Australian Members

[meister]



Someone in Queensland is selling almost-new C&J Cliffords for $450 on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CROCKETT-JO...6300601?pt=US_Men_s_Shoes&hash=item2eb77393b9

I scored an eBay pair from a guy in Mosman Sydney for AUD250!. Didn't fit.

 

[Oleg]



So, off to London in a few weeks. Any recommendations or advice? Not planning a big spend but do want to pick up a pair of brown brogues and some nice shirts.

The shoe company flagships in the Burlington Arcade and Jermyn Street tend to be pricey. John Rushden in Wimpole St will have the same C&Js or Cheaney's for less. That said, the selection is better.
A nice walk could start with at Piccadilly Circus tube. Along Piccadilly for Cordings and Fortnum and Mason. Then along Jermyn Street, through the Burlington Arcade then up either Bond Street (watches, Ralph Lauren, some of the Italian labels) or Savile Row to Oxford Street (Selfridges, and High St stuff like M&S, Uniqlo, Dutti, H&M, flagship stores for Gap, H&M, Top Man, etc: the High St in Oz really blows goats. I know it's not very SF of me but living in Aus, I really missed cheap, reasonable looking but functional basics. Not all of us can make every item an investment piece) and John Rushden is just off Oxford St and the excellent boutique Trunk is not too far either. Then back down Regent Street for Liberty's, Banana Republic, Brooks Bros, Barbour, Burberry (you'll notice it by the crowd of Asian kids getting their photo taken in front of the window display), etc to Piccadilly Circus again. Should be comprehensively mensweared out after all that and in need of a drink. In that part of town, I'd try The Harp in Chandos Place, of Trafalgar Sq or the St John bar at the W Hotel in Chinatown (not an outstanding bar but they've cocktails, a decent wine list and an awesome bar snack menu.

 

[MickyD]

one thing I REALLY liked in the part of London we stayed in (we stayed at Park Lane Mews, just behind the Hilton on Hyde Park, pretty rundown Fawlty Towersesque place, but it had a certain charm about it....), was that people seem to go out to a pub to be social, and are quite happy to just have a soft drink, rather than going there to get utterly smashed and start a fight. Such a completely different atmosphere to going out to a pub here. I'm sure it may well be different in the 'rougher' areas of London and the UK, and we were prpbably shielded from it a bit by only being there for such a short time, and staying in such a nice area, but still...

 

[jaypee]



I scored an eBay pair from a guy in Mosman Sydney for AUD250!. Didn't fit.

Ya bastard, pretty sure i was bidding on the same pair

 

[budgiesmuggler]

London:
Dutti is owned by Zara chain.
I'd also check out firetrap, if you're skinny check out all saints.
Selfridges has the best range of menswear if you're a young guy.
There is a bespoke umbrella shop in Covent Garden, its worth a look.

 

[Prince of Paisley]



London:
Dutti is owned by Zara chain.
I'd also check out firetrap, if you're skinny check out all saints.
Selfridges has the best range of menswear if you're a young guy.
There is a bespoke umbrella shop in Covent Garden, its worth a look.

Have to agree about Selfridges... Not the place to go if you're on a budget but the range is amazing. Compared to Australian dept stores it just blows them out of the water.

 

[CHECKstar]



Have to agree about Selfridges... Not the place to go if you're on a budget but the range is amazing. Compared to Australian dept stores it just blows them out of the water.[/quote]

+1 picked up my fav shorts on my first visit last year. This years vists I bought the GF a Prada purse (felt guilty with all the shoes I bought for myself!) - a word of warning though, they had extreme troubles processing my NAB Amex card (no chip), took about 45mins and in the end I gave up and whipped out the Visa (less FF points). Only place in the UK where this has happened to me FWIW.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

I see in todays that Gerry Harvey has demonstrated what a parvenu he is at heart 'With unemployment a 5% and a resources boom we should all be happy as pigs in ****' Just got to love the mans style.

And with the last day of winter upon us and I have noticed that the subject of chinos has come up, I switched to pleaded Bills Khakis about a year ago and would recommend them over anything you could buy locally. Also STP does have some good specials on them at this time of year as they clear out the American summer stock.

 

[meister]



I see in todays that Gerry Harvey has demonstrated what a parvenu he is at heart 'With unemployment a 5% and a resources boom we should all be happy as pigs in ****' Just got to love the mans style.

And with the last day of winter upon us and I have noticed that the subject of chinos has come up, I switched to pleaded Bills Khakis about a year ago and would recommend them over anything you could buy locally. Also STP does have some good specials on them at this time of year as they clear out the American summer stock.

Just avoid the double pleated ones. Too baggy in front make you look short~!
Re Harvey. Never forget buying a computer from his store. Could not work out why it had probs a few months later. My computer guy opened it up and found a wire tie had been used from a garbage bag. Someone had sent it back and it was simply resold as new. Disgraceful. Never used them again. You would do better at the Chinese computer bucket shops around town.

 

[Selvaggio]



Uniqlo. Boxer. Briefs. Are. The. Best.

Sure. they're good. But I reckon Muji's are the more betterer.

 

[bhall41]

Oleg, that's great advice. What's it like being back in the UK?

 

[bhall41]



one thing I REALLY liked in the part of London we stayed in (we stayed at Park Lane Mews, just behind the Hilton on Hyde Park, pretty rundown Fawlty Towersesque place, but it had a certain charm about it....), was that people seem to go out to a pub to be social, and are quite happy to just have a soft drink, rather than going there to get utterly smashed and start a fight. Such a completely different atmosphere to going out to a pub here. I'm sure it may well be different in the 'rougher' areas of London and the UK, and we were prpbably shielded from it a bit by only being there for such a short time, and staying in such a nice area, but still...

In my experience that is sadly a reflection of where you were staying, more than anything else. I like the traditional British pub culture, where people go for a quiet drink, and to catch up with friends. On the other hand, binge drinking is endemic in Britain and, IMO, Australians have the same heavy drinking culture.

Friday and Saturday nights in London it was a case of dodging the drunks, and vomit

 

[Selvaggio]



Gents I found a white as the driven snow size 18 Brioni shirt on my travels today.

Anyone want to take it off my hands and spare me the ebay/BS grief?

PM sent if you still have it.

 

[Oleg]



Oleg, that's great advice. What's it like being back in the UK?

Rioting up the road, decimated economy and a poor summer. Not missing Oz at all

 

[The Ernesto]

Thanks for the great fashion walking tour advice, Oleg. Greatly appreciated.

And budgiesmuggler, Selfridges in on the list but it might be a 'look but don't touch' visit!