Arterton - Official Affiliate Thread: Signature Garment Bag, Yearn Shoemaker, Nakata Hanger, Clothes Doctor, Dismantlable Umbrella

[prof.contingency]

I think I've come across one of the most comprehensive guides to shoe care. This was brought to my attention, and since it was produced by a fellow Styleforum member (@Christopher Madaras), it's definitely worth bringing up here. Overall, very entertaining and humourous at times, as well as genuinely informative (arguments are well thought out!). In it, Chris discusses four levels of shoe care from absolute beginner to professional.

The Four Levels of Shoe Care


By the way, we've got no commercial affiliation with Chris, but I think his video definitely deserves some eyeballs. Maybe, Chris, can share his thoughts on how he produced this video or what he's working on next!

 

[Christopher Madaras]

Thank you, William!

Hi everyone, long-time SF lurker here, though I created this new account fresh with a preferred username. I owe a great debt to the collective of this forum, as it is where I and many others have learned much of what we know about classic menswear (and gemming).

Indeed I will echo that I have no commercial affiliation with Arterton or any of the brands mentioned on the channel. I choose to showcase or highlight products in whatever way I may strictly per my own opinion and honest thoughts. It is no secret that I think very highly of Arterton's products and service, and I was a client of theirs long before I started the channel.

I hope with Dress Well to create a place for deeply informative, yet entertaining and digestible information in the realm of classic menswear. There are many qualities about these kinds of products, makers, and vendors that I find so special and would love to share that with others through my video work, which is notably why you'll find a focus on more cinematic, detailed, high-resolution B-Roll in much of my work. Highlighting lesser-known, high-value international products for a Western - and certainly American (my country of residence) - audience is a particular focus, which is why you will see brands like Yearn and Il Regalo showcased.

I am currently on a shoe bend, though plan in the future to expand into other facets of menswear and textiles broadly. If you ever have any suggestions or comments, I am always trying to improve and am happy to hear!

 

[prof.contingency]

Thanks @Christopher Madaras ! The quality of your videos are unbelieable. I was wondering if you could you share some of the before and after photos, and what you did to get the shoes up to scratch.

 

[Christopher Madaras]

Of course! In this video two footwear items I used to demonstrate shoe care were loafers and chelsea boots. While I did a variety of treatments to the shoes to bring them up, here are some of the more pronounced before/after photos. Here are the loafers first. These are all stills from the video.

Here is an example of a worn sole edge on my loafers before and after applying Fiebing's Dark Brown leather dye. As noted in the image, the color is restored, but the edge is still physically deteriorated from wear.

This is after applying dye, but also Saphir Dark Brown wax and using the Paul Brunngard Sole Edge Iron. I used a cloth and water to 'mirror shine' the edge, though a horsehair brush is more convenient and is a close result, too. I applied ~2 light layers of wax before ironing, then 1 layer after, before final shining. The aesthetic improvement is great, though I even more appreciate restoring the water-resistance to the edge and compacting the corner to prevent that 'crumbling' deterioration.

If you don't want to break out the dye, here is a more basic - yet still highly effective - treatment example. The discoloration on the Pre-Polish side is not merely superficial dust. Along with normal wear, I scratched up the heel with a serrated nice so the discoloration was actually physical (can't just be wiped away). To treat this heel block, I just used 2-3 light layers of Saphir Dark Brown cream polish, let rest for 10 minutes, then brushed with the Paul Brunngard Horsehair brush.

This is a nice final shot of the loafer after full sole edge treatment outlined above.

This is the toe of a well-worn chelsea boot. The image on the left is after being wiped down with a lightly damp cloth to remove any surface debris. The image in the center is after being treated with only the Paul Brunngard Reviving Cream. The image on the right is after being treated with Saphir Dark Brown cream polish and brushed with a Paul Brunngard Horsehair Brush.

Let me know if you want me to share anything else!

 

[SirThopas]

Nice video - thanks for making it. As it happens, I just bought a sole edge iron and used it for the first time last night, as I cleaned ten pairs of shoes while watching the rugby!

@Christopher Madaras, do you have any advice on cleaning one’s brushes?

 

[ZRH1]

Sharing some of our latest design developments: For one of our new OEM wholesale garment bag patterns, we've incorporated a heavy-duty popper, which keeps the hanger "hung" even when the bag is in use. This way the suit doesn't fall to the bottom and become wrinkled during transit. We only make these bags for the trade (e.g. Savile Row, designer brands).


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is there a reason why this model is trade only? I prefer the top section much more convenient than the standard model. Also, I wanted to vouch for Nakata Hanger. I am regular from them since many years and the worksmanship on AUT-05 which I use for suits/coats and AUT-09 which I use for trousers and shirts is fabulous.

 

[Christopher Madaras]

Nice video - thanks for making it. As it happens, I just bought a sole edge iron and used it for the first time last night, as I cleaned ten pairs of shoes while watching the rugby!

@Christopher Madaras, do you have any advice on cleaning one’s brushes?

It's a brilliant tool - well-made and well-priced. From my research, it seems to be the only one of it's kind that is made and marketed to consumers. I remember some months ago sitting at my desk trying to restore the sole edges with the back of a spoon - which was effective only at making me feel like a complete dillweed. I can't imagine I've been the only one and is why I am rather surprised a product like this had not been made sooner.

Cleaning brushes should, from my understanding, be a rare need if you are using appropriate amounts of product. For me, if I notice the brush 'bleeding' color onto the shoe, I'll just aggressively brush it against a white cloth until it barely bleeds any color onto it. I wouldn't expect to get a brush back to colorless condition.

If you wanted to be more aggressive, I would try dampening a cloth with a 50/50 water/70% isopropyl alcohol mixture, and brushing against that. The alcohol should help dissolve and rub away the product. I have not done this myself, though. I wouldn't be to aggressive on the alcohol or apply it, water, or detergent to the brush itself. Although it would yield a cleaner brush, I would fear of it messing with the microstructure of the hairs or leaving residue on the brush that would compromise its efficacy (even if simply minerals from the water). I have no direct evidence of this, though it makes sense to me from a material theory standpoint. This is especially my concern for higher-end brushes that use higher-grade horsehair or more delicate yak/goat.

If you are concerned more about mixing colors than simply having excess product on your brushes, I would suggest just getting a second brush to separate lights and darks.

 

[prof.contingency]

is there a reason why this model is trade only? I prefer the top section much more convenient than the standard model. Also, I wanted to vouch for Nakata Hanger. I am regular from them since many years and the worksmanship on AUT-05 which I use for suits/coats and AUT-09 which I use for trousers and shirts is fabulous.

@ZRH1 Great question! And thanks for your kind words about the Nakata hangers.

Okay, regarding the garment bags, so I think it boils down to different aims and the balance of tradeoffs. By the "top section", I think you mean the method by which the hanger hooks attach (correct me if I am wrong). The OEM bags are designed with economics and "bang for buck" in mind. Its design allows for only one suit to quickly attach to the popper tab. It's great for carrying one suit back and forth.

The Signature Garment Bag and City Garment Bag instead allow for three hanger hooks to pass through and then attach directly to a metal part—the eyelet on the travel handle.



This is more substantial and, to be honest, more relevant for travel and daily road users. This bag will last a lifetime.


So, its just really about what the bags are intended.

 

[ZRH1]

thank you, but the system is very different and I do not like the one that is available for private sale. The reason is that the overall height of the folded garment bag is more than the OEM ones.

 

[prof.contingency]

Some new stills of the Paul Brunngard Shoe Care kit from the Arterton studio!

 

[clee1982]

that's some fancy shoe cleaning kit

 

[prof.contingency]

Thank you!

Using the Sole Edge Iron, here's a before and after taken from @Christopher Madaras recent video:

 

[prof.contingency]

A sneak peak of our new showroom at 12 Princes Arcade, open from M-F 11am to 6pm, and 11am to 5pm on Sat-Sunday. We have made footwear the centre of the focus, along with our bespoke cutting theatre with resident cutter Matthew Gonzalez, who was recently featured on GQ. Yearn Shoemaker and Bridlen are available in-store. It is our mission to make certain makes more accessible so that they can be appreciated.

More news, information, and events coming soon. The showroom is already open, whilst the Private Lounge (13 Princes Arcade) will be open very shortly.

 

[clee1982]

that's a nice showroom

 

[prof.contingency]

We've recently done an interview with Clematis Ginza in Tokyo. The proprietor, Mr. Takano, is an old-school craftsman in the most original sense, who has garnered the admiration of a number of loyal clients over the years. Here's his take on European vs Japanese bespoke shoes.