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

[beau chapeau]

I will have to drop in and see how these hangers fit with my jacket... very nice they are, I just hope they are wide enough, and my jacket hangs well on it.👍

 

[prof.contingency]

I will have to drop in and see how these hangers fit with my jacket... very nice they are, I just hope they are wide enough, and my jacket hangs well on it.👍

@beau chapeau, thank you for the kind words! Nakata has lengths from 400 to 460mm in various shapes, so I am sure there will be something for you. Our recent journal article on how to determine hanger size might also be helpful: https://arterton.co.uk/blogs/journal/determining-your-clothes-hanger-size

We are currently online only -- but if you're around Savile Row, I can direct you to one of the houses that currently use our Nakata hangers, so that you can get a feel of what they are like (feel free to PM me).

 

[prof.contingency]

Hello folks! Quick update: it appears that recently we had some great media attention on our Yearn Shoes, which was picked up on in the other style forum thread on high-end Chinese footwear. Just in case you haven't seen it:

1. Dat Watkins did a teardown review of a pair of RTW Yearn Shoemaker:



2. Simon Crompton of Permanent Style gave his honest and welcome preliminary thoughts on the emerging trend on high-end Chinese footwear, and we look forward to seeing a fuller review of Yearn, which we are expecting in due time.

Any questions, do drop us a line here!

 

[prof.contingency]

A few of you have been asking for a Last Guide to Yearn Shoemaker, and so we have made one up! See below, and I hope it helps!

​

 

[prof.contingency]

Hi folks,

A lot of good things have happened recently for us! For one, our Nakata hangers have been operating in full swing here in the UK. And, we just had a recent restock. For SF members, remember to use "SFARTERTON" for 10% off -- we deliver worldwide.

Of particular note is that we have recently built a computer-aided machine to provide engraving for our clients, which include direct consumers and local bespoke houses. Engraving is done by a CO2 laser for pinpoint accuracy (more info on our new engraving machine here).


Image 1. AUT-03 for the award-winning Whitcomb and Shaftesbury


Image 2. Name laser engraving for clients


Image 3. House logo engraving with acrylic gold colour filling for independent designer Tom Mojet on an Arterton Signature Suit Hanger

 

[prof.contingency]

We also attended the 2022 London Super Trunk show in St James, London last Saturday. So, we can somewhat report back.

The event was organised by Justin Fitzpatrick and Jesper Ingevaldsson, with a number of partners including Cad, The Valet, Saphir, and Kirby Allison. The number of people who attended was amazing!

 

[prof.contingency]

Many of you, here, know Presto (The Elegant Oxford) who is always remarkably polite, put-together, and, of more relevance to us, incredibly knowledgeable about shoes. I, for one, have learn't many things watching his videos over the years.



We had the pleasure to make a Nakata AUT-03 for him, and his logo presented a formidable challenge. The level of detail required was astounding, e.g. offset shadowing on the caricature of the two lions and mountains and the fine details of the crown. Finally, all of this had to be done on a curved surface!

 

[prof.contingency]

What do you guys think of some of these styles? Yearn and I are actively curating our hand-welted RTW line to include a few more styles. We even had one client request a bright Burgandy calf as a staple; but I am not sure if the numbers would justify it. Or do you guys all like to dress as The Joker?



Feel free to suggest what you would like to see! Maybe, we've made them up already and have some pictures to show you!

 

[loduN]

I would be willing to try out Yearn Shoemaker but 1/ they are not available from a size 6 UK on your website 2/ the shoes displayed on your website are too fancy and patinated for my own taste.

Personnaly I would be interested in a split toe derby or split toe single monk in medium brown with a bit of toe burnishing, Adelaïdes and quarter brogues in staple colors... These are the styles I can imagine I'd be wearing a coherent outfit with.

 

[prof.contingency]

@loduN Yeah! I definitely think Yearn has historically been leaning on the side of formal/fancy. In their evolution out of the domestic market, I think we should be seeing some casual styles -- especially ones to make use of suede.

Regarding your split toe, here is something we posted recently:


Let me see if I get to find pictures of some Adelaides or get some made up for RTW.

P.S. We do UK size 6 made-to-order.

 

[Mirage-]

I'd like to try the brand but unfortunately since Brexit I find it just isn't worth the risk to gamble on UK items (especially footwear I haven't previously tried on) unless businesses offer an easier, streamlined process for orders and returns from the EU. That mostly means shipping DDP, and offering fixed-cost (known in advance) return labels.
I assume that's a lot to ask, since few businesses tend to do this.

But even if the above wasn't a problem, there would be this too:

the shoes displayed on your website are too fancy and patinated for my own taste.
Personnaly I would be interested in a split toe derby or split toe single monk in medium brown with a bit of toe burnishing, Adelaïdes and quarter brogues in staple colors... These are the styles I can imagine I'd be wearing a coherent outfit with.

I do like the split-toe model, but I wouldn't risk an MTO to fall back again in the "no possibility of return" scenario, at least not as first experiment with that last.

 

[prof.contingency]

I'd like to try the brand but unfortunately since Brexit I find it just isn't worth the risk to gamble on UK items (especially footwear I haven't previously tried on) unless businesses offer an easier, streamlined process for orders and returns from the EU. That mostly means shipping DDP, and offering fixed-cost (known in advance) return labels.
I assume that's a lot to ask, since few businesses tend to do this.

But even if the above wasn't a problem, there would be this too:

I do like the split-toe model, but I wouldn't risk an MTO to fall back again in the "no possibility of return" scenario, at least not as first experiment with that last.

It's not too much to ask at all! I personally love the suggestion and we will look into ways of doing this (i.e. DDP deliveries with streamlined returns) in order to aim at increasing customer satisfaction.

To my mind, there are a few considerations. Whilst it is true that VAT and duties may be due on delivery, since Brexit, all orders sent outside of the UK are sold VAT-free. This means that 20% is taken off the retail price, which garners some savings for the consumer at the point of sale. Subsequently, VAT and duties (if any) may be imposed upon delivery. Nonetheless, I think the idea of DDP deliveries makes it a lot easier for clients and gives them peace of mind. Of course, all of this is a non-starter for our UK clients.

Regarding shoes, I think the idea is for Arterton to build up a steady supply of various high-end RTW styles from Yearn, which allows for items to be returned and exchanged to one's heart's content. After all, we are in the aim of making certain things more accessible to consumers -- in this case, high-end Chinese footwear -- and it is a gradual journey for us. Just bear with us!

In any case, I think you will actually hear some news soon about EU deliveries.

 

[Mirage-]

It's not too much to ask at all! I personally love the suggestion and we will look into ways of doing this (i.e. DDP deliveries with streamlined returns) in order to aim at increasing customer satisfaction.

To my mind, there are a few considerations. Whilst it is true that VAT and duties may be due on delivery, since Brexit, all orders sent outside of the UK are sold VAT-free. This means that 20% is taken off the retail price, which garners some savings for the consumer at the point of sale. Subsequently, VAT and duties (if any) may be imposed upon delivery. Nonetheless, I think the idea of DDP deliveries makes it a lot easier for clients and gives them peace of mind. Of course, all of this is a non-starter for our UK clients.

In any case, I think you will actually hear some news soon about EU deliveries.

If it's doable, then great news.

Yes, the main goal is 1) clarity of what is the actual, final price for the consumer and 2) avoiding complicated and lengthy return processes.
For example, I've said this before, but I once spent a full day trying to understand how much an order from Yeossal would cost me (mostly due to national tables for duties being so hard to find, vague, and hard to navigate unguided). But at least I was eventually successful on estimating that; on the other hand, I have not been able to figure out, despite some hours of research, how one should go about recovering VAT paid for imported items that they ultimately decided to return, according to Italian legislation. But I do know that when ordering DDP, the courier takes care of all that.

But there is also a secondary advantage: in my experience, companies can purchase return shipping at major discounts compared to individuals.
In fact, I have sometimes spent half to even 1/3 of the quotes made by couriers' own online tools, by simply asking EU companies to acquire the label for me (at cost to deduct from the refund), inspired by the fact that some already offer this. To their credit, those asked have generally agreed to do this for me, and I know from experience that the cost will usually be about 15€ (clothes) to 25€ (shoes). But this is within the EU, where duties and VAT are not there to complicate the matter. And ofc it would be faster and easier if there was a process for it instead of basically me asking for a favour.

 

[prof.contingency]

If it's doable, then great news.

Yes, the main goal is 1) clarity of what is the actual, final price for the consumer and 2) avoiding complicated and lengthy return processes.
For example, I've said this before, but I once spent a full day trying to understand how much an order from Yeossal would cost me (mostly due to national tables for duties being so hard to find, vague, and hard to navigate unguided). But at least I was eventually successful on estimating that; on the other hand, I have not been able to figure out, despite some hours of research, how one should go about recovering VAT paid for imported items that they ultimately decided to return, according to Italian legislation. But I do know that when ordering DDP, the courier takes care of all that.

But there is also a secondary advantage: in my experience, companies can purchase return shipping at major discounts compared to individuals.
In fact, I have sometimes spent half to even 1/3 of the quotes made by couriers' own online tools, by simply asking EU companies to acquire the label for me (at cost to deduct from the refund), inspired by the fact that some already offer this. To their credit, those asked have generally agreed to do this for me, and I know from experience that the cost will usually be about 15€ (clothes) to 25€ (shoes). But this is within the EU, where duties and VAT are not there to complicate the matter. And ofc it would be faster and easier if there was a process for it instead of basically me asking for a favour.

I think you are quite right here. Especially, for shoes, a local presence for one to see the shoes, try on the shoes, and exchange the shoes is paramount. These points were also echo-ed in a recent article by Simon Crompton when he was reviewing a pair of ACME.

In truth, these are feedback that we've been hearing for some time now. And, I think we will soon be able to answer to them by way of an upcoming flagship London store, as well as a larger presence in the independent shoe brand space. So, that will definitely help with, at the very least the UK side of things. This will likely also help the EU somewhat. Keep your ears open for more news in the near future!

Lastly, I think I alluded to this briefly in the past, but we are facilitating some EU presence for Yearn -- so, if the new store doesn't help, then I hope that this does for EU clients like yourself @Mirage-

P.S. Sorry for the late response!

 

[prof.contingency]

We did some filming on Savile Row last month! Maurice Sedwell were kind enough to demonstrate some expert cutting skills

The footage was obtained for a video documentary by JETRO on our Nakata hangers and British tailoring. Lots of fun and more to come!






https://arterton.co.uk/products/nakata-aut-03-suit-hanger#