if they have enough momentum to stay in that position. Judging by how people talk about their social media presence, they're not exactly building strong ties to their customers.

As for Drakes, maybe it's just me, but I find the brand isn't talked about all that much outside of the dedicated thread nowadays. It use to be that "Drakes" was an aestethic reference - people could go for a Drakes look. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not seeing that nearly as much anymore.

 

[astrobuoy]

As for Drakes, maybe it's just me, but I find the brand isn't talked about all that much outside of the dedicated thread nowadays. It use to be that "Drakes" was an aestethic reference - people could go for a Drakes look. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not seeing that nearly as much anymore.

I find that so difficult to gauge (but maybe that's because I'm on those threads, hah). Drake's has gotten a decent amount of press coverage, in GQ, Esquire, Hypebeast and Robb Report, and anecdotally anytime I pop in to their NYC store there's a decent amount of traffic (the sample sales here are also totally mobbed). But to a degree you're probably right, their price increases have excluded a good deal of people I'm sure, and the 30% difference between their US and UK retail prices also doesn't help things. On the other hand I have to imagine their collaborations with Aimé Leon Dore has widened their audience considerably

The other issue I wonder about as far as Rubato's sustainability is the fact that they don't really make anything you can't find an alternative to elsewhere, at a much lower price point. In that case what will drive business their way?

 

[DNL]

the fact that they don't really make anything you can't find an alternative to elsewhere

Well I think there style and cut is very unique and this is what they set apart from others.

 

[lockstock]

Playing the devil's advocate here, why should luxury brand pricing be strictly tied to material value? If other brands in the space are increasing prices across the board, staying at the same level could diminish Rubato's perceived value, particularly if it doesn't aim to position itself as budget-friendly.

In terms of the price-value of Rubato's knitwear (as it is the only type of item I have purchased so far from them), I would say that they are within if not of higher quality to others in the same range. Their unique style and cut are additional pros. If maintaining all of those would require price updates within a reasonable range and periodicity, I would continue being happy and find the brand worthwhile.

On a price-related side note, the nonpareil crew that I bought in May 2023 is now 16% more expensive (€345 vs €390). While I am okay with the increase, considering the industry-wide trend, my perspective might be skewed and I know things are going differently in the US.

 

[13.characters]

Just received the shorts in navy - the fabric, make and fit is amazing! Loved them. The fabric is surprisingly hefty - though it would be lighter, but I like the heavier weight and the drape. The rise was also higher than expected. Really tempted to get the cream too now.

Still waiting to arrive for the nonpareil heavy crew in french navy, two raglan shirts and some scarves. Also have doeks and both shirts that are on sale now - if someone wants some feedback or has any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[lockstock]

I see a bunch of people here have bought the scarves. How do you go about styling them?

I am tempted to get one myself but am afraid it will be just another thing that ends up just staying at home.

 

[13.characters]

I see a bunch of people here have bought the scarves. How do you go about styling them?

I am tempted to get one myself but am afraid it will be just another thing that ends up just staying at home.

Under a t-shirt/shirt/crew sweater on the neck without tying into a knot, so just a tiny, tiny bit of it pops up on the back of the neck and the sides or just a bit on the sides. I feel it's sometimes easy to get a "rich douchebag" look with the neck scarves. The same as with sweaters on shoulders. But what saves Rubato's scarves from that look in my opinion is 1) very simple patterns; 2) cotton/linen mix that makes fabric very light, slightly rugged and completely matte - I find it very hard to pull off pure silk neck scarves; 3) as I mentioned, I try to wear mine as understated as I can without showing it too much and usually with more casual clothes rather than tailoring.

You just need to decide - if you want to commit to this I guess, if you'll buy, try to wear it more and learn to enjoy. At first it was a bit hard for me too, felt a bit unnatural, the same as wearing sweaters over the shoulders.

 

[lockstock]

You just need to decide - if you want to commit to this I guess, if you'll buy, try to wear it more and learn to enjoy.

Thanks, I might just give it a go with this sale and experiment with it.

Do you have any idea if the short-sleeved nonpareil crew/polo are with the same/similar measurements and fit compared to the long-sleeved ones?

Also, answering my own question and for anybody else wondering - the fabric and measurements are identical to the long-sleeved crews.

 

[13.characters]

Just received some nonpareil shirts - feedback on the fabric which is also the same with all of the long-sleeves, etc. as lockstock mentioned above. The fabric is high twist cotton - to the touch very similar to high twist - but a tad bit softer, while still having some roughness/texture to the touch as the high twist wool, feels dry to the skin. The weight is a bit heavier than you'd expect by looking at Rubato photos, where they all seem very light and airy. Fabric feels sturdy and relatively heavy wearing on the first impression, maybe due to the slight roughness and the dry texture. I'd say the weight is ideal for about +20C +/-. If you live where it's over +30 C - this fabric might be too hot.

 

[Iskander]

I received one of their work shirts and the threading in some of the buttonholes is so sloppy. One or two of the buttons wouldn't even go through the buttonholes at first due to getting tangled in threads that hadn't been properly trimmed. I had to do quite a bit of work with a pair of scissors. Quite disappointing quality control for a $345 shirt

 

[GabrielJF]

I received one of their work shirts and the threading in some of the buttonholes is so sloppy. One or two of the buttons wouldn't even go through the buttonholes at first due to getting tangled in threads that hadn't been properly trimmed. I had to do quite a bit of work with a pair of scissors. Quite disappointing quality control for a $345 shirt

I got a heavy cotton crew. It arrived with some seriously bungled stitching on the front. A thread had been pulled through the back, tightening the knit in a very unsightly line across the chest. For a £400 cotton sweater, I was pretty shocked something like that slipped through.

The customer service suggested I sent it back to be repaired - all postage costs obviously covered - which I did. It arrived back with me about 3 weeks later with the same issue.

To their credit, at that point, they promptly replaced it. However, for a brand selling £400 cotton sweaters that are 'hand framed' (I can see little functional or aesthetic difference to me anthology cotton knit at £200, which I actually prefer) it is a pretty disgraceful lack of quality control. That the same issue persisted despite having presumably passed through several pairs of hands was very odd.

Given their price hikes and obvious desperation to be perceived as luxury, rather than just a good quality artisanal knitwear brand, I don't think I see this brand lasting. I think that despite enjoying their permanent style influenced gravy train, with issues like this, the gravy will soon run dry!

 

[lockstock]

I got a heavy cotton crew. It arrived with some seriously bungled stitching on the front. A thread had been pulled through the back, tightening the knit in a very unsightly line across the chest. For a £400 cotton sweater, I was pretty shocked something like that slipped through.

After making my post earlier, I also noticed that on the short-sleeved crew I received today a couple of threads were not knitted properly (where the neck part connects to the body), which was a quick fix I took care of myself, however, I do agree that quality control is lacking.

Still, I feel it is somewhat better than that of other brands in the price range, such as Luca Faloni, particularly regarding fabric and sizing consistency, though.

That said, I’ve been noticing similar issues, particularly with stitching, in almost everything made in Italy I’ve bought recently. I hope it is not becoming a trend…