Australian Members

Originally Posted by neyus

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Went to The Ralph Lauren factory outlet down the gold coast today. Some good prices on pretty much everything. I usually don't buy anything ralph lauren until they have their 50% sale. But this was much better. Classic polos down to $39.00. Button Down dress shirts. $49.00. Nicer dress shirts sans logo with mother of pearl buttons reduced to $69.00. Most trousers around the $59-69.00. Some pretty funky colors though. Reds, Blues, that kinda thing. I bought about four shirts. All up about $200.00. So at an average $50.00 a shirt not bad.
Anyone able to proxy?

Originally Posted by Prince of Paisley

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Thank you Styleforum. Because of this site I now covet items not even available in Australia, let alone likely to go on sale here over Boxing Day. Rather than scrumming with Asians to get to the deisgner tat they put on "sale" here (read reduce their markups on), I can now sit back and watch the Aussies get creamed in the cricket instead. Then in February I can go crazy before the feds repeal the tax-free threshold on imports to support our uncompetitive retail sector!
Amen to that bro, I took a stroll into LV a few weeks ago just to understand what the hype is all about..... looked at the composition of the crowd.. and walked out.... I'm asian myself, but I am equally puzzled about the amount of emphasis certain asians put on a label vs the actual construction quality of items. It's cliched, but I still find this saying true... there is class... and then there is crass.

Originally Posted by jobro

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Why in Feb? The duty we will pay on items under the threshold will only fund the staff to enforce it. Kinda pointless.
I thought the enforcement was only going to apply to commercial ventures who try to use the <$1k loophole?

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Originally Posted by jobro

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Anyone able to proxy?

I can drop by after a surf tomorrow if you let me know specifics...
From what I saw when I went there -
Oroton umbrellas @ 30
RM Williams - all boots @ 220
Rodd & Gunn - major sale
PRL - as above

I'm 21 so I never buy Rodd & Gunn but it was a little less crowded and I managed to get a linen tweed/check jacket for 40 from 400.

@journeyman - those shoes in RR are majestic. Feel is unbelievable

Also, I have 4 Dividino shirts to give away (can't be bothered putting on B&S), see www.dividino.com, that are too big for me (sz43).
1 white w/ navy stripes.
2 pale blue w/ white stripes
3 navy sheen
4 white w/ teal stripes
I am happy to send them to anyone for $15 all up to cover the express post bags. PM if you are interested

Originally Posted by Prince of Paisley
Then in February I can go crazy before the feds repeal the tax-free threshold on imports to support our uncompetitive retail sector!

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Originally Posted by jobro

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Why in Feb? The duty we will pay on items under the threshold will only fund the staff to enforce it. Kinda pointless.

I wouldn't worry too much. Gerry Harvey is bleating just to get publicity and take shareholders eyes off his bloody huge disaster of expansion into Ireland - which wasn't going well prior to the GFC and now with Ireland's economy about as good as Greece's he is bleeding.

Its hard to see how the online overseas ordering is effecting HN at all. Does anyone seriously think that people are ordering fridges from USA, UK or China and having them shipped in? or lounge suites or microwaves? Nonsense. Shows how gullible and unreliable our newspapers and TV media are.

And any way the figures on online buying are only about 5% of retail dollar in Australia. The vast majority of that is from Australian online retailers. From memory only around 2% of online sales in Australia are from O/s anyway - so thats 2% of 5%. Harvey is either a bit stupid or untrustworthy in his bleatings. There are those who would say he is both.

The GST is only exempt on under the $1,000 limit. GST is only 10%. So thats only $100 on a $1,000. (its not really accurate as GST is 10% on price or final price/11 = GST - but its close enough)

Side note: If I was only saving $100 eg the GST component on $1,000 I couldn't be bothered to order online if the same article was available here. Remember there is also the added cost of postage from overseas.

The GST is payable even if you split one order into a few of less than $1,000. That is usually defined as orders on the same day or close together. So if I order my bike online from Wiggle.UK and frame is $800 then wheels etc $800 then etc and I split the order into 2 today to get below $1,000 then they ATO/Customs might (and do) assess that at over $1,000. If I order the frame this week and the wheels next week - not so. That is two orders less than $1,000.

If I was doing this every few days, and reselling, then they would be on to it.

But lets pause and think for a moment, unlike Gerry Harvey or the media -

If I was importing fridges and lets say they were less than $1,000, say, $900 and the only difference was the GST, from purchasing at HN, then I would be saving $90. Does anyone think you could make money buying a $900 fridge at $90 less from overseas, shipping it here, then picking it up and (somehow) reselling it here you could make even $5? No Gerry Harvey is talking out of an opening far far removed from his brain.

This special pleading by the retailers is just a part of a larger softening up of the government for protection from competition.

My assessment is that the GST exemption will stay, as it is not cost effective to collect on every small online purchase - like a book.

And anyway - can you think of anything you buy online that a 10% increase will stop you buying it or make it dearer than buying here?

Originally Posted by fxh

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And anyway - can you think of anything you buy online that a 10% increase will stop you buying it or make it dearer than buying here?

This is the point.

If the govt caves to the likes of Gerry Harvey it will only make me more determined to find bargains online and to keep educating other people as to how often they are getting ripped off.

Got the Herringbone Le Sale email, wandered into city (Melbourne) on boxing day to have a look.....and both stores were closed

Originally Posted by Confucius

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Got the Herringbone Le Sale email, wandered into city (Melbourne) on boxing day to have a look.....and both stores were closed

Must have been the 'Can't be f#cked opening the store' sale.

Originally Posted by 3ff3z8e

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Amen to that bro, I took a stroll into LV a few weeks ago just to understand what the hype is all about..... looked at the composition of the crowd.. and walked out.... I'm asian myself, but I am equally puzzled about the amount of emphasis certain asians put on a label vs the actual construction quality of items. It's cliched, but I still find this saying true... there is class... and then there is crass.

In finance, we call this 'spurious correlation', when Asians think high priced labels corresponds with quality and status.

Just did a quick round today at Chadstone... was quite unimpressed actually. The highlight of course was seeing in person, the much famed notched plus peaked lapel jacket as mentioned here. If I had the time, I would have tried it on and taken some photos for WAYWRN. I think you were right Prince of Paisley in your earlier post. Seems to me most of my purchases will now be made online.

Originally Posted by fxh

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And anyway - can you think of anything you buy online that a 10% increase will stop you buying it or make it dearer than buying here?

Originally Posted by The Ernesto

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This is the point.

If the govt caves to the likes of Gerry Harvey it will only make me more determined to find bargains online and to keep educating other people as to how often they are getting ripped off.

+2.

I said much the same thing in the comments sections of online news articles about this issue - the 10% GST is nothing much when ordering from overseas - the reason we order from overseas is because a) you can't get the same products here in Australia, and (more commonly) b) it's massively cheaper to order from overseas.

I know that it's been said before, but look at TM Lewin and Charles Tyrwhitt as examples. They are not outstanding shirts, but they are as good as, or better than, shirts which sell for anywhere from $120 to $180 each in Australian department stores - and yet you can get them for about $40 each day in, day out and because VAT is then deducted, shipping is essentially free. Even if GST was added in, that would make each shirt cost $44 instead of $40, so you are still saving a large amount of money by purchasing overseas.

We don't buy from offshore vendors to avoid GST. We buy from offshore vendors because most Australian prices are decidedly uncompetitive in global terms.

Originally Posted by Mr Herbert

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have any of you guys imported any aldens? i want a pair of chunky norwegian split toes but cant find anyone who will ship them to australia. plus for some reason shipping from the US to Aus is way more expensive than the UK to Aus. are there any other makers who do a good quality chunky split toe norge?
Have you tried Paraboot? Pediwear stock them I think so mail order shouldn't be a problem

Originally Posted by merkur

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Any thoughts on CR's Trenery offshoot?
WTF are they doing with the sizing? The stuff is absolutely giant.

Originally Posted by Journeyman

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I wish that something like Uniqlo would exist in Australia.
As a Pom based in Oz (until moving home a couple of weeks ago), I used to stock up in Uniqlo on trips back to London. The jeans are my favourites and cost 20 quid - nothing in Oz is going to come close. Was working in Singapore a lot this year and used to drop into their Orchard Rd branch but the problem was the stock was for the northern hemisphere seasons - Singapore never drops below the 'jesus, it's hot' temperature and they were stocking puffa jackets and thermal vests (For those of you who pass that way, a new Brooks Brothers is due to open by December though hadn't when I there earlier in the month.) Having been back in the UK for a couple of weeks, it really just brings it home how bad Aussie clothes retailing is. The higher end stuff is limited in selection and gratuitously overpriced and the high street stuff is probably worse in relative terms: trousers in Marc were less than 50 bucks cheaper than Panta, ferfuxake. Quality is higher in Gap, styling better in H&M or Top Man - it's simply wrong. I know there are costs associated with doing business in Australia but I don't believe they account for the full cost of the difference. In short, mail order is the way to go. For those of you who haven't been, it might cost a bit in postage for returns whilst you get your sizing sorted out but, even so, I'd think you'd still be saving money over the Oz retail price, you'll expand your choice, and, once the sizing is sorted, that's you fixed. Might not work for everything, but why not shirts and ties from Tyrwhitt or Lewin, shoes from Pediwear? There's online firms that make chinos or polos or even suits to your measurements. I know there's an element of wanting to support Aussie business which is laudable, but if the overall impression is that AUssie business is ripping the piss then I'm not sure there's much obligation to do so. Still, being back in the UK in crap weather with the economy Donald Ducked and the government waging war on public services and the employment rates, I hope you'll not begrudge me bargain Crockett and Jones and cheap button downs from Uniqlo (and the cricket, obviously). It's nice to be home but I am slightly worried about what I'm letting myself in for having had such a good time in Aus for the last seven years. Miss it.

For Aussies: I have a $75 Sunglasses Hut voucher exp. Dec 2011. I'm asking $50 (33% off). Gift card is treated as cash, combine with in-store discounts. Sunglasses Hut has 50% off instore for selected frames. PM me if interested.

Talking about glasses - anybody know any places here in Melbourne that sell a range of Shuron eye glasses?

Or had a good experience getting them online from USA?

After reading this report online buying doesn't appeal so much.

Originally Posted by Oleg

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Having been back in the UK for a couple of weeks, it really just brings it home how bad Aussie clothes retailing is. The higher end stuff is limited in selection and gratuitously overpriced and the high street stuff is probably worse in relative terms: trousers in Marc were less than 50 bucks cheaper than Panta, ferfuxake. Quality is higher in Gap, styling better in H&M or Top Man - it's simply wrong. I know there are costs associated with doing business in Australia but I don't believe they account for the full cost of the difference. In short, mail order is the way to go. For those of you who haven't been, it might cost a bit in postage for returns whilst you get your sizing sorted out but, even so, I'd think you'd still be saving money over the Oz retail price, you'll expand your choice, and, once the sizing is sorted, that's you fixed. Might not work for everything, but why not shirts and ties from Tyrwhitt or Lewin, shoes from Pediwear? There's online firms that make chinos or polos or even suits to your measurements. I know there's an element of wanting to support Aussie business which is laudable, but if the overall impression is that AUssie business is ripping the piss then I'm not sure there's much obligation to do so. Still, being back in the UK in crap weather with the economy Donald Ducked and the government waging war on public services and the employment rates, I hope you'll not begrudge me bargain Crockett and Jones and cheap button downs from Uniqlo (and the cricket, obviously). It's nice to be home but I am slightly worried about what I'm letting myself in for having had such a good time in Aus for the last seven years. Miss it.

Went to Sydney conservative business dress for shopping today. Was looking for a decent navy suit. The whole experience was absolutely awful. couldn't find a single suit that a) was a plain or patterned navy that was not 'blue' navy but a more dark navy and b) couldn't find a single suit that fit me (I'm about 38R). If I can't find a decent suit at DJs in the Sydney conservative business dress then there's no hope for Aussie retail. Guess I'll have to stick to local tailors/bespoke and pay a bit more, which is what I did last time. I would have thought a navy suit was easy to find so was hoping to go for the RTW option and maybe do some alterations. But guess not. Retail shopping for RTW items is such a pain when you actually NEED something urgently, running around time trying things on frantically, and dealing with rude customer service. But it's fun if you DON'T NEED anything, where you're just loitering around with friends and having a good relaxing time. RTW is awful, don't think I'll ever go back to RTW/retail ... most of my purchases in the last 2 years or so have been 80% tailored/bespoke ever since I found out about the concept 2-3 years ago. Which begs the question, what happens to all the excess inventory stock? even on sale like now, i still see plenty of stock around ... they must pass it off for below cost or something in the backstreets of Sydney or black markets in order to get rid of it for next season.