Australian Members

[joiji]

Some feedback to do with Herring Shoes, too. My Herring Readings started squeaking after the first couple of wears, I emailed Adrian and he replaced them free of charge, as well as offered to cover my return shipping cost. Replacement pair arrived on Monday, very pleased.

 

[sochumpy]

I've used John K for some alterations. Little slow, like many decent tailors, but good service, and good results. If he wants MTM it's between them and Tailors of Distinction in one of the arcades off Rundle Mall, or wait until P Johnson does one of the Adelaide fittings. If he's looking for RTW, about two stores down from John K is Adelaide Suits Direct. Decent half canvas/full canvas super 100-140's suits for around $400-800 respectively. Very conservatively coloured, however.

thanks joiji, he's chuffed at your answer

 

[tobiasj]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Week of shell - Day 3:



Suit: Rhodes and Beckett
Shirt: Lorenzini
Tie: Holland and Holland
Pocket Square: Kent Wang
Shoes: Florsheim Imperial V-Cleat Long Wing Derbies

I cannot abide point collars any more :/

 

[CHECKstar]

/me is hiding at my desk after a long lunch where I sprayed my white shirt (and my neighbors blue shirt) with the juice of my main course...

 

[Pink Socks]



I cannot abide point collars any more :/

I prefer a spread or cutaway but point works well for certain people or looks.

Gregory Peck and Marcello Mastroianni show us how...

 

[Gerry Nelson]

Um, what was the juice of your main course, CHECKstar?

 

[CHECKstar]

a wonderful duck ragout sauce... most delicious but probably best kept away from white shirts after a few...

 

[blahman]

The result of careless mastication in the presence of another person.

 

[Gerry Nelson]

Do you reckon meeting up for lunch with some friends would result in a mutual mastication session?

 

[CHECKstar]

Gerry, that is the type of comment that I would expect from Blah....

 

[Gerry Nelson]

I've heard rumours that Blah may be a thespian - then again, it could just be an act.

 

[mh4k]

Will anyone else be attending the MJ Bale invitational event tonight?

(also, this is my first post, so hello from Sydney!)

 

[xiaoli]

^ i am going for the free tie

i am wearing all cotton today, and going to a wool event...

 

[tobiasj]

So what do we all think of this dude?:

http://kolonelmustard.com/

I think this is one of the better renditions of very skinny fit.

 

[Selvaggio]



1. What would you recommend as a good "interim" solution - what suit styles best suit a tall overweight guy (not very overweight, I am lucky that I seem to carry it well)? I am in Sydney but travel to Melbourne regularly so could buy there if necessary.

2. Once I lose the pot belly and slim down, what would you recommend? Bespoke? If so, is there anyone good in Sydney or in SE Asia?

Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated. I should add that I tend to prefer more classic looks, not necessarily cutting edge fashion. I like classic stuff with a bit of a twist.

If you need more description from me, please let me know.

Cheers.

Gecko, I'm on a similar jopurney mate. I have always had a bit of an interest in dressing well, but when I was heavier than I am now I was happy just to blend in with a generic, slightly daggy look. Then a few years ago I decided I wanted to dress better and be a bit healthier too - so there was a real danger of over-capitalising in the clothes department at that point.

What I did was very consistent with fxh's advice - that is I replaced the drab poorly fitting suits with second-hand. I hadn't bought second hand since clothes since I was at uni and that was part of the look then - but I was astounded at what people throw away. I got a small collection of nice quality suits (Canali, Dunhill etc) and because they were so cheap I could afford the alterations needed to make them fit and still not break the bank if they ended up too big. If you are not put off by the thought, check out Vinnies in Paddo. For example I saw a Hickey Freeman (very high end USA) suit in what I think was a 46 or 48 long (was way to long for me) not that long ago. Priced about $40. Vinnies at Rozelle is also worth a look.

I lost a bit of weight and most of those original suits went back to Vinnies. I have now moved into the middle phase. Still want to lose some weight, but as this phase is (ahem) dragging on a bit, I have bought a few new things when they have been a good price, but I have made sure they are a decent fit at the shoulders, so taking in is an option down the track. Azzaro in Melbourne is good for this. We have Voi up here, which can be good value. Bought a nice Cantarelli suit at a clearance off-shoot from the posh menswear shop in Perth (can't remember the name).

Also I have a couple of suits I had made in Hanoi - not exquisite quality, but they weren't dear and have proved very durable. If contemplating going down this path, it would pay to do your homework. HK has some top tailors which would be too costly unless you were confident you were at your preferred weight. I have dealt with cheap tailors in HK, Thailand and Vietnam and, honestly the suits were rubbish. But I have used (by Asian standards) a couple of middle of the road tailors - the one in Hanoi I mentioned and one other in HK - and the quality:value ratio was excellent and the fit very good.

When I lose a bit more weight I am going to build a higher quality wardobe from scratch (a nice incentive!). I really like the P Johnson product - so that might be an option for you too (look him up online). In photographs they can look a little too fitted, but when you see them in real life settings, the quality and fit is super. A member here, ColdEyedPuglist, wears pretty much all PJ and, having met him, his gear is immaculate. I also thiink they are good value suits.

fxh raises the problem that PJ's blocks may be too oriented towards slimmer guys with more standard proportions. The suits are made to measure, but from a limited number of house-style patterns. What level of variation from the standard block can they work with ? I'm going to cross that bridge when I come to it - though I do note that EthanDesu (who is a bit of classic menswear guru - you can check out his tumblr) worked for PJ and wore the house brand for a small while - and he is tall and solid.

Sorry for the ramble - hope it helps.