I noticed last week the suede flight jacket.

Looks superb. A different take on the Harrington. Similar to the Valstar suede jacket.

Was hoping to get to London at the end of the month but as with everything else at the moment the train drivers will be on strike.

Anything RRL is usually superb quality.

Sadly the cost reflects this.

They are nice colours. I like the idea of popovers more than the actuality. To look good the wearer needs a trim profile (not me at present) and the shirt needs to fit well. Any excess cloth can lead to a baggy Denis Roussos effect, but they have to be slightly loose to facilitate getting the shirt on and off. I only really like them with shorts I think.

I wasn't a fan of the new camp-collar jobs on first glance but on third or fourth viewing, they're growing on me. I can well see a pink seersucker number in my future. As for today's sneak preview of their coming Madras offerings, I'm already lubricating my wallet

I like a camp collar shirt, I've got 3 maybe 4, but IMO you can only wear them when the sun is shining,so limited chances of wearing , there seems to be plenty about the last couple of years, I like the ' cuban' ( ?) versions with the two front lower pockets, ideal for your untipped players and swan vesta's, the JS ones look nice, ( I know I'm getting old ),  but is it only me that thinks their prices are getting too much for the actual product ? I had one of the early madras, ( long gone now), probably 5-6 years ago and I think it was only around £55 -£65 full price which seemed a fair price, the new ones out on Friday will be double that I'm sure.... inflation eh....

Prices are an interesting topic. My tuppence worth:

Jake's: one/two man band, hand made to order, limited numbers of each shirt, so, to me, £150 seems about right
JS: (smallish) bulk buying from a manufacturer (possibly abroad as the shirts don't say 'Made In Eangland' like the jackets do), so £120-140 seems too much
Drake's: made in their own factory in UK, so £175 seems way too much
Kamakura, made in their own factory in Japan, so £100 approx seems good
Sadly, Brooks and J Press have such awful websites that they are impossible to buy from unless you have previously tried them on in person

Regardless, at the moment sales are my friend

My thoughts on the issue of pricing directly correlates to three factors: quality of finish, comfort and longevity. I don't mind paying more for shirts that will last or offer great comfort.

I have spent lots on RL  formal shirts and they have been exceptionally well made. After frequent laundering they have maintained their colours and shape. At the time they were about £90 each that was pretty expensive back then  - but it was worth it. As with all things Ralph the pricing appears all over the shop with shirts from £99 to £139.

The only shirt that is of a comparable quality to RL that I have purchased is Kamakura. Great fabrics, good details and well made. Not so keen on the 6 button placket as it comes untucked. I think for the quality they're cheap. For a £100 you get a very good shirt.

I haven't tried Jakes yet.

Personally I find J Press sports shirts are a good fit. The materials though are a bit variable. I have a few tartan shirts that look great after washing but a pink gingham that creases-up far too quickly. I only get them on my travels as the postage and duties are silly. At roughly £120 for a made in the USA shirt with all the ivy details they're good value compared to other brands.

I have a few Drakes shirts that I have purchased in the sales. Not impressed. The fit is way off. The cost is stupid and there have been issues with the collars ending up mis-shaped. I won't be rushing back. Customer service at their old store was poor too.

Brooks collar roll is great but their Regent fit is an odd shirt as it tapers across the middle whilst being roomy on the shoulders and chest. I would like to try the new OCBD before passing comment. The old USA site always had deals so you could pick up something relatively cheaply.

Onto John Simons shirts: Their madras cloth from last year was superb.Much nicer than previous. Not sure what they'll cost this year. Sadly as with most things they'll probably increase. Although the linen is expensive at £160 I noticed they're using Albini fabric from Italy that from experience is very good but pricey. I'm not a fan of the size of the collar but at £120 for an OCBD I think that is slightly expensive considering there are no fine details like the make of buttons.

I've gone for Peraza (navy, grey and red) and Kenton (green, blue, white) in the Madras. Lot's of discussion about pricing now. I don't think 120 quid off the rack for something that fits our bill (inverted commas on our!) is too outlandish personally. You'll pay that for a Ralphy boy and more now and unlike some, I've never been that sold on his quality and personally I can't abide that wee pony. I've always struggled to find RL stuff without the logo however. 160 quid for the seersucker numbers do feel like a knock, quality fabric or no.
It makes Jake seem cheap to be honest. I had put in an order for another shirt from him but he probably needs a gentle reminder in a weeks time when my wallet has recovered slightly!
I hope he continues to find success and expands - he's a very good head on his shoulders though, so I can't imagine it will be too rapidly or without a great deal of thought and consideration.

I see the new JS Madras shirts are online. Can see why they will sell quickly. I must admit, I'm not wholly convinced. I had to send my previous ones back - the collar was somewhat too big and wasn't convinced on the Madras colours (I assume the would not fade much and that's part of the appeal). But I'm sure others will disagree.

Seersuckers look nice, so too the others. But think I prefer the ivy shirt uni stripes (point taken about Jake's being superior, but I do like a trimmer fit sometimes and they are still made in England).

Still love my ivy jacket, though and will keep an eye out for new things every once in a while

Last edited by colin (2023-04-01 03:06:19)

For me, Peraza is the pick of the Madras offerings. Chico a distant second.

For value seekers, old man's shop Peter Christian has its Madras half sleeves  at £25. No box pleat or third button, but I can live with that. I have both at full price £35.

Peter Christian are mostly for trahseez though.

Where the buckle back chinos good? Looked somewhat underwhelming I. The photos, but willing to be persuaded otherwise!!

^Colin

The JS chinos are really good. Soft lightweight cotton. I personally thought the blue or olive were the nicer colours.

With regards to buckle backs I think the small detail helps elevate the ubiquitous cotton trouser into something a bit different.

My understanding is that a lot of people are sizing up.

I appreciate that the Uniqlo chinos are liked by many on here. Personally I find Uniqlo quality very occasionally misses the mark. On merino knitwear they are superb but I've also had trousers that have been such poor quality that after a wash they became shapeless.

Thanks, AS - tempted by the navy or olive when money allows!