The Ultimate Toronto Thread

[stanchri]

Hey guys,

Brooks at Union Station has some Own Make suits at 70% off. Charcoal flannel. I saw sizes 40 and 42.

Price is 430.

Do you know if they have anything smaller? (38S / 38R)

 

[scatterbrain]

Are you getting custom shirts through S&M? I just received my order but sadly even the 14.5 slim is too large for me. I don't want to go all the way to their office to get measured so if there is enough interest (5 people of at least $100 in orders each I believe) they can do an office or home fitting so if there is enough interest I'd like to do that.

Does Skoak ship via the postal system? I purchased Carmina from Leatherfoot on Boxing Day and the price was really good though Skoak does have one particular style of Carmina I like.

I'm not big into ties since I don't have to wear them for work but I did pick up a Drake's, Duchamp, and Corneliani ties for $100 all in back in Edmonton. Could have probably grabbed three Drake's for $100 but wanted to vary the design. My point is that sometimes there are really good deals to be had locally, especially at the independent stores, since there comes a point where the carrying cost is too high to not really slash prices and sell.

Will be getting 3 custom shirts from S&M the next time they offer discounts after February.

Skoak shipped via UPS. They only charged ~10 to clear customs and the rest were actual duties and taxes.

I agree there are good deals locally. It's more that I want to see whether these brands are worth it. I also have a strange preference for 3.5" ties, instead of the thinner ties that Drake's makes. Have never tried Duchamp or Cornelliani. Are they thin?

 

[ADub]

Will be getting 3 custom shirts from S&M the next time they offer discounts after February.

Skoak shipped via UPS. They only charged ~10 to clear customs and the rest were actual duties and taxes.

I agree there are good deals locally. It's more that I want to see whether these brands are worth it. I also have a strange preference for 3.5" ties, instead of the thinner ties that Drake's makes. Have never tried Duchamp or Cornelliani. Are they thin?

Have you had custom shirts from them before? If so how did you find the fit?

Good to know it's not UPS Ground. Last time I had to fork over almost $60 just for their brokerage services though even with that as well as duties and taxes it was still cheaper than buying locally.

The Duchamp is about as thick as the Drake's if not a little thicker whereas the Corneliani I have is a knit tie so it's very different. I haven't handled their regular ties to offer any insights on whether they are thin. Given how much ties can cost I'd consider going to NYC to check them out in person.

 

[scatterbrain]

Have you had custom shirts from them before? If so how did you find the fit?

Yes, 6 or 7 prior custom shirts from them. I've been buying them since before they were a SF Affiliate. The fit was pretty great after the first one, which was still good. They are quite well made, IMO, especially for the price point. They tend to cut their custom shirts pretty slim, though, so let them know if you want something roomier.

The only downside to having a lot of custom shirts is that if you gain weight there is an abundance of evidence that you've gotten fat.

 

[scatterbrain]

Aside from the odd sport coat I am focussing towards more casual wear this year. I've found less of a need for traditional office work wear.
I'm going to explore the local options, which I have never bothered to in the past.
Also looking into Trickers for the first time, and possibly a pair of Truman's down the road.
S&M's value is unmatched. Drive out and get measured.
And Henry carter bills in AUD. I have a bouclee and love it. Although i've worn it once sine getting it in August.

I should, theoretically, spend more on casual or dress casual and less on work suits. I look like complete dog **** when nobody is paying for my time. Last weekend I had to stop by the office early on Sunday morning to do something. Security asked whether I worked in the building because I looked so sketchy.

I find streetwear and denim hard, though. I'm not going to wear a cape and low-crotch pants, so the fashion fits are out. I'm not much of a hipster, and I find brooks brothers' casual wear to be a little dweeby. The only thing that really interests me is understated, minimalist pieces of clothing that will be as flattering as possible, as comfortable as possible, and will last a long time. Is there a name for that in SW&D? Dad-wear?

 

[ADub]



Yes, 6 or 7 prior custom shirts from them. I've been buying them since before they were a SF Affiliate. The fit was pretty great after the first one, which was still good. They are quite well made, IMO, especially for the price point. They tend to cut their custom shirts pretty slim, though, so let them know if you want something roomier.

The only downside to having a lot of custom shirts is that if you gain weight there is an abundance of evidence that you've gotten fat. 

I agree that they are well made, especially considering the price. I find the buttons to be whiter than the MOP on my RLBL though I prefer the hand of the RLBL and the Jack Lipsons I have a little more but even on sale they are more expensive. I'm glad to hear that they cut their custom shirts slim as that's exactly what I'm after.

On the topic of MTM has anyone tried Suitsupply MTM? There doesn't seem to be any RTW suit in a fresco or hopsack with natural shoulders, minimal lining, really light canvassing/unstructured, and minimal lighting. If anyone knows of any RTW similar to that I'd definitely be interested in checking it out.

 

[jdrizzy]

I agree that they are well made, especially considering the price. I find the buttons to be whiter than the MOP on my RLBL though I prefer the hand of the RLBL and the Jack Lipsons I have a little more but even on sale they are more expensive. I'm glad to hear that they cut their custom shirts slim as that's exactly what I'm after.

On the topic of MTM has anyone tried Suitsupply MTM? There doesn't seem to be any RTW suit in a fresco or hopsack with natural shoulders, minimal lining, really light canvassing/unstructured, and minimal lighting. If anyone knows of any RTW similar to that I'd definitely be interested in checking it out.

last time I was in Spier & Mackay, Rick let me know he was running two sport coats. 2 Navy Hopsacks, one cut with the regular pattern and cut as the OTR jackets, and the other going mostly/full italian, soft shoulder, half lined, light canvassing, 3roll2? (can't remember that one).

I would like to see some fresco though.

 

[spiermackay]

I agree that they are well made, especially considering the price. I find the buttons to be whiter than the MOP on my RLBL though I prefer the hand of the RLBL and the Jack Lipsons I have a little more but even on sale they are more expensive. I'm glad to hear that they cut their custom shirts slim as that's exactly what I'm after.

Our stock buttons are White River Shell, very porcelain like in appearance. Our MOP upgrade on custom are genuine WHITE Australian MOP, which have no yellowness to them. Makes a huge difference on white shirts especially.

last time I was in Spier & Mackay, Rick let me know he was running two sport coats. 2 Navy Hopsacks, one cut with the regular pattern and cut as the OTR jackets, and the other going mostly/full italian, soft shoulder, half lined, light canvassing, 3roll2? (can't remember that one).

I would like to see some fresco though.

This is correct. We are waiting on the cloth from Gladson/Huddersfield, which will deliver at the end of Jan. Will release in a traditional cut, like our Model 2 and then a new softer, no padding, softer canvas, 3 roll 2.5 version. Should release in March or early April.

 

[Firefox]

I love how granular this thread is getting. We've got guys who care so much about menswear we're trying to parse down the details of the signage for a cobbler and whether or not they have equity stakes in their real estate. These are my kind of people.

I get the impression they have way, way more business than they can handle. Keeping a shabby shop and being curt with customers is a way of stemming the tide.

I also wonder what their tenancy situation is. The shop itself has been there forever, but many shops on Yonge seem to be under threat of redevelopment. There are vast swathes of boarded-up shops further north on Yonge St that formerly housed business no less shabby than Novelty. It would be a shame if they were kicked out, but I wonder if it's imminent.

"Exciting" update: Novelty finally got a new sign!

 

[TOstyle]

Oh man! This is a HUGE development. Checking it out for sure.

And damn, I don't check this thread in a couple of weeks I'm seriously behind. Going to have to make time on the weekend to catch up.

 

[clarksdb]

Anyone know if it is possible to order something from a Brooks Brothers Toronto location and have them ship it to my house? I live a bit far from downtown.

 

[CanadaCal]

Phone them, I don't see why not. Ultimate sales rep laziness if they say they can't do it.

 

[gs77]

I agree that they are well made, especially considering the price. I find the buttons to be whiter than the MOP on my RLBL though I prefer the hand of the RLBL and the Jack Lipsons I have a little more but even on sale they are more expensive. I'm glad to hear that they cut their custom shirts slim as that's exactly what I'm after.

On the topic of MTM has anyone tried Suitsupply MTM? There doesn't seem to be any RTW suit in a fresco or hopsack with natural shoulders, minimal lining, really light canvassing/unstructured, and minimal lighting. If anyone knows of any RTW similar to that I'd definitely be interested in checking it out.

Last time I've been there (Yorkville store), I asked about this "personal tailoring" service. So, basically, they do not have tailor who can measure you and take specs in house. He comes from New York (I think) every now and then, and you need to see when he's coming and schedule the appointment. Prices, I've been told, start at around $1100 (CAD) and go up depending on fabric. The base model that they use is Sienna, but you can customize pretty much anything (in theory ). I haven't looked at the fabrics they offer, as I've been told they don't have books in the store?!?!?!?!?! Or I just ran into lazy SA...
I think what you get is somewhere close to La Spalla or Jort quality - that is, full canvas etc...

 

[othertravel]



Last time I've been there (Yorkville store), I asked about this "personal tailoring" service. So, basically, they do not have tailor who can measure you and take specs in house. He comes from New York (I think) every now and then, and you need to see when he's coming and schedule the appointment. Prices, I've been told, start at around $1100 (CAD) and go up depending on fabric. The base model that they use is Sienna, but you can customize pretty much anything (in theory ). I haven't looked at the fabrics they offer, as I've been told they don't have books in the store?!?!?!?!?! Or I just ran into lazy SA... 
I think what you get is somewhere close to La Spalla or Jort quality - that is, full canvas etc...

I would recommend waiting for Harry Rosen's samuelsohn mtm event, which starts in about a week or two. Heavy discounts expected.

 

[gs77]



I would recommend waiting for Harry Rosen's samuelsohn mtm event, which starts in about a week or two. Heavy discounts expected.

I agree. Samy is a good quality, and produces in Canada, so always happy to support the economy I live in. The original question was about SuSu MTM...

BTW, given that Samuelsohn produces for many US brands, I hope they will take full advantage of exchange rate and flood the market