Cole vs Hilditch & Key RTW shirts

[radicaldog]

They seem pretty decent traditional English shirts. What's your experience, quality-wise?

Edit: Coles, that is.

 

[von_fackenheim]

Both are excellent. In terms of craftsmanship, these will be amongst the best RTW shirts that you can buy. For RTW, I find that Coles fits me better, but since H&K comes to town twice a year, I go to them for bespoke shirts.

-von f.

 

[BAB]

i have two of each, and in my opnion, h&k are a tiny bit better. their fabrics seem to be of a higher quality..

 

[radicaldog]

Thanks for the responses. Any more opinions, perhaps regarding construction (stitching quality etc.)?

 

[literasyme]

In my experience, Cole's fit like tents, and the fabrics aren't as nice as either H&K or T&A. All are machine-made, and while Cole's seem fine construction-wise, their collars aren't great -- fairly cardboard-like, unlike H&K and T&A (the latter have a lot of structure, but the stiffness doesn't feel artificial).

 

[BRITINLA]

Originally Posted by literasyme

In my experience, Cole's fit like tents, and the fabrics aren't as nice as either H&K or T&A. All are machine-made, and while Cole's seem fine construction-wise, their collars aren't great -- fairly cardboard-like, unlike H&K and T&A (the latter have a lot of structure, but the stiffness doesn't feel artificial).

The cutaway collars on Coles are quite "short"

 

[StopPolloition]

I like the quality of the Coles shirts, and the slim fit shirts fit me pretty decently, however the sleeve lengths on the French cuffs seem to run about 1 size short after washing/shrinkage. Sadly they don't make a 37 length in my neck size. They come with decent MOP buttons, and the stitching is usually very nice.

 

[radicaldog]

So you'd basically put H&K quality on a par with T&A. Do you recknon T&A's higher price is simply due to their status as the English shirtmaker, royal warrant and all?

 

[literasyme]

I know T&A better than H&K, but I don't think there's much of a difference. They do have their own collar shape, which I happen to like -- and they're made in England, which H&K are not anymore (or am I misremembering?). On sale, T&A actually can be cheaper than the competition next door!

 

[radicaldog]

Originally Posted by literasyme

I know T&A better than H&K, but I don't think there's much of a difference. They do have their own collar shape, which I happen to like -- and they're made in England, which H&K are not anymore (or am I misremembering?). On sale, T&A actually can be cheaper than the competition next door!

Thanks. But T&A don't seem to do a sale through their website. I also don't seem to remember a slimmer line from then, but I'm not sure. As it happens I might have to go to London next week so I might just pop in -- do you know when their sale will start by any chance?

 

[literasyme]

I don't think they do a slim-fit line. The shirts aren't as roomy, in my experience, as the Jermyn Street standard, but they're not slim. And I don't believe they do their sales online. There have been a couple of threads about London sales lately -- I think they may have started, or may start next week, but the real deals won't be available until later in the summer, end of July-ish. That's when T&A shirts go down to £39.

 

[comrade]

Aren't H&Ks still made in Scotland?

 

[knittieguy]

Coles is known for its cutaway collars and they are the best I've found. Note, however, that I prefer slightly shorter collar points than many people on this board. The overall Coles shirt quality is excellent, and if you get double-cuff, the rounded cuffs are extremely well made. The other advantage to Coles is that they come in more sizes than H&K and the other Jermyn street shops. You can get a 16.5-34, for instance, without having to pay extra for sleeve shortening.

For non-cutaway collar shirts, I prefer H&K or Tyrwhitt Sea Island quality shirts (which are vastly superior to the basic CT shirts). I've never tried T&A but my understanding is that it is considerably more expensive.