I have seen them, I must say, they do look really nice. I’ve seen elsewhere that both Chambrays are in fact indigo died also, which is interesting in & of itself (at least to Me!) -
At 24000 yen a pop, they’re about 145 GBP at the moment, before they’re shipped and any import costs have been taken into account, making a Jakes a significantly more viable option Id have thought.

I always feel envious of our Japanese and Asian brethren though, there is some seriously lovely and very well made clobber available there, the like of which we really don’t see this side of the pond.

I’ve used proxies in the past quite successfully for buying stuff from Japan, including a couple of Two-Moon ringspun sweats not that long ago, so it’s not beyond the wit of man to get stuff over but for something like those brooks shirts, you’d want to be damn sure they fit and that they were worth the added premium before you bought them. Another shop I follow had the most amazing looking six button brooks rip-offs, I think made in India but with all the correct details like single needle stitching, placket the right length, locker loop etc etc - even the label was of the brooks makers style. Still toying with buying one of those but it’ll be a hundred euros shipped.

I have only one experience of Brooks Japan stuff.

A few years back they did an Ivy capsule collection. I think it might have been called something like Own Label or Own Make.

Stunning shirt. Great check material and really interesting placket that scooped. Purchased from Bicester Village of all places.

Crazy long arms and tight chest. Had to go back.

Last edited by AlveySinger (2023-03-01 10:08:10)

I wouldn't blame the Italians for what happened to Brooks Brothers. By the time of my first trip to New York in 1995 I was shocked by the misery of 346 Madison Avenue - even then 80% of the stock was non-USA manufacturing, the classic shirt was low-priority and in 4 colours only, and there were virtually no punters in this vast store. My impression is that the Italians attempted to refocus the quality and design, but were incapable of responding to the enormous shifts that had taken place primarily in American taste, class structure and shopping habits. Brooks was all about high quality, low key, solid basics which lasted for years and were replaced every 5-10 years or so. That way of living, dressing and shopping has largely disappeared. The gap has been filled by a more expensive, luxury, boutique experience in stores like Drakes. We only have J.Press thanks to the blessed Japanese. Don't look to America for The Ivy Look.

A couple of good points Doulouz.

It’s very hard to guess which way anything is going to go at the moment, but the push towards shopping online continues to gather pace, along with accessing services online and self service in stores. My wife wears a brand called All Saints which she buys almost exclusively online because it is easier to return it when she changes her mind, which she does 80% of the time. New items are often added to their line which are only available online, visit to their stores are purely for browsing, trying stuff on and buying the odd discounted item.

I visited Buffalo, NY State, seven years ago which provided me with a disturbing glimpse of the future. Once one of the greatest cities in the USA, apart from the odd landmark building and the old docks it was barely possible to discern where the commercial centre once had been. The main shopping streets largely abandoned apart from convenience stores and coffee places, shops replaced by student accommodation and quite a few empty lots where unsafe buildings had been demolished to leave weeds growing up. This main street shopping activity was originally displaced to out of town shopping centres, but even they are going too. The other day I came across a website featuring the interiors of empty US shopping malls which sprang up everywhere in the 70s and 80s.

It’s coming our way. Driving in towns in the UK has turned into dodging the parcel vans and the scooter guys delivering hot food and even coffee to people’s houses.

Personal assisted shopping is  the preserve of well heeled customers frequenting niche stores in upmarket enclaves like Chiltern Street.

Last edited by FlatSixC (2023-03-11 01:26:06)

''It’s very hard to guess which way anything is going to go at the moment....''

This is a time of rapid social change, accelerated by the lock down years. And we're definitely not in Kansas anymore. Good and bad. Online shopping is great. It's so easy now to sample stuff and send it back for free if you don't like it. The stench of marijuana in our cities now isn't my cup of tea. I was surpised to find Liverpool the same Amsterdam. You can't move without smelling it. We've got rid of tobacco only to be replaced by something we're told is really healthy. Yeah, right.


''I don't understand the food delivery boom....''

I love it. When it's my turn to cook, as I don't, I order in. So easy and good grub. My family all seem to like it. The McDonalds near here needs to be viewed on a Sunday morning,   an army of workers cleaning up the litter that is strewn a 100m in every direction. My kids tell me Five Guys is the best for burgers now. Never had one from there.