Fall is starting to get under way in earnest here in The Sticks and I could use another rugby shirt or two. They're the ultimate cool-weather shirt for slouching about the house/running for groceries/taking the recycling and junk like that. Or, at least they are if you're a mildly preppy sort of person.
In any event, having difficulty running down good options. Land's End have bugger all except for some boring solids. There are a few promising choices on LLBean. Johnny Boden has a few, but they're a bit pricey for slouch-wear. Les Freres B stick the well-hung sheep on everything and Ralphie's pony is ubiquitous on his stuff.
Any good reccomendations?
In the UK the rugby shirt is associated with a certain sort of S.W. London type who may be monied and privileged but has absolutely no sense of style. They also wear the collars turned up and talk very loudly. I hate to caricature, really I do, but avoid all pubs in the Parsons Green area if you hate these characters as I do. Boden or Hackett or Ralph Lauren sell them don't they? Bloody awful things.
GG
Last edited by Kingstonian (2009-10-07 11:31:05)
I too loathe Rugby shirts though round my way they have a much more egalitarian appeal. For a every ex-posh school kid sporting one with the collar popped there are three thick as shit Neanderthal sheep shaggers down from the Valleys for a night out in the big city complete with Div.3 footballers' hair and dodgy 'fashion' jeans.
Staceyboy
LL Bean sells a very nice rugby shirt.
On the high end, Canterbury, which supplies professional teams, is probably the best and has nice shirts for civilian wear...
http://www.canterbury.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Home_10051_10002_-1
Or get an old style cotton football shirt with no advertising logo on it
http://www.toffs.com/
AQG - you're absolutely right of course. We are completely screwed up, riven with bitterness, aggression, class hatred, sexual repression and bad teeth. We still refer to the rules of our chosen clan, whether it is one we were born into or one we choose to affiliate ourselves to. It's a messed up country. The miracle is that it, kind of, works! And yes getting dressed in the morning is the most stressful time of the day for me - all those semiotics to negotiate.
GG
Needless to say, AQG and GG - IMO you're absolutely both right. And I do respect the fact that the connotations of certain garments will vary widely across either side of the Atlantic. Such is the game.
Staceyboy
Hackett offer a nice rugby:
http://www.hackett.com/index.cfm?page=1328
Some locations of mid-Atlantic states discounter www.ruggedwearhouse.com had odds & ends Canterbury NZ rugger shirts a month or so ago @ $20 - MSRP over $100. Pack a rod or at least a straight razor should you dare explore - predominantly urban roughwear. Also, Gold Toe cotton argyles @ $2, not Marcolalanilani, granted. Back in '02 bought a pair of PRL (C&J) cordovan chukka boots in the box for $50 at one location. Alas, such serendipity is too rare. You'd not be interested in 99.9% of the stock. An occasional zircon's to be found in the rough, though.
Last edited by Edouard (2009-10-07 23:39:16)
I hear ya AGQ, no aversion to rugby shirts here. I doubt a "rugby" shirt would even be noted as such by most in my neck of the woods.
But it is fun riling up our brit friends isn't it?
In my opinion, some of the best rugby shirts are made in Canada by Barbarian:
http://store.barbarian.com/MensLeisure/MensLeisureShirts/tabid/98/List/0/CategoryID/1/Level/a/Default.aspx
Much nice than the Canterbury shirts, as far as I'm concerned. Lots of color choices too.
^^never, and I mean n-e-v-e-r!!..........but yes, there are definitely class/ social connotations to be found in the US regarding certain clothing items.
and again yes, in general I do feel that our colonial cousins do often have a better handle on style than we yanks (btw, as a transplanted southerner I still am bothered by that appellation). This would be why I frequent this board, I enjoy the UK perspective.
Last edited by KCKclassic (2009-10-08 08:41:57)
Last edited by Russell_Street (2009-10-08 10:29:32)
Go to the source, yeah?
http://store.rfu.com/stores/rfu/default.aspx?portal=XR5QB3QN
I wouldn't be seen dead wearing a rugby shirt....! Typically worn by rich, upper class, public school educated, nancy-boy, southern wankers.....
Rugby School. Terribly......WHITE isn't it? All the men look like Denis Thatcher. Standard issue Stepford Wives females. A nightmarish vision of the idealised Tory world view. And to think we're about to be ruled again by a bunch of fucking Old Etonians... so much for progress. I'm sure I squeezed some of their podgy clammy feet into those vile Timberlands in The Ivy Shop. God I detest rugby, and cricket, with an unhealthy passion. This post has not been good for me. It has re-opened old wounds. I thought I was kind of over a lot of this, but it's that item - THE RUGBY SHIRT - it just sparks me off. It is THE symbol of THOSE people.
GG