Opalona shirts?

[kafziel]

Has anyone here tried Opalona shirts? I searched the term but didn't come up with much. I really like the look of this one but I'm a little wary of buying a non-MTM shirt without even being able to see it first. Not that $50 is a lot to spend on a shirt, but it's a lot to spend on a shirt that's going to go straight into the Goodwill bin.

Also, the line "stable stiffeners in the collar for perfect rigidity" makes me wonder if the collar stays are sewn in.

Anyone? Thanks in advance.

 

[Jim Barns]

And you have two post, where is the other one?

 

[kafziel]

It was giving a guy advice on how to bid on eBay. I mostly just lurk. Why? How many posts do I need to have before I can ask a question about a shirt?

 

[kafziel]

More than three, apparently.

 

[cncrd]

I don't know this brand, but "Made in Europe" probably means Romania. I have no way of knowing that but worth asking. Saks has had a ton of "Made in Romania" shirts in the off 5ths recently, I think marked down to $25 or something on clearance. Nice shirts, but not nearly MTM nice. I think Eton makes a bunch of their shirts there as well, and those retail for $200+.

Anyway. Just a speculation. You're going to get a $50 shirt, for whatever that's worth. I wouldn't bet heavily on it looking good after 6-8 washings and ironings.

 

[Franky12]

Originally Posted by kafziel

It was giving a guy advice on how to bid on eBay. I mostly just lurk. Why? How many posts do I need to have before I can ask a question about a shirt?

I don't think there is any number, the point is that when your first post is a question about a brand and carries a link then the idea is that you are trying to or spamming the forum.

 

[kafziel]

That's absurd. First of all, it wasn't my first post. Secondly, nobody's going to Google "opalona herringbone shirt with french cuffs and blue collar lining" just so they can see a shirt I think I might like. The link was obviously for convenience of those who might be interested in helping me. Finally, if I was spamming, why would I be raging about the (possibly) ****** sewn-in collar stays?

Am I supposed to just hang around making pretentious comments and being a dick to new users until I get my post count up? I've been lurking for ages, and just decided to open an account last week. I thought maybe answering a question might allow me to ask one in return; I didn't realize I needed a letter of recommendation.

 

[kafziel]

Originally Posted by cncrd

I don't know this brand, but "Made in Europe" probably means Romania. I have no way of knowing that but worth asking. Saks has had a ton of "Made in Romania" shirts in the off 5ths recently, I think marked down to $25 or something on clearance. Nice shirts, but not nearly MTM nice. I think Eton makes a bunch of their shirts there as well, and those retail for $200+.

Anyway. Just a speculation. You're going to get a $50 shirt, for whatever that's worth. I wouldn't bet heavily on it looking good after 6-8 washings and ironings.


Thanks. I don't wear suits every day, so I'm not too worried about how it will hold up after several trips to the laundry; I probably wear any given shirt from my closet 6 or 8 times in the course of a year, and then start shopping for new ones. I'm more concerned with it looking and feeling good for a year or so.

Is Romania a bad place to get a shirt made? Obviously it's not on par with the UK, but I'm not sure what the downside to Eastern Europe is. Cheap fabric? Poor craftsmanship? Child labor? My favorite tailor in Los Angeles is an old Armenian guy, and he seems to do a good job...

 

[Geezer]

"Am I supposed to just hang around making pretentious comments and being a dick to new users until I get my post count up?"


No, not at all. You are supposed to do that after you get your post count up.

 

[kafziel]

Originally Posted by Geezer

No, not at all. You are supposed to do that after you get your post count up.

 

[acridsheep]

Shirt looks fine, OP. For such a mundane topic, this thread was surprisingly entertaining.

 

[cncrd]

Originally Posted by kafziel

Thanks. I don't wear suits every day, so I'm not too worried about how it will hold up after several trips to the laundry; I probably wear any given shirt from my closet 6 or 8 times in the course of a year, and then start shopping for new ones. I'm more concerned with it looking and feeling good for a year or so.

Is Romania a bad place to get a shirt made? Obviously it's not on par with the UK, but I'm not sure what the downside to Eastern Europe is. Cheap fabric? Poor craftsmanship? Child labor? My favorite tailor in Los Angeles is an old Armenian guy, and he seems to do a good job...

Not at all, just a point of information; that's why I mentioned Eton, which is normally an above average off the rack shirt. Also, if you keep up with the discussions here about Incotex and Mabitex, you'll find that different lines of both of those are also made there. I only intended to point out that most European clothing made in what are perceived to be higher-quality countries of manufacture will say it specifically- made in France, made in Italy, made in England, etc.

My experience has been that "made in Europe" means made in a factory somewhere other than in a western European country with a perceived high-end clothing industry. Typically this means in Eastern Europe somewhere. Probably means quality is not quite as good, but may simply mean there's 100% machine work and mass production involved, or maybe slightly less luxurious fabrics. Again, see Incotex and Mabitex. You might not even be able to tell the difference. I certainly couldn't without the knowledge of people here.

It's very much like clothing retailers online that will identify a country if they think it looks good, like "Made in Italy", but will label clothing made in China simply as "Imported".

 

[kafziel]

Ah, I see what you mean. I think I'll hold off on trying this unless I hear from someone who has one and likes it.

Thanks again!

 

[Opalona]

My name is Guillaume and I am in charge of shirts production here at Opalona.

I just read through some of the posts here on the board and wanted to answer a few of your questions.

As I'm sure you understood, Opalona is a French company. The design of our shirts and accessories is all done in our Parisian hq.

As far as the manufacturing process, Opalona shirts are all made from Egyptian cotton that is spun and woven in Italy. Our buttons are manufactured in Portugal, and our shirts are manufactured in several European countries. So when we say that our shirts are 'made in Europe', it means that all the manufacturing takes place in Europe but not in one given country.

All our shirts are made from a 2 ply 100% cotton fabric of excellent quality. The shirts are easy to iron and, from our experience, will last for many more than 6-8 washes.

The collar stays are actually sewn-in and not removable.

As you know, the best way to talk about the quality of a shirt is to try it on in person. We have many loyal American customers so perhaps one of them could give you his opinion about Opalona shirts here on Styleforum.

 

[nicko]

Hi,

Have just bought 3 french cuff shirts (Italian collar) and including postage they worked out at approx. £38 each.
Have not worn yet but have washed them and can honestly say that the overall quality / value for money appears 1st class.
You can look at and feel a shirt to have a good idea of how they will wear and my opinion is that they are excellent.
I've searched numerous web sites for this style of shirt and nothing compares for the money.
The sizing was also spot on, with the fit being 'fitted' and not anorexic!!
I ordered a size 5 (am 15 stone with a 17.5 inch neck).
Hope this helps.