The Look goes on...

[Botolph]

I know that Armani and a few others peddle slightly second rate stuff at the likes of Bicester Village- I
believe it's manufactured with bulk buy/ discount rates in mind.
There's probably info on the web regarding this.

Yeah, that's the sort of thing that goes on at Costco, Wal-Mart, etc., over here. Official, but cut-rate, merch, sometimes even made specifically for one retailer. Just goes to show how obsessed people are with labels as opposed to quality when it comes to clothing. People would rather buy a cheap imitation that carries the Levi's, etc., tag, than Kirkland(Costco's house brand), which is just as cheap, and often same or better quality than the downmarket Levi's, Adidas, etc.

 

[Stingy Brim]

Looks like a 1940s look to me - fedora, wide lapels, wide pinstripe, presumably wide trousers. Pre-dates anything we might be interested in.

Oh sure, I mainly just posted it as I thought it was funny, they (they call themselves 'Chaps') have their own 'look' to 'go on' although they don't really update the look.

Some criticism of them indeed that they were dressed in stuff that doesn't actually get produced in Savile Row anymore:

https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/save-savile-row-protest-give-three-piece-a-chance/

 

[covskin]



Oh sure, I mainly just posted it as I thought it was funny, they (they call themselves 'Chaps') have their own 'look' to 'go on' although they don't really update the look.

Some criticism of them indeed that they were dressed in stuff that doesn't actually get produced in Savile Row anymore

I wonder, were all those suits we hear about from 60s tailors bespoke or were they actually made to measure? Own pattern or own details on a stock pattern?

 

[Man-of-Mystery]

Wwll, Wednesday is charity shop day... blah blah blah... wool/cashmere, fly-fronted overcoat, 42R... blah blah blah...

... and another one on the rack downstairs 44R... blah blah blah... clumpy pair of burgundy Stead & Simpson toecaps...

... blah blah blah...

Well, you get the picture.

 

[Fruitbat]

Do either of them fit you?
The overcoat looks OK- not sure bout the 4 be 2's

 

[Man-of-Mystery]



Do either of them fit you?
The overcoat looks OK- not sure bout the 4 be 2's

The 42R fits me. I would have considered it if I didn't already have a dark blue overcoat.

The beetle-crushers are size 9.

 

[Fruitbat]

I haven't heard the expression beetle crushers for many years

 

[cerneabbas]

Yeah, that's the sort of thing that goes on at Costco, Wal-Mart, etc., over here. Official, but cut-rate, merch, sometimes even made specifically for one retailer. Just goes to show how obsessed people are with labels as opposed to quality when it comes to clothing. People would rather buy a cheap imitation that carries the Levi's, etc., tag, than Kirkland(Costco's house brand), which is just as cheap, and often same or better quality than the downmarket Levi's, Adidas, etc.

I was talking to one of the blokes that I went to Costco with and I mentioned your comment and he admitted that he is more interested in the 'right' label than the quality.
I think that its exactly the opposite to how most of us think,they want a logo to show that they have bought something expensive and they are not worried about quality or long life as they will soon stop wearing it and move on,its a dream come true for manufacturers.
On a similar subject I was thinking of an ex girlfriends younger brother,in the early 80s him and his mates really embraced the Casual look,they didnt mind what an item cost in fact the more expensive the better,I remember them complaining when Pringle jumpers started being sold in mail order catalogues,they stopped wearing them as they felt they had lost their expensive image as anyone could buy them and pay by small weekly payments.

 

[Clouseau]

Usually here, the Levi's on sale in the Department Stores are rubbish too. Not the case of the 501 i recently bought (at the Levi flagship store), a nice model i had never seen on sale before. I just had a little reduction though. Better than nothing.
The right label with the right quality.

 

[Thin White Duke]



I was talking to one of the blokes that I went to Costco with and I mentioned your comment and he admitted that he is more interested in the 'right' label than the quality.
I think that its exactly the opposite to how most of us think,they want a logo to show that they have bought something expensive and they are not worried about quality or long life as they will soon stop wearing it and move on,its a dream come true for manufacturers.
On a similar subject I was thinking of an ex girlfriends younger brother,in the early 80s him and his mates really embraced the Casual look,they didnt mind what an item cost in fact the more expensive the better,I remember them complaining when Pringle jumpers started being sold in mail order catalogues,they stopped wearing them as they felt they had lost their expensive image as anyone could buy them and pay by small weekly payments.

https://goo.gl/images/3PvNtm

"Shat yaw mouf an look at my wad!"

 

[cerneabbas]

https://goo.gl/images/3PvNtm

"Shat yaw mouf an look at my wad!"

As my son said when I used to laugh at Vicky Pollard " its only funny because its true".
I think that Harry Enfield was ridiculing behavior that became rife in the 80s and the mind set has carried on.
I wonder though if the 'label' thing began in the late 60s with Levis,Wrangler,Lee as the only 'acceptable' brands for jeans,I certainly remember that when I was 11 or 12 we coveted those jeans.
During the 80s Casual period I think that the label was sometimes more important than the item of clothing,never mind if M&S (for instance) made a better quality polo shirt people would pay 10 times the price for one with a Sergio Tacchini logo.

 

[Clouseau]

I suppose (and it was the same in France, especially Levi's) these labels were coveted because they were the older (in order Levi's, Lee, Wrangler), sturdier, and more authentic jeans brands. And you didn't have a lot of other jeans brands as nowadays. I think at the time some labels were synonymous with quality. Obviously not the case now.
It's true that since the 80s a lot of people are more after a logo than quality. Strange thing today some very good brands, like APC for instance, have a no visible logo policy. On the cheaper side it is the case too with Uniqlo.

 

[Fruitbat]

Nail on the head regarding labels used to be associated with quality.
In my world, casual was all over by mid 84 when the wearing of labels on the outside became passé. I wore things like Chippie jumpers, Camper shoes, Benetton Breton T-Shirts, but didn't think of it as particularly casual.
Some will say it just became a bit more discreet-Armani, CP coats etc, but I didn't buy anything recognisably casual again until 98 when I bought a Burberry trench coat that I still have now.
Shortly after that I got hold of Daks golf jacket which I've put on here before, and a red Fila ** tracksuit top- which I coveted but couldn't afford in 82.
The trouble with the first two items was by late 99 the masses started getting into them and it got all Chavtastic.
It's only recently, after roughly a 16 year period of keeping it buttoned , I feel brave enough to wear the mac open with the check on display; somehow enough years have passed since the Chav/ Hooligan adoption that it seems OK now.
Funny story about the Fila **, which as we all know was associated with Bjorn Borg and Wimbledon Tennis.
I put the thing on EBay and it was bought by a Manc who was a full time rare tracksuit peddler.
He got back to me saying the it was a snide, and demanded a refund.
I gave him my address so he could send it back in the post. The address was on Worple Road Wimbledon, SW19 4BJ.
The bloke thought I was on a windup!
We ended up doing a swap over a few weeks down the line when Chelsea were hosting Man City

 

[Man-of-Mystery]

Miss Mystery and I will be going to see T2 tomorrow. This is Scotland, it's obligatory. Begbie looks almost stylish!

Choose sta-prest, choose loafers, choose a Harrington jacket...

 

[Clouseau]

I met up with Botolph in Paris yesterday. A very nice and smart guy, and a true gentleman.