Australian Members

[fxh]

Originally Posted by __PG__

I wonder if someone can conduct a sartorial tour of Northcote / Thornbury.
I reckon your mate on High Street with the discount suits for old Greeks etc might have been one of the tailors then. I think Conte factory /shop was at something like 873 high - I'll try and find out the exact address.

 

[ryanohare]

Originally Posted by Journeyman

+4, or whatever.

As mentioned earlier in this thread, RM Williams' leather conditioner works well and it gives the leather a nice glow/subdued shine.

Also, please try to use a polish other than Kiwi.
I have discovered that Kiwi tends to dry out leather and that it can cause micro-cracking under the polish. Whilst much more expensive (and more difficult to obtain) polish such as Saphir is far, far superior - it does not dry out the leather and makes it very easy to get a really nice shine.


I've a black pair of Emporio Armani brogues that could do with a decent polish. I haven't looked after them very well (only had them 6 months though) - any advice as to who in Melbourne I could go to for this?

Cheers guys.

 

[Tarlee]

A heads up on a new range of English suits in Melbourne. The shop is Baxter Trout, on the south side of Bourke Street between Russell and Exhibition. It has previously been a one-man show selling mostly shirts and a handful of ordinary Italian suits at around $450.

They have branched into suits by Strickland & Sons. This is an old Savile Row outfit bought a couple of years ago by Richard Anderson. He is said to have designed the range now at Baxter Trout.

They're worth a look. All are Holland & Sherry fabrics, a few plains but more than a few with a lot of personality -- including worsted flannel chalkstripes (the idea of worsted flannel does my head in; it looks like flannel). The SBs are two button, characteristic English cut with flat front trousers. The DBs come with double pleated trousers. Jackets are half canvassed with a nice lapel. Side vents. There is also a small range of very tempting sports coats with flash overchecks.

At $695 (suits and sports coats) they are tempting. I tried a 42reg and it was not bad (I'm really a 40L), needing only a bit of a turn forward in the shoulder. I would have bought but I've promised myself my next suit with be a three piece SB with pleated trousers. So close but not for me.

Be interested if anyone has seen these and has an opinion. If you drop in for a look please post a note here.

 

[Tarlee]

I've just got back from the Skins N Sharps exhibition.
There was a time not all that long ago when a huge number of ordinary kids around 14 - 19 years old in Melbourne had shoes made for them in their own designs and cardigans made for them in their own designs.


Interesting post and link, fxh. I was a little young for the sharps scene. My sister, four years older, had many friends on its edges. I certainly remember the platform shoes and tight fitting cardigans but didn't know they were one-offs. I know mainstream retailers got on the bandwagon. I seem to recall brown, purple, tan. Am I right that even places like Merrivale & Mr John stocked probably more anodyne versions? (Whatever happened to Merrivale? Seems like it was there yesterday.)

I read on the site you linked to that there was overestimation of the violent edge of sharpies. Not in Clayton. They were pretty bloody viscous.

Odd to think the few old and crusty tailors of Northcote got a lift from it all.

 

[penguin vic]

Originally Posted by Tarlee

A heads up on a new range of English suits in Melbourne. The shop is Baxter Trout, on the south side of Bourke Street between Russell and Exhibition. It has previously been a one-man show selling mostly shirts and a handful of ordinary Italian suits at around $450.

They have branched into suits by Strickland & Sons. This is an old Savile Row outfit bought a couple of years ago by Richard Anderson. He is said to have designed the range now at Baxter Trout.

They're worth a look. All are Holland & Sherry fabrics, a few plains but more than a few with a lot of personality -- including worsted flannel chalkstripes (the idea of worsted flannel does my head in; it looks like flannel). The SBs are two button, characteristic English cut with flat front trousers. The DBs come with double pleated trousers. Jackets are half canvassed with a nice lapel. Side vents. There is also a small range of very tempting sports coats with flash overchecks.

At $695 (suits and sports coats) they are tempting. I tried a 42reg and it was not bad (I'm really a 40L), needing only a bit of a turn forward in the shoulder. I would have bought but I've promised myself my next suit with be a three piece SB with pleated trousers. So close but not for me.

Be interested if anyone has seen these and has an opinion. If you drop in for a look please post a note here.

Thanks for the heads up. I've been in there when it's just had the pretty ordinary shirts and suits. Will have to check it out.

 

[__PG__]

Here is their webpage : http://www.stricklandandsons.co.uk/ I'll definitely check it out. Based on those prices I'm presuming the suits are fused, made in China?

 

[Sydguy]

Herringbone is open long hours this week in Surry Hills and Chatswood Chase with clearance prices in both locations. The email is at work, so I can not link it but I am sure someone will, it quotes up to 70% off some items. Safe to assume staple items & shoes will not be discounted.
This might throw out my plans for a Bawdenbespoke shirt or two - see how things pan out. But Bawden currently has 20% off shirts, normally $140. They do $15 cash back for measure ups - they have tailors in most capital cities in Aust who charge $15 to measure you which you can claim back in your first order. They also work with self measuring.

There was an article in the Fin Review today and mens shirts and the GFC, the theme being there are more checks/pink shirts so we must be over the worst of it. Apparently men were dressing more conservatively during the down times.... I was the complete opposite with the louder shirts generally more discounted during sales meaning I was snapping them up to quickly expand the rotation.

 

[neyus]

Originally Posted by __PG__

Here is their webpage : http://www.stricklandandsons.co.uk/

I'll definitely check it out. Based on those prices I'm presuming the suits are fused, made in China?

They are partially fused but half canvassed.

 

[Journeyman]

Originally Posted by Sydguy

This might throw out my plans for a Bawdenbespoke shirt or two - see how things pan out. But Bawden currently has 20% off shirts, normally $140. They do $15 cash back for measure ups - they have tailors in most capital cities in Aust who charge $15 to measure you which you can claim back in your first order. They also work with self measuring.

You could always give MJ Bale's MTO shirts a try. I believe that they start from $150 and you can be measured up be Matt Jensen in their store in Queen St in Woolahra. I think that prices can escalate if you choose various options but it could certainly be worth investigating.

 

[fxh]

Originally Posted by Tarlee

Skins N Sharps exhibition.
There was a time not all that long ago when a huge number of ordinary kids around 14 - 19 years old in Melbourne had shoes made for them in their own designs and cardigans made for them in their own designs.


Interesting post and link, fxh. I was a little young for the sharps scene. My sister, four years older, had many friends on its edges. I certainly remember the platform shoes and tight fitting cardigans but didn't know they were one-offs. I know mainstream retailers got on the bandwagon. I seem to recall brown, purple, tan. Am I right that even places like Merrivale & Mr John stocked probably more anodyne versions? (Whatever happened to Merrivale? Seems like it was there yesterday.)

I read on the site you linked to that there was overestimation of the violent edge of sharpies. Not in Clayton. They were pretty bloody viscous.

Odd to think the few old and crusty tailors of Northcote got a lift from it all.

I think there are quite a few mistakes around. Another reason that it shouldn't be just middle class scribes who define history. Most history of these sorts of thing are oral and need to be documented.

I wasn't part of it, except as an onlooker/observer. I was from the country and a bit older so I didn't understand the identification with certain suburbs or what it meant.

My view was that it started in late 60s and the Melb Sharpies were more akin to Mods than Skinheads until the mid 70s or so.That is they had sharp clothes and haircuts- more like "college" cuts than No1 cuts, and many had tailored clothes. The pinstriped pants were from woollen suit material and made by old italian and greek tailors. Shoes were things like snazzy suede square toes with cuban heels - custom made and the cardigans were certainly custom ordered and many of them one off.

It was around 71 the younger kids got into it and started fighting more, although a bloke today was telling me he was a Mod in '66 and there was a big blue in Burke Street with Sharpies. Backed up by an article in The Age in 1966 - online.

So I suspect there are actually parellal narratives and it isn't zero sum where one cancels the other out.

The interesting thing here in terms of this forum is to note that thre was a time in Melbourne when fashion/style was invented locally from street upwards not media or designer down. Not only was it ordinary apprentices from the suburbs but that it utilised, not mass market clothing, but "bespoke" if you like, clothing designed by the users and made by skilled artisans (tailors and shoe makers and cardigan makers)

Yes it was picked up by commercialisers such as Merryvale and then by mainstream menswear shops - but by then as any hipster knows - the game is over -no fun anymore.

Earlier on Staggers jeans by Staggers (I think Joseph Saba?) were a favourite and made in Melbourne, Cresknit always did mass market as well as custom and Conte made custom and distributed a standard range to a bunch of shops in southern and eastern suburbs. The shoemakers were around for a fair while.

One of the reasons there were only "real" Sharps in Melb was that the clothes were made here and only really available here, and then in limited outlets at first, so even country Victoria had difficulty getting access to the clothes.

 

[Sydguy]

Herringbone Chatswood Chase was a let down. No suits close to my size, (40). Fair selection of shirts, and not much else on sale.

If anyone drops into Surry Hills store, let me know if there are any 40r's in stock.

 

[crinklecut]

Do Herringbone make suits in short sizes, or just regulars and longs? I'm nowhere near one, but might consider taking a trip during a sale if I could get a 40S.

 

[Henry Carter]

Originally Posted by crinklecut

Do Herringbone make suits in short sizes, or just regulars and longs? I'm nowhere near one, but might consider taking a trip during a sale if I could get a 40S.

No they don't, but the coats and sleeves are not cut super long on the regulars

 

[jaypee]

Surry Hills has nothing in the suit department. It's the same **** 46r stuff that it has been for months

Quite a few shirts and Herringbone shoes (for $350 pfff) in size 8/8.5

And those chinos for $260? Hmm make up your own mind

 

[Henry Carter]

Originally Posted by ryanohare

I've a black pair of Emporio Armani brogues that could do with a decent polish. I haven't looked after them very well (only had them 6 months though) - any advice as to who in Melbourne I could go to for this?

Cheers guys.

I think the only correct advice would be, learn to do it yourself. Get some leather conditioner, good wax polish and a decent brush and cloth. If they are in bad nick, they may need a few coats of conditioner first before you polish them. A bit of elbow grease and I'm sure they will look a lot better.