Ask A Question, Get An Answer... - Post All Quick Questions Here (Classic menswear)

[Moose22]

I have REALLY stupid questions about professionally laundered dress shirts.

I normally wash shirts myself, but I got some nice custom made new ones and the tailor mentioned getting them professionally laundered and pressed (they always seem to ask "did you iron this yourself?") so I tried it with a few of my dress shirts. I'm left with questions.

1. How much should it cost? A half dozen shirts at a time, I expected $15-25 and they charged me over $40, which seems ridiculous. Am I wrong?

2. Are you supposed to iron creases in to french cuffs? I always iron them flat then let them roll, but these things are folded and ironed flat with a hard crease.

3. Are you supposed to iron a sharp crease in a collar? Again, I am used to a lovely collar roll and this is completely flat, which seems really wrong to my aesthetic sense.

Is it worth looking for a different laundry to try, or is this always what happens when pros do the job? Like is an industrial shirt press just always going to do that? I am really wondering if I'm being too picky as I've always just done my own and have literally no experience here. If I am too picky I'll just never do professional laundry again.

 

[useless_username]

I don't know. Are they? Is this a troll post and I'm missing something?



No. Silk usually sheens, but look at Ancient Madder ties -- they're flat and chalky. I have woven ties that run from very mellow to subtly irridescent to so shiny they just don't look as good in person as they did on eBay. I'd wear the subtle shiny one to a wedding in a heartbeat, for sport coats or more subdued occasions I might not, but I have a couple of open weave silk ties that do nicely, plus the aforementioned Madder ties.




Dude, if you like it, and it looks good, wear it. I'd totally wear that tie under my navy suit. I can't recall anyone, EVER, commenting on my tie being too shiny.

One caveat, I wear suits for night time events, not for a traditional office uniform. If you are a lawyer, politician, or in banking, don't listen to me. Talk to your peers at work.

No, it wasn't a troll post! Thanks for replying. I was slightly disappointed that no one picked it up. Maybe it was the wrong thread ; then again, there doesn't seem to be an active thread on ties specifically (which I find odd, given the obsessive-compulsive tendencies of this forum).

I think there's quite a clear bias against shiny ties on this forum. It keeps popping up in various threads. I was genuinely puzzled by this, as I've never regarded sheen or lack of it as a major criteria when buying ties. I have quite shiny ones, like Charvet, and completely matte ones, like ancient madder. I suppose the only kind of shiny tie I completely avoid is the solid satin tie, which I find boring.

 

[useless_username]

It sounds strange that the tailor recommends professional cleaning. My understanding is that the gentlest option is always to wash them yourself (provided you don't do anything silly, like tumble dry them). Most pros use strong chemicals, which will shorten the lifespan of the shirt.

Ironing creases on french cuffs: I never do it, though I can see that someone might prefer it that way. Ironing creases on collars: no, that doesn't sound right.

 

[Moose22]

I suppose the only kind of shiny tie I completely avoid is the solid satin tie, which I find boring.

I totally agree. First tie I got was a solid satin burgundy colored tie and I literally never wore it. Not because shiny, but because boring. Looks like something a waiter would wear to match his burgundy colored vest. I like woven silk, grenadine, or textured stuff for more solid tones. Or even wild paisly ties with not contrasting colors so they're wildly subtle -- ancient madder is cool for this.

And I wondered why nobody responded.

I only started wearing ties regularly in the last couple of years. I have a huge neck so it wasn't until I started getting custom shirts that I could get a collar buttoned without an extender. I bought a bunch off ebay for relatively cheap so I could see them in person with my suits then just resold ones I didn't like. Sometimes a bright sheeny tie is the ONLY flash I'll have on with a solid navy 3 piece, so 6 inches of gaudy surroundd by solid, dark blue is just fine for attending the symphony on a Friday night. I'm not going to look like I'm wearing a bad 70s leisure suit.

 

[Veremund]

I have REALLY stupid questions about professionally laundered dress shirts.

Sounds overpriced and incompetent to me. My cleaners does a shirt for 1.50, and they don't crease the collar or cuffs. Don't go back there.

Sometimes a bright sheeny tie is the ONLY flash I'll have on with a solid navy 3 piece, so 6 inches of gaudy surroundd by solid, dark blue is just fine for attending the symphony on a Friday night.

Shiny satin ties are fine at night. Not fine at all in the daytime.

 

[cakv]

Does Proper Cloth or Spier & MacKay provide the better collar when going sans tie? I have tried only proper cloth so far and the collar is so stiff its tendency is to spread as much as possible, which opens up the placket at a very wide angle(not pleasing to me). Also, which company provides the better collars if I like a medium spread to large spread, and even sometimes a cutaway?

 

[Henry Li]

How should I carry a laptop and notebooks around in college? Any specific recommendations?

 

[ThomGault]

How should I carry a laptop and notebooks around in college? Any specific recommendations?

There are many options depending on your preferences and needs. I'm a fan of Tom Bihn bags, particularly their backpacks like this. Made in the US of ballistic nylon, they're durable enough to last for decades, and also function well for travel. Very well-organized, too.

 

[7_rocket]

Would you say this jacket is a classic/essential fall outerwear?

https://www.jcrew.com/ca/p/mens_category/outerwear/quilted2/walker-jacket/J6277?color_name=navy

Don't feel like spending more money on a barbour.

 

[SimonC]

Would you say this jacket is a classic/essential fall outerwear?

https://www.jcrew.com/ca/p/mens_category/outerwear/quilted2/walker-jacket/J6277?color_name=navy

Don't feel like spending more money on a barbour.

I can't help but think of the recent Put This On blog on the revised J Crew.

I see nothing about that which is notable - the cut is inoffensively contemporary, the function treads a fine line between utilitarian and whispering pretentions to style.

So no, I don't see it as classic fall outerwear. Compared to something like a Barbour, it will always betray the era in which it was constructed. Whereas a classic Barbour model will always betray the era in which it was designed, but that era is sufficiently far away to render it 'classic'.

Spend the money if you want - I'm not making an argument on value for money, where I am sure it delivers. But that garment is 33% Barbour, 33% post-Millennium euro (Loro Piana / Zegna) and 33% utilitarian.

 

[cakv]

Bump

Does Proper Cloth or Spier & MacKay provide the better collar when going sans tie? I have tried only proper cloth so far and the collar is so stiff its tendency is to spread as much as possible, which opens up the placket at a very wide angle(not pleasing to me). Also, which company provides the better collars if I like a medium spread to large spread, and even sometimes a cutaway?

New question as well: I have no burgundy ties and 3 navy suits(varying shades) and 3 dark grey(varying shades from mid to charcoal). Which grenadine tie linked below do you think would be a better color? I typically wear white shirts.

Shantung burgundy or standard burgundy

 

[tomorrowfine]

Bump


New question as well: I have no burgundy ties and 3 navy suits(varying shades) and 3 dark grey(varying shades from mid to charcoal). Which grenadine tie linked below do you think would be a better color? I typically wear white shirts.

Shantung burgundy or standard burgundy

I like the standard one

 

[tomorrowfine]

I need some help with my shirt tailoring.

I have extremely slim arm compared with my weight. so when a shirt fits well on the body the sleeves are always too big/roomy, a headache always... I was not caring that much until today. I am considering to take all my shirts to a tailor to slim down the sleeves...

Any gentlemen here share the same problems? would that be worth a trip to town? how much would it cost per shirt?

Thanks in advance

 

[SimonC]

You can slim down the sleeve width, but cannot make the armhole any smaller.

My two instinctive thoughts are that if you slim the sleeves too much you lose some freedom of motion, and also that whilst the resulting garment may be in proportion to your personal measurements, it may not look harmonious.

 

[tomorrowfine]

You can slim down the sleeve width, but cannot make the armhole any smaller.

My two instinctive thoughts are that if you slim the sleeves too much you lose some freedom of motion, and also that whilst the resulting garment may be in proportion to your personal measurements, it may not look harmonious.

Thank you for your input... yes, I am think about slim down the sleeve from armhole till the end of cuff... you are right, the proportion is a problem... I'd re-think about it.

You know how much would it cost?