^ I for one am up for an exploration of that theme Chris. Maybe slightly off our radar here but I picked up a lovely white oxford cloth button down shirt for my son at Zara this week. Long sleeve with a very 'Brooks style' soft collar roll. Definitely be a winner in my book if it were ever to appear in adult sizes.
Staceyboy
Brands from my neck of the woods to look out for are Meyer (for trousers) and Sioux (for loafers). Both excellent value.
C&A and H&M always have a good stock of small sizes and usually refrain from logo-ing their wares. Two good things in my book.
H&M is good for trousers, they cut slim and their sizing is consistent. They also carry the plainest jeans imaginable.
C&A is the place to get basic knitwear and emergency white shirts. They also have a good selection of cheap stainless steel cufflinks and even tiebars.
Last edited by Moose Maclennan (2009-08-03 04:53:57)
For mail order in the UK, Hawkshead is worth a look.
C&A was always my mate's no:1 shop lifting destination in the late 70's as I'm guessing that his crowd had sussed that the security there was extremely 'relaxed'. I do recall a very nice Royal Blue monkey jacket that my mother(!) bought me from the store to wear on a school trip to Paris in March 1978. Saw it again relatively recently as someone pointed out that there was a photo of me wearing it on the "friends reunited" site.
Staceyboy
Uniqlo have just got some Oxfords in, £15 a pop and I'm quite pleased with the roll...
I've been buying Massimo Dutti shirts recently, mostly checked ones. Slim fitting and the only shirts I've seen retailing recently with a halfway decent BD.
I also got a nice Cotton Traders shirt in the States last year, with sort of a dusty orange broad check.
This is quite a nice thread. With American newly made clothes seemingly fading into the past (IMHO) we need to be spreading our sights. Is it compromise? Maybe. But we soldier on.
^seconded. forgot about that. i've got a navy blue gingham shirt by massimo dutti and both fit and roll are great.
I have to own up to being far too snobbish to get involved. I'd rather do without.
I was in Brigg, North Lincolnshire, yesterday, looking over an old cottage my daughter is buying with her 'partner'. Lots of shirts and polo shirts around, but the only thing I even considered buying was a half sleeve Viyella. In the end, though, I just couldn't get very excited about it, even in a charity shop, so the chances of my getting interested in a high street shop is zero.
I catch myself casting half an eye through the window of 'outdoor' shops in these English market towns, but I can't get enthusiastic about waxed jackets or Gore-Tex. Reminds me too much of some of the pricks my old man used to go rambling with thirty five-odd years ago.
One of the best threads here!
Although, I prefer buying "quality", and I don't want to support sweat shop labour, once in a while, I just have to buy cheap, just because I'm not Croesus...
I know, in the long run, buying cheap means paying more, but sometimes you just can't resist...
Last edited by Prof Kelp (2009-08-04 15:53:52)
And you're very welcome!
Best -
Jim
Thanks for the Stella Stevens pic Prof. She looks great in the end scene wearing the jeans.
Does anyone know what that fabric Jerry Lewis's jacket is made from in the pic above? A lot of American sports coats in the 50's were made from it and I've always really liked it. A heavy speckled wool cloth... Does it have a name?
Last edited by Beatnik (2009-08-06 05:29:08)
^ "Flecked" or "flecks" would be good keywords to search for. You might even get lucky using "Donegal" but although that cloth is flecked as well, it usually doesn't have such a high contrast.
I have some nicely flecked high rise "salt and pepper" RRL pants.