Herringbone Sydney - suits now made in China!

I dropped in to Herringbone earlier today to pick up a spare pair of trousers for one of my suits.
I got a real surprise when I looked at their latest offerings. Their made in Japan suits are now a thing of the past apparently - all new suits are to be made in China according to the sales assistant. The quality looks to be falling off a cliff.

Fortunately they still have some made in Japan stuff left and I got the trousers I wanted. If any Aussie members are thinking of getting one of their suits I'd advise you to hurry up before the MIJ sells out.

This is a real shame. Herringbone was probably the only Australian retailer offering good quality, reasonably priced suits.

Originally Posted by Nuff said

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I dropped in to Herringbone earlier today to pick up a spare pair of trousers for one of my suits.
I got a real surprise when I looked at their latest offerings. Their made in Japan suits are now a thing of the past apparently - all new suits are to be made in China according to the sales assistant. The quality looks to be falling off a cliff.

Fortunately they still have some made in Japan stuff left and I got the trousers I wanted. If any Aussie members are thinking of getting one of their suits I'd advise you to hurry up before the MIJ sells out.

This is a real shame. Herringbone was probably the only Australian retailer offering good quality, reasonably priced suits.

I don't know what happened to Ethan. He seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth. His blog has been reduced to a single full stop '.' and has not posted on here in some time. Perhaps he got the flick

..

I tried on a couple of the Chinese suits in the Osaka cut (ironic!), and found that, other than being slightly firmer in the shoulder, they felt just as good as the MIJ stuff. Certainly the cloth quality has not diminished.

The pick stitching and buttonholes appear comparable, albeit slightly inconsistent. One suit appeared to have topstitching instead of pick stitching which was really ugly.

In general though, there isn't too much cause for alarm. I'm told by reputable sources that the factory where the new suits are made is the same that supplies Zegna's product for the Asian market.

As for the esteemed Mr. Newton, he is alive and well and holding court in the Macquarie Place store.

As Mr Prophet said, the new lot of Herringbone suits look pretty good.

I must admit, though, that I was a bit disappointed in the cloth used in one of the new suits, a mid-grey glen plaid with patch pockets. The suit looks nice and the cloth used is supposedly a "flannel", but regrettably it is woven from wool, cotton and polyamide. The hand isn't too bad, but it's not what I would have expected from Herringbone.

I'm glad that the Osaka cut is still being used and I have found that the new suits fit well and feel good. I just hope that the quality continues to be high and that the use of polyamide in the glen plaid suit is a temporary aberration.

I wouldn't write off something just because it's made in China. Most of the house brands of Japanese high-end retailers are made in China, Tomorrow Land, Estination, Beams, etc. It comes down to design, cut, and quality control. All three depends on the person making the order rather than the maker.

Originally Posted by maomao1980

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I wouldn't write off something just because it's made in China. Most of the house brands of Japanese high-end retailers are made in China, Tomorrow Land, Estination, Beams, etc. It comes down to design, cut, and quality control. All three depends on the person making the order rather than the maker.
+1

I detect a hint of jumping to conclusions, based on little else than sad stereotypes. So many forum members seem to forget that just 30 years ago, 'made in Japan' was synonymous with garbage.

Originally Posted by instep

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+1

I detect a hint of jumping to conclusions, based on little else than sad stereotypes. So many forum members seem to forget that just 30 years ago, 'made in Japan' was synonymous with garbage.

Young Doc: No wonder this circuit failed. It says "Made in Japan".
Marty McFly: What do you mean, Doc? All the best stuff is made in Japan.
Young Doc: Unbelievable.

The only Chinese suits I saw were the ones with the topstitched lapels. They looked terrible and to be honest I didn't bother looking any further. I assumed any stock with pick stitching was part of the remaining Japanese stock as was the case with the trousers I purchased. That was the impression I got from the sales assistant as well. If that's not the case I stand corrected.

Herringbone have just come out of administration so moving production to China is clearly a cost cutting measure. How the quality holds up remains to be seen. I seriously doubt moving production there was to make the quality better.

I was not impressed with what I saw at first glance but others can judge for themselves. The main reason for this thread was to let Australian members know that there is still some made in Japan stock (of undisputed quality) available if they have been thinking about buying a Herringbone suit.

Originally Posted by maomao1980

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I wouldn't write off something just because it's made in China. Most of the house brands of Japanese high-end retailers are made in China, Tomorrow Land, Estination, Beams, etc. It comes down to design, cut, and quality control. All three depends on the person making the order rather than the maker.
+1

Originally Posted by instep

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+1 I detect a hint of jumping to conclusions, based on little else than sad stereotypes. So many forum members seem to forget that just 30 years ago, 'made in Japan' was synonymous with garbage.
+1 Wait.. Is Made in HKG same as MIC?

Originally Posted by Phat Guido

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Wait.. Is Made in HKG same as MIC?

No, MIC is often disguised as Made in (insert your European country here), and is much more widely accepted. Made in HK is just wank.

whats made in HK? HK is so small you can't make anything...
main contributor to HK's GDP is electronics exports...btu thats finished products.

I guess the factories in Kwai Fong/ Tsuen Wan area are quite polluted and actually make stuff "Made in HK", but I've haven't been there in years..

Originally Posted by maomao1980

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No, MIC is often disguised as Made in (insert your European country here), and is much more widely accepted. Made in HK is just wank.

You are a true trade insider Cheers.

Originally Posted by ginlimetonic

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whats made in HK? HK is so small you can't make anything...
Matchbox cars.

Originally Posted by maomao1980

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I wouldn't write off something just because it's made in China. Most of the house brands of Japanese high-end retailers are made in China, Tomorrow Land, Estination, Beams, etc. It comes down to design, cut, and quality control. All three depends on the person making the order rather than the maker.

+1, now can someone take me to the back door of the Shanghai guys that makes suit for Kilgour. I am sure we can find some quality clothe with big discount there.