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- Feb 11, 2008
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Very cool! 1) Typically the natural color variance of fabric is a concern when you're trying to make a suit. But in the case of very dark fabrics like this hopsack, it's not really an issue. Yes, there is some tone variance from batch to batch, but that color is so dark that it's really not noticeable at all. We've been running the same hopsack for years, and I've had guys buy the matching pant or jacket 12 months after the first piece. As long as your first piece isn't heavily dry cleaned then you shouldn't see a difference. And even if you've dry-cleaned the hell out if it, it's still pretty minimal and works fine IMO. But shade variations are something to be conscious of with lighter colored fabric. We'll do OTR Grey Hopsack suit separates this season and those all have to come from the same exact dye lot. 2) It's non-traditional as a suit jacket, but works very well. And nothing's wrong with non-traditional. We've had many guys wear the open-patch, MOP button Napoli as the top half of a suit. It looks very cool and should suffice as formal enough in nearly any setting. 3) We stock Rudy size runs up to 38 in both shops. If you're in NYC you can also schedule a time to meet with Matt (just confirm what store he's at on a given day) and bring in a pair of your own pants that fit you well. He'll measure them out, and we can figure out your closest Rudy size. We'll either nail it completely, or it will be close enough for minor tailoring to dial it in.
Very cool! Thanks for stopping by, and that sweatshirt looks great on you!Stopped by the store last night to pick up a pair of suede Carmina's I ordered a while back off the sales page and while there grabbed a couple of belts (my first 2 Epaulet belts which I'm sure will be great) and I also picked this up from the new EPLA line. Picture doesn't really do it justice - snapped it and the battery died - so it was done in 1 take but it's a really nice looking casual/comfortable piece that I expect to wear a lot. Like all things Epaulet, highly recommended.
It's an exciting time for menswear. We're seeing a move away from rigid Americana/Workwear/#Menswear styles and more openness towards new designs. We're not going to go all Rick Owens on you guys and make a Hellraiser-ish leather apron, but we're jazzed to introduce some new styles and shapes - primarily though the EPLA line. Back in my Saks days, I bought a lot of black clothing and footwear, and it's cool. The trend was against it over the past few years, but I think that it's coming back and we're going to roll it out in a lot of our items this year. We'll still be rolling with our usual grey/navy/brown/tan/olive color schemes, but black will just be an option available in more items from us.
Sure, and thanks for asking! I like to say that both Southwick and Samuelsohn are great values at their respective price points. Kind of like Alden and VASS. Southwick makes a half-canvassed jacket for a solid price (and a crazy good price in the world of factory finds). Their constructed shoulder is respected as one of the best around, and it cuts a nice shape without looking too built up. Their jackets are very dependable, and we've had many first-time suiting customers pick up their pieces and wear the hell out of them. They look good on the first wear and hold up well. Their MTO program is affordable and has a lot of flexibility. IMO it's a better option than the similar imported competitive pieces out there. Samuelsohn is a few steps above Southwick in both price and quality. Their jackets are fully canvassed and they make their shoulders by hand. And that soft shoulder is BRILLIANT. Personally, it's the best one that I've seen in North America. And Samuelsohn is not cheap, but is a really exceptional value for the price. Taxes are a part of this. Canadians do not pay tax on fabric when it's imported into a company that does production in Canada. This can be nearly a 25% cost in the States. When we get the finished garments from Canada, they come in tax free due to NAFTA. We'd pay duty and a lot of shipping on a finished garment from Italy. The end result is a seriously good price on a great jacket, especially when you're using expensive, premium fabric. The 100% cashmere jacket that we carry is $1100. It's certainly an expensive item, but I don't think you could find an equivalent item for anywhere near that price - at least not on some kind of psycho markdown. I was really attracted to work with them for this reason, and we were privileged to design our own slim-fit model with them.
If you're looking for wools, then the Super 120s and Hopsacks are our best selling and most versatile trousers. Especially in navy and grey. If you want to start with one trouser and see how you like it, then Grey Super 120s is our best-selling workhorse.
Oh yes. We'll have our Epaulet in-house shirts by New England, our new in-house shirts made by Gitman, and a full line of EPLA casual woven shirting. Should start coming in the next few weeks.
Not on this item - the wool cuff is part of the deal. But I'm playing with the idea of more slim trousers. You'll see a lot more shapes this season for bottoms. Right now we're planning: Walt & Rudy Trousers Driggs Trousers (washed, slimmer than the Walt, lower rise) Rivet Chino Ribbed Cuff Chino Wilshire Jean Fairfax (Rudy-fit) Jean But I'll surely come up with more stuff. We'll work to keep the sizing largely consistent so the same size will roughly work across all of the new shapes.
MTO's for Southwick cost $100 over the stock price. With that upcharge, you can specify the buttons and choose either suede or self fabric patches. Unfortunately, we can't add patches to OTR items (although you can remove patches easily)
