SPIER & MACKAY - Official Affiliate Thread

[JTrent82]

I'm feeling irrationally angry about product photos again. Here are the high rise olive chinos I bought and next to them the relaxed chino with the same fabric code. How can the same studio with the same lights and the same camera produce such wildly different colors? The relaxed photo's color is the real life color btw. This is not olive ffs... infuriating.

 

[SteveMc]

I'm feeling irrationally angry about product photos again. Here are the high rise olive chinos I bought and next to them the relaxed chino with the same fabric code. How can the same studio with the same lights and the same camera produce such wildly different colors? The relaxed photo's color is the real life color btw. This is not olive ffs... infuriating. View attachment 2166707

Could be different studios for all we know..
But absolutely agree with you. It's very difficult to understand the real color from the photos.
How can these be photos of the same shirt? completely different colors!

 

[ElliotG]

Glad I'm not the only one that thought about this.

I don’t know about @dapperclassic, but I have my dress shirts washed and pressed at the dry cleaners (NOT dry cleaned though). You can specify starch levels (I go no starch and they still come back very smooth).

Hasn’t seemed to impact longevity of the fabric. YMMV

 

[ppk]

damn, how do you get your shirts so smooth? I can never get mine to stay this way. Maybe because I use a steamer instead of an iron.

Not sure what @dapperclassic does but I wash and press my shirts myself. It's something that I enjoy. Occasionally, I do send them to be laundered and pressed.

 

[dapperclassic]

Not sure what @dapperclassic does but I wash and press my shirts myself. It's something that I enjoy. Occasionally, I do send them to be laundered and pressed.

Wash by hand, slow spin. Then iron using a steam generator iron (one that has a separate water tank.

 

[ppk]

Wash by hand, slow spin. Then iron using a steam generator iron (one that has a separate water tank.

Nice! I just have a regular iron with steam.

 

[alvinblue]

any remember that email spier sent at the end of 2023 about how they're going to be stepping up their communications and their new MTO program was imminent? lol

 

[sydneycider]

any remember that email spier sent at the end of 2023 about how they're going to be stepping up their communications and their new MTO program was imminent? lol

the new MTO program has been "imminent" for about two years now.

 

[ericgereghty]

Ok, SM's CS team is still pending reply (hopefully come the morning), but they updated their Bryson linen offering descriptions.

So, do we believe their new listed 260g fabric weight, or are we thinking that's a booboo? It seems rather at odds with their "we showcase one of their signature fabrics in a heavier weight" description.

Thoughts? At 260g, they're a pass entirely.

 

[stro]

i was waiting for that weight to get added too. almost suspicious that the number came in at 260, which i think would be the fabric weight by square meter of a fabric whose weight by linear meter is in the ~ 360-370g range (assuming an approx 1.4 m wide fabric). i think i saw a wayward post from #MenswearGuy back before he was objectively famous that put the conversion rate around that number for some other mill that did this when i was trying to run down something similar that confused me, though i'm sure that's not a universal number even if i'm remembering correctly (big if). having said that, there is a comment on this page that hit on a google search i just ran for this issue suggesting something similar for spence bryson specifically: https://www.permanentstyle.com/2018/05/the-guide-to-linen.html

based on the above i'd probably be willing to bet that the posted 260g is correct, literally, but not the unit we're used to using for comparison's sake. it probably sits in the 360-370 range which is not wildly thicc but decidedly in a range i'd have interest in. would love to hear any insight any others would like to add on to my wild speculation though

 

[JTrent82]

I was browsing the Baird McNutt catalog the other day and was shocked to learn that their tailoring fabrics are 228 and 270 gsm respectively (it does indicate gSm). I'm familiar with both of these bunches and would consider both heavyweight, but the provided weights don't really correspond to how they wear apparently. Confusing matters even more, another affiliate vendor has linen tailoring from what I assume is Baird McNutt Glenariff. It's listed on Baird's site as 270 but on the vendor's fabric info as 400 gsm (which actually sounds right). All this to say that I don't understand what's going on with linen weight in general.

 

[classicoutfits]

these model photos making me not want to buy anything

 

[Don L]

these model photos making me not want to buy anything

Same. Just awful and they never have my size in stock anyway

 

[ericgereghty]

i was waiting for that weight to get added too. almost suspicious that the number came in at 260, which i think would be the fabric weight by square meter of a fabric whose weight by linear meter is in the ~ 360-370g range (assuming an approx 1.4 m wide fabric). i think i saw a wayward post from #MenswearGuy back before he was objectively famous that put the conversion rate around that number for some other mill that did this when i was trying to run down something similar that confused me, though i'm sure that's not a universal number even if i'm remembering correctly (big if). having said that, there is a comment on this page that hit on a google search i just ran for this issue suggesting something similar for spence bryson specifically: https://www.permanentstyle.com/2018/05/the-guide-to-linen.html

based on the above i'd probably be willing to bet that the posted 260g is correct, literally, but not the unit we're used to using for comparison's sake. it probably sits in the 360-370 range which is not wildly thicc but decidedly in a range i'd have interest in. would love to hear any insight any others would like to add on to my wild speculation though

I was browsing the Baird McNutt catalog the other day and was shocked to learn that their tailoring fabrics are 228 and 270 gsm respectively (it does indicate gSm). I'm familiar with both of these bunches and would consider both heavyweight, but the provided weights don't really correspond to how they wear apparently. Confusing matters even more, another affiliate vendor has linen tailoring from what I assume is Baird McNutt Glenariff. It's listed on Baird's site as 270 but on the vendor's fabric info as 400 gsm (which actually sounds right). All this to say that I don't understand what's going on with linen weight in general.

So, CS confirmed the above: "Apologies for the delay the copywriter had to go through their notes provided from the mill to find that information. They let me know that all of these products use the same type of fabric from Spence Bryson, with a weight of 260 grams/metre. The website copy should be updated to reflect this information shortly."

However, I hadn't considered the above terminology disconnect as pertains to SB, which does track with the aforementioned discussion and, based on the explicit "heavier weight" callout, I'm inclined to think that may be right and Spier's copyright team may not be hip to the nuance. I can't imagine thinking a 9oz linen as heavy.

So, what do we think: should I be the guinea pig and test out our hypothesis?

And, happily enough, it seems gatekeeping fabric weight is no longer an official policy, so kudos to SM for heeding the whining from us weirdos!

 

[XxLogo]

People: We want product photos to better display the products! Please S&M listen!
Also people when they start doing what people asked:

these model photos making me not want to buy anything

No wonder S&M isn’t on here anymore, there’s no winning. Yes the styling may not be great, but at least they’re trying to show you the garment on.