EGs not discontinued by RLPL? (and best Polo salesman in Boston)

[josepidal]

I went to the Newbury Street branch of Polo Boston today, and spoke to the store manager Kathy Connor and the shoe area associate, Alton. (I returned the hideous Corbens and was put on the phone to a Polo.com manager who didn't sound very... friendly.)

They basically said Purple Label was adding an Italian line by the same manufacturer that services Gucci, but that they were not dropping the English line, i.e. Edward Green. Alton said he was inquiring about the MTO program on behalf of a couple of customers, for example.

Thoughts?

Whatever the truth is, I would encourage everyone who buys Polo shoes in Boston to give their business to this guy aptly named Alton. He knows what Edward Green and welted shoes are, can describe his personal sense of style well, and basically is a pleasure to talk to. He also made me try on the new Italian-made RLPL moc toe loafer which surprisingly fit me much better than the narrow EG made Barksdales. (I inferred that the Italian made line is cheaper than the English line, as far as the loafers are concerned.)

Basically, this Alton is a guy who:
1) jokes that the RLPL Italian line is made by Lattanzi
2) with great indignance says that he would never wear a fused suit
3) takes the RLPL velvet slippers and says they're made by EG but have Ralph's initials on them so he'd only wear them if they had his initials
4) wears a white pocket square and the RLPL loafers on display to work
5) can make a convincing case that there are times you might justify wanting black RLPL loafers

Far cry from Rodeo Drive's evil Todd.

 

[ACDoyle]

I heard the same form the BH Polo, as they have got a new stock of EG andnow has a much wider selection than ever before.

 

[mussel]

Originally Posted by josepidal

I went to the Newbury Street branch of Polo Boston today, and spoke to the store manager Kathy Connor and the shoe area associate, Alton. (I returned the hideous Corbens and was put on the phone to a Polo.com manager who didn't sound very... friendly.)

They basically said Purple Label was adding an Italian line by the same manufacturer that services Gucci, but that they were not dropping the English line, i.e. Edward Green. Alton said he was inquiring about the MTO program on behalf of a couple of customers, for example.

I hope that's the case. How many models of EG did you see at the Boston store?

 

[josepidal]

Three. Two new moc toe loafers and velvet slippers. I went to the Mansion a couple of weeks back though and they had everything.

 

[TCN]

I visit Boston often, and know who Alton is. Very knowledgable about the EG shoes, and RL in general. Also knew that my "fly-fishing" briefcase was a Mullholland Bros. - I was impressed.

I think the Boston store is a seldom mentioned gem, and the salespeople there are friendly and helpful (unlike at the Manhattan mansion).

BTW, if you're at the Detroit store, look for Mike Connelly - he's a pro.

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by josepidal

Basically, this Alton is a guy who:
1) jokes that the RLPL Italian line is made by Lattanzi
2) with great indignance says that he would never wear a fused suit
3) takes the RLPL velvet slippers and says they're made by EG but have Ralph's initials on them so he'd only wear them if they had his initials
4) wears a white pocket square and the RLPL loafers on display to work
5) can make a convincing case that there are times you might justify wanting black RLPL loafers

Far cry from Rodeo Drive's evil Todd.

1)

2)

4) I hope he doesn't wear loafers with a suit
5) No one can convince me of this.

 

[pscolari]

Alton is great and is very knowledgable like you said. There is another guy on the 2d floor, Jim, who is a bit older and just as good. Both are extremely friendly and know all of their product...as well as competitors. One day last winter I was in there and Alton wanted to take a look at my Scheiders coat.

Jose - You are uncovering the good parts of Boston/Cambridge pretty quickly. Have you been to Rizzo's on Church St, J Press, Andover Shop, or Stonestreet's? Take the Redline or walk to Porter and talk to Gary Drinkwater as well and drool over the new Carmina. From those handful of stores you will see a great many of styles, though not as many as NYC. The people who work in each have a ton of years under their belts and can wax poetic like us. Get Joe at Rizzo's to start talking about cloth or suits by Kiton, Isaia, or Brioni. He has great insights about each from the perspective of a tailor re: the evolution of quality and so forth.