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Dress shirts - Kamakura or elsewhere?

hpdv7

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It's been a while since I've been here last. Back about 8-10 years ago, Kamakura seemed to be the gold standard for ~$100 shirts. I was very satisfied with their shirts at the time but have no idea what they're like now. It looks like they've whittled down on their cloth selection since then and also only do French plackets unless you're buying a button down collar.
Is Kamakura still the go-to for best materials, construction, and fit for the money? I'm looking to stay in the $100-$130 price point but have some flexibility if a different shirt at a higher price point is well justified. I've already looked at the cheaper run of the mill brands like Charles Tyrwhitt and Spier and Mackay but don't have actual hand on experience with them.
 

leapyourbar

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Former Kamakura client checking in. I wear dress shirts for work; my trajectory since 2010 has been Suit Supply > Kamakura > Drakes (first run of shirts they did in 2015) > Spier ($60-$100) > Luca Avitabile bespoke ($275). I also used P Johnson as well (would not recommend whatsoever). Kamakura was great ten years ago, but I haven't been in since pre-covid times, and I've always found their online shopping terrible.

Spier is....pretty good for the money. Their shop is gross, cheap, and impersonal, but their products are really good in all honesty. A $60-$80 shirt from them is just as nice, if not nicer, than the one I paid $400 for at P Johnson. I would recommend you check them out. I am Canadian, and quite honestly, to put it kindly, I don't think Canadians have very refined taste. Spier is the one retailer that actually does a decent job (although their advertisement and general customer experience is really campy, in typical Canadian fashion); but at your price range, they'll get the job done.

Proper cloth may also fit the bill for you.
 

hpdv7

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Former Kamakura client checking in. I wear dress shirts for work; my trajectory since 2010 has been Suit Supply > Kamakura > Drakes (first run of shirts they did in 2015) > Spier ($60-$100) > Luca Avitabile bespoke ($275). I also used P Johnson as well (would not recommend whatsoever). Kamakura was great ten years ago, but I haven't been in since pre-covid times, and I've always found their online shopping terrible.

Spier is....pretty good for the money. Their shop is gross, cheap, and impersonal, but their products are really good in all honesty. A $60-$80 shirt from them is just as nice, if not nicer, than the one I paid $400 for at P Johnson. I would recommend you check them out. I am Canadian, and quite honestly, to put it kindly, I don't think Canadians have very refined taste. Spier is the one retailer that actually does a decent job (although their advertisement and general customer experience is really campy, in typical Canadian fashion); but at your price range, they'll get the job done.

Proper cloth may also fit the bill for you.
Oh this is great, thanks for the info. I took a further look into SM and they seem like a great buy at the pricepoint but there's a few small details I wish I could change. I may consider checking out their OTR offerings.
Do you happen to have any experience with their MTM/MTO services? I'm wondering if it's worth ditching OTR at this point to get exactly what I want. Proper Cloth's complimentary remakes sound super appealing and it seems like they're a notch above SM. I think I'm leaning toward them right now.
 

mebiuspower

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I looked at Kamakura but they're mostly Asian fit.

I got long torso and arms and turned out Eton fit me quite well and I like their fabric and workmanship. They're doing get 4 pay for 3 promo right now and they just finished their summer sale.

Before Eton I was buying a lot of BB non-iron shirts which wear super quick due to the formaldehyde used making the fabric super stiff and not breathable.
 

epsilon22

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Kamakura is good value if you can get them at their domestic price points (JPY 6-8k, which is anywhere from USD 40-60 right now, they're really hard to beat at those prices, and absolutely beat Charles Tyrwhitt imo), and/or you fit well into their sizes without modifications. I used to buy most of my shirts when I travel to Japan, but now that I'm so used to their sizing I just don't bother trying other brands, so I just swallow the inflated international prices. I think they're still pretty good in the $100-150 range, but if you value better fit and customization, online MTMs might be worth trying instead.

MTO (on their website) only allows you to make minor fit modifications, on top of my head, collar size, sleeve length (but not cuff size), and body length (but not chest/waist sizes). MTM has more options but is only available at trunk shows.

Fwiw I'm pretty content right now, but if I wanted something better, I'll probably try bespoke next. Living in NYC, I do get access to quite a few options.
 

Hₑighthere

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I think you can request MTM options without a face-to-face consultation, though obviously that's not ideal. https://kamakurashirts.com/pages/mtm-about says 'E-mail, virtual, or phone consultations'. After I placed an MTO order their consultant actually e-mailed me to make sure I really did intend to order something that slim, and the result of the conversation was that she applied some additional width adjustments to the order.
 

ASNY2VA

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If you haven't heard of them, I would suggest Ledbury. They have ready to wear in various sizes and fits, and also have the option of made to measure. At full price they are close to or within your price range, and often have sales or discounts for multiple shirts.

Good luck!


It's been a while since I've been here last. Back about 8-10 years ago, Kamakura seemed to be the gold standard for ~$100 shirts. I was very satisfied with their shirts at the time but have no idea what they're like now. It looks like they've whittled down on their cloth selection since then and also only do French plackets unless you're buying a button down collar.
Is Kamakura still the go-to for best materials, construction, and fit for the money? I'm looking to stay in the $100-$130 price point but have some flexibility if a different shirt at a higher price point is well justified. I've already looked at the cheaper run of the mill brands like Charles Tyrwhitt and Spier and Mackay but don't have actual hand on experience with them.
 

Allen22

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Oh this is great, thanks for the info. I took a further look into SM and they seem like a great buy at the pricepoint but there's a few small details I wish I could change. I may consider checking out their OTR offerings.
Do you happen to have any experience with their MTM/MTO services? I'm wondering if it's worth ditching OTR at this point to get exactly what I want. Proper Cloth's complimentary remakes sound super appealing and it seems like they're a notch above SM. I think I'm leaning toward them right now.


SM seems overwhelmed, better to check Larimars for MTM/MTO.
 

leapyourbar

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Mar 27, 2011
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Oh this is great, thanks for the info. I took a further look into SM and they seem like a great buy at the pricepoint but there's a few small details I wish I could change. I may consider checking out their OTR offerings.
Do you happen to have any experience with their MTM/MTO services? I'm wondering if it's worth ditching OTR at this point to get exactly what I want. Proper Cloth's complimentary remakes sound super appealing and it seems like they're a notch above SM. I think I'm leaning toward them right now.
I do! They were good, but my shirt came out a bit tight which was my fault. I would try proper cloth, honestly.
 

Skeem1

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I personally have been enjoying Kamakuras recently. I got a bunch of shirts at the final sale when they closed the NYC store. I also came back from Japan and bought a bunch for the domestic price. I got a MTM order from Proper Cloth a few years ago and it was a bit too slim. I probably gained weight as well so my fault but do no longer fit in them.
 

ValidusLA

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Fwiw I'm pretty content right now, but if I wanted something better, I'll probably try bespoke next. Living in NYC, I do get access to quite a few options.

If you are in NYC and willing to do bespoke, I heartily recommend CEGO.
I live in LA, and I get my shirts done in NYC when I go out.
 

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