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Charles Thywhitt not good value for money clothing anymore - Page 2

post #16 of 30
1/4/12 at 3:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by indistyle View Post

Hi there

I am not an American and I am buying in a country that has VAT on imports, so when I buy anything I pay VAT on imports.

I am not sure if CT shirts have a legal entity in the US from which they distribute shirts from, they may do as they have a store in the US I believe.

Saying that the American prices on the website do not reflect the changes in currency when compared to pound sterling, its overpriced

I own about a dozen CT shirts, which I purchased about 6-7 years ago and I have recently made purchases from thier website in the past two years, what I am saying is that compared to the quality of thier shirts 6-7 years ago these feel like they wont last 2 years especially on the cuffs and collars which are thinner by comparison.

Price pointwise at 25 quid a shirt they are overpriced by 20% when compared to other websites eg Saville Row, (meaning the saville row company). or modern tailor,tm lewin.

The range of fits is great for me this is one reason I have continued to buy from them even though the product quality has diminished.

For me if TM lewin could come up with a slim fit or fully fitted detachable collar shirt for sure I would buy it because it will last longer and be more durable, I hate the fact that a year after wearing some of CT's shirts the collars and cuffs have started to fray even for the more expensive sea island cotton and 180's

well, if your goal is to get 6-7 years out of a cotton shirt with regular wear then I don't think you'll ever be satisfied. Cotton is a natural fiber which will break down and succumb to wear and tear.

Personally, I think it's gross when people wear things beyond their natural shelf life. I have colleagues who wear shirts with permanent collar ring and pit stains - yet they'll spend money every week to get them dry-cleaned and pressed.

confused.gif
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post #17 of 30
1/4/12 at 4:05pm

Given that this is practically their (not ahem, 'thier') first post, I suspect the thread starter is either trolling or in some kind of paid employ of another discount shirt company. CT are just about the best value shirts around, and certainly at that price point they have no equal.

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post #18 of 30
1/4/12 at 4:23pm
My surmise as well.
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post #19 of 30
1/4/12 at 4:51pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyingMonkey View Post

Given that this is practically their (not ahem, 'thier') first post, I suspect the thread starter is either trolling or in some kind of paid employ of another discount shirt company. CT are just about the best value shirts around, and certainly at that price point they have no equal.

 

I've been waiting to use this.


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post #20 of 30
1/4/12 at 5:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by indistyle View Post

Price:The shirts themselves are overpriced when compared to Saville Row, TM Lewin and modern tailor out of the US, it has definately lost its value for money appeal

You say Modern Tailor shirts are better...

Quote:
Originally Posted by indistyle View Post

Overall: I would say try other options especially if the fit is not an issue, if fit is an issue try modern tailor and see what you get back, I know I am going to try them.

and here you admit to never having tried them. Any chance they are your employer?

For the price I like Tyrwhitt shirts. They have a nice selection of patterns and decent collars.
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post #21 of 30
1/4/12 at 6:54pm
Thread Starter 

LOL.I do not work for any shirt manufacturer.I would be a propeganda agent in the Great Shirt War of 2012

On average I would say I have 12-15 CT shirts for the past 5-7 years, which means on average 12mths/15 shirts x 6yrs= one shirt used approximately 5 months.

 

They have last me well, I like the patterns, cant seem to find those patterns again. Which is one reason I like to wear a shirt for 5-7 years.Give me a choice between spending 25 quid on a shirt or 25 quid on a bottle of 16yr Lagavulin and for me its obvious.The CT shirts are still keeping well it is just that the cuffs and collars are wearing out.So I will probably look to replace them, the body of the shirt is still good, so why waste it. 

Reordered some new shirts not as good as the old ones, cuffs and collars appear thinner.

 

There is an Aussie site called "buy the shirt not the brand " it gives me a fair idea of the price point for the shirt without the branding, also I know from speaking to garment manufacturers who outsource to China the price for an unbranded shirt is around 5-7 USD. I.E. 3 quid

Also when compared to Van Heusen whiah are sold for $15USD they seem overpriced. VH has a 100% cotton line but the fit for me is bad so I dont really buy

 

I was also asking if anyone knew of a good shirtmaker online from America that is in the $30 - $40 price range with CT tailored fit lines

 

By the way Bender would be proud at the little quip with Fry  LOL.Maybe I should get on my soapbox at Speakers Corner. Good Banter though

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post #22 of 30
1/4/12 at 7:09pm
Thread Starter 

BTW I have not tried modern tailor but I have made an order from them and hopefully I will see what I get. They have  a promo offer which is $20 for a shirt excl shipping, if I can get the fit well them maybe no more CT for me

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post #23 of 30
1/4/12 at 10:54pm
Actually the OP makes some solid points.. The shirts did in fact get more expensive than in the past. I used to order from the UK site amd have them shipped to the NY stores which removes postage charges and ships with the stores order. However, the last time I tried to order 6 shirts and have them shipped they noted that they can ship to stores but won't deduce shipping.. Also, in the past they had much better offers and lately not as much.

As far as the quality, CT now makes a few different fabrics. I have found the Twill to be awesome and the Non-Iron Twill their best option. Sadly, most of their shirts are now poplin which (by their nature) are thinner and feel cheaper. I have tried their herringbone range and do mot like it as well since it wrinkled like hell

All in all, CT makes quality shirts and have great customer support which is why I keep ordering but you have to know what to look for. I don't know if they can say competitive, I had some custom shirts made only by Blank Label, Cottonwork, and MT and was pleased with the fabric, price, and fit. My 2c...
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post #24 of 30
1/5/12 at 12:26am
Damn it. I had resolved last night that after placing some of the shirts in my basket I didn't need anymore CT non-iron slim fits and closed my browser without placing the order. Reading this thread made me go back and check to see if they were still in my basket. At $40 a pop they proved too hard to pass up. They are all I travel with (only time I wear them). Quality is by no means nice - fabric is so so at best and the buttons are horrible. However, one of their standard sizes fits me perfectly OTR (or "Out of the Cellophane" to be technically correct) and they do pay attention to details like making sure fabric patterns line up - fairly interesting patterns available as well. If someone finds a better non-iron slim fit for ~$40, would like to know.
Edited by PL92106 - 1/5/12 at 1:07am
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post #25 of 30
1/5/12 at 5:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by PL92106 View Post

If someone finds a better non-iron slim fit for ~$40, would like to know.

You won't, I've looked.

This goes doubly for the spread collar.

CT is one of the few who does a slim fit, non-iron spread collar.
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post #26 of 30
1/5/12 at 6:42am

Re: poplin, I am not a fan of the cheaper fabrics from any manufacturer, CT included, but CT's tailored fit Black Label shirts are practically the only OTR shirts that I have found that fit me properly (apart from, believe it or not, JCrew - although they are actually more expensive and their quality is dubious) . They cut the sleeve length to fit too (for a small extra fee), and the fabrics are comparable with much higher price shirts: on sale, they are unbeatable value. Plus their service is superb and they offer no question returns. So I really can't find much to complain about with CT.

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post #27 of 30
1/5/12 at 6:50am
^ +1 to that last comment...I'm really liking this one here, I may try and pick it up during the next sale.
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post #28 of 30
1/5/12 at 6:54am
Have to say I did an 18 hour journey (London- Dubai - Mauritius) in a CT Non-Iron last week and it was outstanding.

For "normal" shirts I prefer T M Lewin, due to the un-fused collars and the slightly nicer luxury fabrics.

I think the OP if just pissed off about the tax issue (which I admit is bad) and the fact that prices increase over time. Alas both of those are facts of life.
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post #29 of 30
1/5/12 at 8:12am
I find them excellent - durable, nice cut (their slim fit), conservative patters, and all this almost for free (four or five for GBP 100). In addition, excellent return policy if you want to bother with that.
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post #30 of 30
1/5/12 at 11:06am

@OP: Sorry to hear that you are not satisfied with your purchase!

 

I have recently bought 5 CT shirts and I'm definitely happy. Dirt cheap (EU residence, mind you), huge variety of patterns and options (collar, FC/BC etc.), very good quality (considering the price).

 

In the order I've had a shirt which I've bought 3 years ago, but back then with french cuffs, now barrel cuffs. Quality is exactly the same.

 

I also have a couple of TML shirts and while their collars and cuffs are not fused, I still prefer CT shirts. They fit better and also somehow feel better...

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