Australian Members - Part II - if you read the first post, you'll get what this is all about.

Coxsackie said:

I'm finding myself somewhat crushed this fine Sunday morning by the realisation that neither Pauline Hanson nor Jacqui Lambie are ever going to go away.

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You think that's bad. I posted a fitpic 2 days ago and didn't get one single thumbs up.

Now that's crushing.

There's never been a less exciting time to be an Australian voter.

Geoffrey Firmin said:

fxh said:

Breward is a good writer and I have that book. However it might not be what people here would necessarily like. Its Cultural Theory.

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What's wrong with Cultural Theory?

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oh nothing at all. I like it. But for a lot of people it's not their cup of Earl Grey.



Coxsackie said:

Nothing. But Cultural Practice is better.

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Best way to practice culture is to be part of the Culture Club

crappbag said:

I think you can make bookings through this link - http://www.hermanbros.com.au/bookings

I believe I had to wait 2 months for my last fitting (he only sees people on weekends).

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Thanks. I did that as well as a direct email follow-up about a week after.

Australian people going to the polls:



I was trying to see, for the first time, what our dear leaders have been wearing without success. None of them seemed to wear a brown or burgundy though.

This being scared of what you wear thing is getting old. Has anyone noticed how the people given a hard time about what they wear are generally big personalities/somewhat divisive to begin with? The clothing element is just something obvious and physical to give them a hard time about. How many times have you seen someone quiet, agreeable and timid be roasted behind their back because they are wearing a sock for a tie, or a handkerchief in their pocket, or worse, non-black shoes.

If you're a quiet, agreeable person, you can literally get away with anything. If you are loud, or opinionated, or confident/arrogant (particularly when young) then you will get called on it and people might say things about your shoe collection or ties behind your back that might hurt your feelings. BUT... Guess what, even if you dress in the same Aquilas, stripy windsor knot ties and hot/cold tap cufflinks as everyone else, you're gonna get called on your **** anyway because that's how offices work. They're bitchy hellholes regardless of everyone's shoe choices, so just harden the **** up and deal with it.

So you may as well just embrace it, wear whatever you wanted to and over time no one will care. Or maybe they still will, in which case it is advantageous to have an easily accessible handkerchief in your pocket to cry into.

I'm quiet and agreeable.

fxh said:

I'm quiet and agreeable.

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So your cranky, outspoken internet persona is just an act, then?



DartagnanRed said:

If you're a quiet, agreeable person, you can literally get away with anything.

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Except lazy. Nobody likes that sh#t.

fxh said:

I'm quiet and agreeable.

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Under caution, maybe.



iSurg said:

Hey, all. Has anyone bought anything from the Monocle online shop? Some things look quite good, but horridly expensive. Just wondered what your experiences were.....

Cheers,
N

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iSurg wants to buy from Monocle.

Very meta.

Amidst all the anxiety over Brexit and the current confusion kver the Australian elections it's important not to be all negative. Something positive has emerged to give us all hope..................... Sophie Mirabella has been firmly rejected twice now.

clayb said:

Thank you for the suggestion. I can afford the Herring premium shoes made by AS, but I thought it's been a consensus in SF that shoes made by Loake 1880, AE and even Meermin are already good enough (i.e. quality full grain leather, goodyear welt, resoleable) and once you move pass this sweet spot the law of diminishing returns will kick in hard, won't it?

To quote wuger from his The Quintessential Dress Shoe thread:


I'm not quite sure about this, but from what I read in SF, if I'm to fork out $480 for a pair of Herring made by AS, shouldn't I pay an extra $70 or $80 for a pair of C&J bench grade, which has been widely considered the best mid-tier English shoes, at pediawear instead?

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Clay, for the most part, I agree with the conventional wisdom that has been offered in the thread you quote.

To clarify, I agree that Loake 1880 will "do the job" and in Australia you'll be leagues ahead of most men you meet on a given day with a pair of Loakes. However, upgrading to AS buys a sleeker last with (arguably) a more refined aesthetic. Of course, if you're comparing examples of AS shoes with heavy country styling and Loake shoes for city wear, this doesn't hold true. In addition to the more attractive last shapes on offer, I have found that Herring shoes made by AS have noticeably softer leather that wears more comfortably and looks nicer than Herring's Loake-made shoes. Even though Loake 1880 and the shoes made by Loake for Herring (Premier and Classic range) uses calf leather, I wouldn't say the quality is particularly nice in my experience. They make for good beater shoes, particularly with dainite soles for wear in wet weather, though I make exception against this type of usage for the suede pairs I own. Not because I won't wear suede in the wet, but because I usually won't spend as much on a suede shoe as I will for calf. For me, the rule of diminishing returns kicks in at a lower tier on suede, because my experience has been that cheaper suede shoes generally look better than similarly priced calf shoes (assuming English manufacture and GYW construction are contstants).

As for C&J shoes, you probably won't go too wrong to follow the general consensus iterated many times before. But again, I'll offer a personal perspective on the matter. I have bought C&J shoes only when I visit Melbourne, because I know some C&J lasts tend to run a little narrower compared to English shoes I know fit me well. While I feel the extra money for C&J is generally worth it, getting a pair involves more risk for me if I don't try them on first. Or in other words, I have more shoes from Herring because they're currently the only company that I am completely comfortable buying from online. I will also add that I have a preference for C&J when I want a country style shoe/boot, as the lasts of C&J city shoes are usually styled a little more aggressively than my personal taste will tolerate. For me, AS is stylistically the sweet spot at a price I'm happy to pay. YMMV.

Good luck with your shoe purchase, whatever you decide!

Do American Tailors have a sale on at present?

DartagnanRed said:

So you may as well just embrace it, wear whatever you wanted to and over time no one will care. Or maybe they still will, in which case it is advantageous to have an easily accessible handkerchief in your pocket to cry into.

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I lol'ed, but you do have some very good points. Thanks for sharing.

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Thanks Epicure, I appreciate you sharing your experience about AS shoes. I was pretty set on a pair of Classic based on Loake 1880 but now will need to look harder at the Herring Premium brands made by AS. I also wonder if others also have the same experience about AS has a clearly softer leather and more comfortable than the Loake 1880s?

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For me, the rule of diminishing returns kicks in at a lower tier on suede, because my experience has been that cheaper suede shoes generally look better than similarly priced calf shoes (assuming English manufacture and GYW construction are contstants).

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What would you think is the sweet spot for suede shoes then? I'm planning to buy a tan suede soon but haven't decided which one to go for yet.

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I totally understand. In fact that's why I have bought my first pair of C&J from Double Monk, I guess that's where you bought your C&J shoes too. However now that I have an idea about which C&J lasts fit my feet, I'm more comfortable with buying these shoes online from the UK. There are threads in SF here comparing C&J lasts so it should not be too bad I hope.

Also after Brexit, the pound is now significantly cheaper comparing to the AUD so we are effectively getting 20% discount from the UK sellers, not to mention the VAT-free price. Double Monk has been very competitive comparing to, say, McCloud, kudo to them for that, but right now you can get a pair of C&J from pediawear at almost $200 cheaper, which is quite hard to resist imo.