Australian Members

They have some good fabrics at Pernac. Full floating canvas. No horn buttons last time I checked, though.

Can anyone comment on quality of Herringbone Suits v TM Lewin Suits. I'm weighing up a HB charcoal pinstripe (Osaka Cut) on sale for $399 v TML Charcoal Brampton http://www.tmlewin.com.au/Brampton-C...=MensTailoring which is similarly priced. I have several TML suits which have lasted pretty well and this would be my first HB one.

Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by Smudge

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Can anyone comment on quality of Herringbone Suits v TM Lewin Suits. I'm weighing up a HB charcoal pinstripe (Osaka Cut) on sale for $399 v TML Charcoal Brampton http://www.tmlewin.com.au/Brampton-C...=MensTailoring which is similarly priced. I have several TML suits which have lasted pretty well and this would be my first HB one.

Thanks in advance.

I have one TM Lewin suit, which I purchased when I was living in London a few years back. It has lasted quite well but I will not be purchasing another, because I have 'moved on' since then.

The fit is quite different - the HB Osaka cut is much more fitted, with soft shoulders. Also, I assume that he TM Lewin suit is fused whereas the Herringbone is at least half-canvassed I understand. Presumably you have tried on the HB and like the fit? IMO the HB is a better buy on the proviso it fits you.

Originally Posted by bhall41

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I have one TM Lewin suit, which I purchased when I was living in London a few years back. It has lasted quite well but I will not be purchasing another, because I have 'moved on' since then.

The fit is quite different - the HB Osaka cut is much more fitted, with soft shoulders. Also, I assume that he TM Lewin suit is fused whereas the Herringbone is at least half-canvassed I understand. Presumably you have tried on the HB and like the fit? IMO the HB is a better buy on the proviso it fits you.
The Lewin suits are actually half canvassed. Decently made and very good value on sale but as you say quite a different silhouette to the HB I would imagine. The Lewins have very british strong shoulders and structured chest, and I believe are known for tending towards wide-ish shoulders. Certainly the two I have the shoulders are really too wide for me, but I get that problem with almost all OTR due to chest/shoulder ratio issues.

Originally Posted by lennier

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The Lewin suits are actually half canvassed. Decently made and very good value on sale but as you say quite a different silhouette to the HB I would imagine. The Lewins have very british strong shoulders and structured chest, and I believe are known for tending towards wide-ish shoulders. Certainly the two I have the shoulders are really too wide for me, but I get that problem with almost all OTR due to chest/shoulder ratio issues.

Thanks for clarifying - I must have forgotten that TML was half-canvassed. I agree with your description of the silhouette. I similarly found the shoulders too big for me and had them alterted on my suit at Katrina's, to make them less strutured.

Went to Azzaro's at lunch... (don't think I was the only SF'er there by the sounds of it)

Pretty much what everyone else has said so far; large selection of Versace's, Canali's, Cantarelli's, etc etc. Mostly Versace's actually to be honest, well they were in my size anyway.

I had a chat with the guy running the show (at least I think it was him, Saul maybe? Couldn't quite catch his name) - and when I say "had a chat" I mean 'listened to him talk non-stop at 100mph about my body/my size/his suits/how busy he was/his range'...

That said, he seemed a really great guy, just completely non-stop. It was a little bit busy when I was there, and i didn't manage to see or discuss any prices with him, but did agree that I'd come back for another more in-depth look around.

Oh, and his collection of shoes was also tremendous. Very hard to resist.

Originally Posted by ryanohare

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I had a chat with the guy running the show (at least I think it was him, Saul maybe? Couldn't quite catch his name) - and when I say "had a chat" I mean 'listened to him talk non-stop at 100mph about my body/my size/his suits/how busy he was/his range'...
That's Alessandro. He's 2nd in command. He's fantastic at what he does..and is the complete opposite of the dis-interested sales assistant who has no knowledge or passion about what they are selling. RE : shoes. They stocks an Italian brand called 'Bartelesi'. I don't know much about them. They are either glued or blake/rapid stitched leather soled shoes. Not sure if the leather is calf or corrected, I haven't looked. He has some nice looking whole cuts for about $250 and a huge range of loafers/driving shoes. He also has a few Versace shoes as well, but these would be lower end.

Originally Posted by appolyon

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Met with Stuart from NiAlma last night. He's a really nice guy and knows his stuff very well. He's a part owner and his business partner is based in the UK. The business partner is the guy with the IT background and Stuart is the guy that has a love for shirts and the two brought the business together a couple of years ago. So it's probably a good thing that Stuart with his love of shirts is the guy that is based in Melbourne and happy to do visits.

He came past my office after hours and brought with him about 6/7 Thomas Mason books along with 3/4 Ferno books. There are seriously something like 700+ fabrics and some weird and wonderful velvet like stuff from Ferno (which I did not get so don't ask for photos of me in them). So if there is something you want that isn't on the site your best bet is to call Stuart. Also unlike swatch books used by tailors, shirting books don't appear to have any rhyme or reason behind them, so its handy to have Stuart who seems to know exactly where any type of fabric is.

I got a mixture of shirts and textures, poplin blue, oxford blue, puppy dog tooth in blue and oxford white.

One thing that I think Stuart could do better is to actually bring with him the different collar styles and cuffs, but he gives a good enough description that even my novice mates understood so maybe it's not such a bad thing.

He takes all your measurements on the spot and makes adjustments for things like watches as well. The shirts are made in Hong Kong and then shipped over.

Turn around time for the first shirt I think is just about a weeks time which is amazing. He said once that arrives if I'm happy I can just push the button on the other three or we can meet and discuss any other adjustments.

Overall a good initial experience and Stuart is a really nice guy.

Yup, all of this^^^

Stuart's customer service really is impressive. He's constantly in touch, offering to meet up, paying for coffees. He even came to my work last week and sat waiting in reception with a shirt for me. Can't beat that.

We're still having a bit of bother getting the absolute correct fit (mostly down to my rather oddly shaped body) but we're getting there, and Stuart's been great through the whole process.

Many thanks for the replies. I suppose my question is whether HB suits represent a step up from TML; I'm succumbing to the SF effect of wanting to upgrade the quality of my wardrobe. It sounds like they're on a par and its horses for courses as far as cut goes. I'm happy with the fit of both and seeing as I already have 2 TML suits I might mix it up a bit with an HB if quality is at least on par with TML. Can't complain about the $399.

News today that Colorado are closing 140 stores across Oz affecting over 1,000 staff. Bad news for the workers obviously, but I can't help but wonder if it isn't a result of the changing tastes of the Aussie consumer, rather than the "general" slowdown in retail sales or a flight to online shopping.

No doubt we will here the shrill protests of Gerry Harvey and others about "level playing fields" and the like, but I think, as the popularity of the new Zara stores indicates, shoppers are willing to spend if they see value for money, and the product is right.

Quite simply, I think the failure of Colorado is a result of a declining demand for their type of product. By contrast, there have recently been a number of boutique, high-end MTM mens clothing stores opening in our capital cities. Could it be Australians are developing a more sophisticated appreciation of clothing?

I think you're right, Prince. Slowly (often very slowly) but surely, at least some Aussies are starting to want better quality for a better price, and Colorado just didn't cut the mustard. Still, as you say, sad to see so many lose their jobs

Originally Posted by __PG__

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That's Alessandro. He's 2nd in command. He's fantastic at what he does..and is the complete opposite of the dis-interested sales assistant who has no knowledge or passion about what they are selling.

RE : shoes. They stocks an Italian brand called 'Bartelesi'. I don't know much about them. They are either glued or blake/rapid stitched leather soled shoes. Not sure if the leather is calf or corrected, I haven't looked. He has some nice looking whole cuts for about $250 and a huge range of loafers/driving shoes. He also has a few Versace shoes as well, but these would be lower end.

Sarti stocks lots of Bartelesis, so if you want to have a look and you work in the conservative business dress you can just wander into one of them.

Alessandro is a great guy. Passionate about what he sells, knows about what he sells and try his best to find the suit you want. Though you still have to remind yourself he is still trying to sell you suits.

Saw an advert in the Herald Sun today for Big W selling those Morrissey Suits again for $100 all up.

Anyone ever seen them up close that can comment on them?

Originally Posted by Prince of Paisley

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News today that Colorado are closing 140 stores across Oz affecting over 1,000 staff. Bad news for the workers obviously, but I can't help but wonder if it isn't a result of the changing tastes of the Aussie consumer, rather than the "general" slowdown in retail sales or a flight to online shopping.

No doubt we will here the shrill protests of Gerry Harvey and others about "level playing fields" and the like, but I think, as the popularity of the new Zara stores indicates, shoppers are willing to spend if they see value for money, and the product is right.

Quite simply, I think the failure of Colorado is a result of a declining demand for their type of product. By contrast, there have recently been a number of boutique, high-end MTM mens clothing stores opening in our capital cities. Could it be Australians are developing a more sophisticated appreciation of clothing?

Colorado were like something that came out of the 80s rugged/hiking/ Banana Republic type thing and hung on without any real idea where they were going. It is like how once Gap got at Banana Republic it just became another clothing store. Colorado had quality in their footwear as seen around but nothing else and no one wears that stuff anymore..

Went back to Azzaros today and bought a brown Pasini suit with a herringbone weave for $100.

I like a trim fit and slim silhouette - which the Pasini idefinitely does not have.

Thus Katrina's alternations will be about $170-200 all up I'd think (need to get the works done, i.e. pants slimmed/hemmed, jacket taken in/shortened, sleeves shortened, I may also end up getting the lapels thinned too since I feel like wide lapels might look strange once it is slimmed down some). So it'll end up being about $300 all up. Not too bad really. Being a brown suit I'm only going to wear it once a fortnight or so, so I figure I wouldn't want to spend too much on it anyway.

They only have maybe 10-12 of the $100 Parsinis left in various sizes, only 2 more left at my size (50) I believe.

Lots of Versace Collection suits as mentioned for $600. And a whole lot of Versace black and charcoal grey basic suits just arrived which I think are also $600.

There were two Canalis for $900 each that I absolutely loved but I don't have the $$$ to part with right now unfortunately. I hope someone from here is the lucky one who picks them up.