Sanyo Greenvale coat - comments?

[icehawk21]

Gentlemen,

Does anyone have any comments they can pass on regarding the Sanyo Greenvale coat? I reside in Canada and need to purchase an "all-purpose" winter coat that I can dress up with a dress shirt and trousers (occasional sportcoat) and dressed down with jeans. Has anyone purchased this coat? What are your impressions? How is Sanyo as a coat manufacturer (I'm not familiar with the brand)?

Here is a link to the coat on Sanyo's website: http://www.sanyofashionhouse.com/ind.../22668/catid/3

Do you think this coat would be warm enough for 5-32 degrees fahrenheit (avg. 20 degrees)? Could I pull off wearing the (very) occasional suit underneath?

The retail price in Canada is $500 CDN (at today's exchange rate ~ $430 USD). I've looked online and the only place I could locate this coat was at Nordstrom's and Sak's for ~$395 USD. After currency conversion, shipping and duties/taxes it would cost more than paying full retail here in Canada. Unfortunately, the store carrying them does not negotiate price and will not sell below retail. It's getting colder and I need to buy a jacket. I like the style of this coat and think it's versatility works for me.

Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Bryan

 

[Cary Grant]

I can only speak to my Sanyo raincoat- it's car coat length and lightweight. It's been a very durable, functional piece. I picked it up at Nordstrom Rack 2 years ago for about $40. It's pretty indestructible.

 

[Spatlese]

I think I have the same, or a very similar coat. Bought it at Nordstrom Rack last summer year for ~$160. What store did you see it at? Check if the Bay carries it (the only Cdn store I've recently seen Sanyo in) and if so, maybe you can catch it during a sale. Do they still do that scratch and save thing?

In addition to this, I have another Sanyo raincoat and like both. Nothing exceptional but decent quality esp. at discount.

 

[icehawk21]

Your impressions match mine - good quality and most likely a very functional coat. I've been scouring the options available in my city (Calgary, Alberta) and this was the 1st reasonably priced coat that attracted me. I found it in a local men's retail store (O'Connors) that carries quite a few reputable men's brands. I haven't found it anywhere else - including the Bay (although I haven't checked recently). Yes, they still do the scratch and save thing.

I hate shopping in Calgary. We've got ridiculously high retail prices in our higher end stores (Holt Renfrew, Harry Rosen, Henry Singer) and I can't justify the price. I did come across 2 chesterfield overcoats (both from Canali) that I fell in love with - but at $1700-2000 CDN I couldn't justify the purchase. Especially since I have a greater need for an "all-purpose" coat than I do for a more formal overcoat.

I have been looking at purchasing a covert coat from TM Lewin of Charles Tyrwhitt but I'm not sure they are warm enough for the upcoming winter. Perhaps I'll delay the covert coat purchase until next spring.

Any others who have more information on the Sanyo Greenvale coat?

 

[Cary Grant]

FYI- O'Connors now sells Martegani shoes, I believe. Ron mentioned on the Martegani blog. So it can't be all bad there.

 

[Spatlese]

^ Nah, he's right, it blows

Actually, IIRC there's a rep from Singer who posts on here. I can't remember his ID, but maybe he'll this and can give some guidance?

 

[Cary Grant]

But... but... the STAMPEDE!!!!!

 

[icehawk21]

Ahh...the Stampede. If nothing else, Calgary is definitely know for the Stampede. After too many debacles I've decided to give it a break for a couple of years - perhaps until the kids are old enough to enjoy the rodeo and rides. It's always amusing to see fellow co-workers, who probably haven't been out partying all year, cut loose and get "crazy" during Stampede. There's a reason that there's a baby explosion 9 months after the Stampede (no lie). Now that I'm married and have kids I've toned it back - no chance of getting into trouble!

O'Connors is actually a pretty decent retail shop in Calgary. They carry all the mainline brands (Zegna, Canali, Hugo Boss, Pal Zileri, etc.) and some of the Canadian brands (Samuelsohn, Coppley). They also have the best men's shoes selection in Calgary. But, as most retail shops in Canada, they are always over-priced. Retail prices in Canada are significantly more expensive then the US and items are never on sale (with exception of end-of-season sales). We also don't have any of the clearance and outlet venues to pick through for bargains.

To be honest, I'm a relative newcomer to this forum (and other, such as AAAC) and since joining, its been eye-opening to see just how much higher our retail prices are. Before joining the forum, I purchased a Zegna suit from O'Connors for $1700 CDN - the most expensive suit I've owned. I don't wear suits for work but I needed a new one for job interviews. It's a great suit and I love it, but after joining this forum I realized that I could have gotten it much cheaper elsewhere (perhaps online). Since then, I've purchased some shoes online (from this forum) and shirts online for significantly cheaper. I'll definitely be a more discriminating shopper from this point forward - so thanks to the fellow forum members.

Anyways, back to the Sanyo coat. Any more thoughts out there? Does anyone know where I could pick one up cheaper than $500 CDN?

Thanks!

Bryan

 

[robasaurus]

Originally Posted by Spatlese

^ Nah, he's right, it blows

Actually, IIRC there's a rep from Singer who posts on here. I can't remember his ID, but maybe he'll this and can give some guidance?

That's me. I've also worked at Grafton & Co. which is another place Icehawk should be looking for this Sanyo coat. They have in the past, and I believe still do stock Sanyo.

Sadly, my friend, I don't think you'll be able to find that coat in this city for any less than that unless you risk waiting for it to go on sale.

If you've got any questions though, I'd be happy to answer them, as I have a pretty solid understanding of where to go for what, and when, in this city.

edit: shameless plug for my store - O'Connors is great and all, but give Singers another shot. Our prices may be as high as everyone else, but our service is infinitely better.

 

[icehawk21]

robasaurus,

I'm very familiar with Grafton & Co. Most of my shirts/trousers/ties have been purchased at Grafton. I'm actually quite fond of the store. In fact, my old suits were purchased there many years ago - back when I needed cheaper suits to be worn in the back seat of a car on a road-trip to Cranbrook or Moose Jaw to referee hockey (I used to referee competitively).

I actually think Grafton is the best bang-for-buck store in Calgary. I've outgrown their suits but for everyday business attire (shirts and trousers) they can't be beat. In fact, I'm wearing a shirt/trouser combination from Grafton today.

I actually did look for some coats at Grafton. They had a couple of last-season coats on sale which I almost purchased. I wasn't exactly sold on them though - they weren't wool and were a bit too casual. Their current season stock (as of 2 weeks ago) didn't hold any appeal and I didn't see any Sanyo coats. I'll check again as I'm only a couple of blocks away.

I actually popped into Singers a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps we spoke as I was assisted by a sales assistant. You didn't have too many brown/camel coats - mostly black and charcoal. At the time I was looking for brown/camel but I might revisit that requirement as I've decided to go a little more casual.

Perhaps I'll come back if you can grant me some price reductions

I can put in a shameless plug as well!

Bryan

 

[robasaurus]

Originally Posted by icehawk21

robasaurus,

I'm very familiar with Grafton & Co. Most of my shirts/trousers/ties have been purchased at Grafton. I'm actually quite fond of the store. In fact, my old suits were purchased there many years ago - back when I needed cheaper suits to be worn in the back seat of a car on a road-trip to Cranbrook or Moose Jaw to referee hockey (I used to referee competitively).

I actually think Grafton is the best bang-for-buck store in Calgary. I've outgrown their suits but for everyday business attire (shirts and trousers) they can't be beat. In fact, I'm wearing a shirt/trouser combination from Grafton today.

I actually did look for some coats at Grafton. They had a couple of last-season coats on sale which I almost purchased. I wasn't exactly sold on them though - they weren't wool and were a bit too casual. Their current season stock (as of 2 weeks ago) didn't hold any appeal and I didn't see any Sanyo coats. I'll check again as I'm only a couple of blocks away.

I actually popped into Singers a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps we spoke as I was assisted by a sales assistant. You didn't have too many brown/camel coats - mostly black and charcoal. At the time I was looking for brown/camel but I might revisit that requirement as I've decided to go a little more casual.

Perhaps I'll come back if you can grant me some price reductions

I can put in a shameless plug as well!

Bryan

I agree with you about Grafton. They have actually recently switched from a fused construction to a half-canvas construction for their suits, and at $700 a pop, there isn't much to complain about aside from the cut. Their shirts are definitely one of the best values around.

I don't know if they stock Sanyo anymore - it varies from store to store. I worked at the Chinook location, and we carried their outerwear every season that I was there. Perhaps things have changed.

As for Singers, I'll PM you.

 

[icehawk21]

robasaurus,

I had noticed that their suits had improved from the last time I purchased. My suits purchased over 5 years ago were fused - in fact 2 were Tommy Hilfiger and 1 was a Grafton (lower line - not the Stonehouse brand). I did pop in to check out their suits and noticed they had dropped their lower lines and had re-constructed their Stonehouse suites to half-canvas. I tried a couple on and was quite surprised at the quality. Obviously Grafton has decided to market themselves between the lower quality Moore's/Tip Top (which, I believe, they own) and the higher quality (and priced) suits carried by Harry Rosen, Singer, etc. Unfortunately, I had already purchased a couple of full-canvassed suits (Zegna, Samuelsohn MTM) and could appreciate the better quality/cut. However, I'll agree that the suits are now a good value at Grafton. Their shirts and trousers are definitely a good value. And their ties are exceptional value. I bought a couple this summer - good construction, self-tipped and sturdy weight.

I haven't checked out the Chinook location for the Sanyo coats. I've only popped into their downtown and Market Mall locations. Would Chinook carry different brands/lines?

Can you also comment on the quality of the sportcoats? Are they half-canvassed, similar to their suits. I believe their Stonehouse suits are made by Jack Victor and (as mentioned above) are pretty decent value. Are their sportcoats also made by Jack Victor? Or are they fused and made by Peerless?

I'll await your PM.

Thanks!

 

[robasaurus]

I'm impressed with your knowledge of the inner workings of Grafton & Co. You're right, the parent company, Grafton-Fraser Inc, owns Tip Top Tailor. Grafton is meant to be the higher end brand in the company, but the name is gradually being switched over to Stonehouse. As the locations make that transition, they will also begin receiving different stock. More of what they carry will be Stonehouse-branded, as well as younger-styled labels like Dagr, Firetrap, and Pure. Some of it is nice, some is not. They still don't seem to have figured out that they can't court a younger customer and still hang on to the older client that shopped at the old Grafton stores. We'll see how it all goes.

As for their sportcoats, when I left the company, some were made by Jack Victor and some by Peerless. As I understand it, all of their suits and sportcoats are now made by Jack Victor and are half-canvassed. I could be wrong on that one though, so I'll have a look next time I get a chance to pop down to Grafton.

I just called the Chinook Grafton, and they don't carry Sanyo outerwear. I suppose that means that the company simply didn't buy any this season. Who knows if they will again.

 

[icehawk21]

Thank you. I've tried to educate myself and I admit that I still have much too learn. I knew that they were planning on re-branding to Stonehouse and thought that the individual locations would have made the transition by now. It appears to be happening slowly - I believe they've only rebranded some (maybe one) store in Toronto to Stonehouse. Perhaps they need to split into two - Stonehouse for the younger crowd and Grafton for their existing (and older) clientelle. Of course, this would be more expensive. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Thanks for checking the Chinook Grafton - much appreciated. And yes, please let me know what you find out next time you pop into Grafton.

 

[Siwash]

I live in Vancouver but have to travel East during the Winter... I have just ordered this from STP in Charcoal http://www.sierratradingpost.com/Pro...x?baseno=49750 With a recent 25% discount, it worked out to $450 ish shipped, haven't recieved it yet can update when I do if you wish.