The unofficial Drake's London Appreciation Thread

[TheShetlandSweater]

Isn't this just a description of the broader fashion market? Things are getting more expensive. Things go on sale. That's like ... all of fashion? Except maybe Kent Wang.

It's the rate at which they get more expensive and how deep they go on sale.

 

[dieworkwear]

It's the rate at which they get more expensive and how deep they go on sale.

Would you say that prices are rising globally at a rate of 0.3% per year?

Anyway, more seriously, this is literally all of fashion. This post was written in 2013 and things have only continued since, maybe gotten worse.

Fashion Inflation: Why Are Prices Rising So Fast?

From shoes to handbags to ready-to-wear, the price of designer fashion has increased precipitously over the last decade. What’s driving the rising prices? And how high can they go?

www.businessoffashion.com

 

[pblzqlcn]

maybe drakes should be different than "all of fashion"

 

[dieworkwear]

maybe drakes should be different than "all of fashion"

I don't know what distinction you make between fashion and whatever else is not fashion (I guess "style not fashion," yada yada yada), but the same has happened in the classic menswear market. I don't remember what I paid for my Steed sport coats back in 2013, when I started using them. But last year, I stumbled upon some receipts and remember being shocked. I think prices have almost doubled in that 7-year span.

The same is true for very non-fashionable shops, such as J. Press (trad, small boutique, small footprint, etc). In 2010, J. Press Shaggy Dogs were $165. Today, they're $250. Prices across the board have almost doubled.

 

[TheShetlandSweater]

Would you say that prices are rising globally at a rate of 0.3% per year?

Anyway, more seriously, this is literally all of fashion. This post was written in 2013 and things have only continued since, maybe gotten worse.

Fashion Inflation: Why Are Prices Rising So Fast?

From shoes to handbags to ready-to-wear, the price of designer fashion has increased precipitously over the last decade. What’s driving the rising prices? And how high can they go?

www.businessoffashion.com

I think these trends are more extreme in Drake's than the vast majority of other CM brands/stores.

Some examples. Armoury prices may be high, but they are pretty stable. I bought an Abraham Moon Wool Model 3 from them 3 years ago for 1200 (I use this as an example because I distinctly remember that price). This year they have a model 11 in a similar Abraham Moon Wool for 1250 (1000 with the discount). In 2013, you wrote an article for PTO that had O'Connell's Shetlands at 165. 7 years later they are 195. I bought a Frank Clegg briefcase a few years ago for 850. That model now sells for...850. Alden shoes 5 years ago were low 500s. Now they are high 500s and low 600s. I don't know if these examples are perfectly representative of CM in general, but this is the impression I get from brands in general.

^Also a 50% price increase over 10 years (what you mentioned above for Shaggy Dogs) is very different than a 50% or 100% increase in less than 5 years, which we see for some Drake's products, e.g. shirts.

 

[gardenvariety]

Fwiw the description for the casentino wool coat says woven in the casentino region, but it doesn’t seem to have that fresh from the garbage disposal look to it like casentino cloth.

Agree. Give me a casentino coat with so much pilling I get mistaken for a pharmacist.

 

[dieworkwear]

I think these trends are more extreme in Drake's than the vast majority of other CM brands/stores.

Some examples. Armoury prices may be high, but they are pretty stable. I bought an Abraham Moon Wool Model 3 from them 3 years ago for 1200 (I use this as an example because I distinctly remember that price). This year they have a model 11 in a similar Abraham Moon Wool for 1250 (1000 with the discount). In 2013, you wrote an article for PTO that had O'Connell's Shetlands at 165. 7 years later they are 195. I bought a Frank Clegg briefcase a few years ago for 850. That model now sells for...850. Alden shoes 5 years ago were low 500s. Now they are high 500s and low 600s. I don't know if these examples are perfectly representative of CM in general, but this is the impression I get from brands in general.

^Also a 50% price increase over 10 years (what you mentioned above for Shaggy Dogs) is very different than a 50% or 100% increase in less than 5 years, which we see for some Drake's products, e.g. shirts.

I just don't think of Drake's as being like O'Connell's. I mean, I love O'Connell's and Ben Silver and Cordings and all those other very trad, "anti-fashion" shops. But Drake's just isn't that kind of brand or even aesthetic.

Again, when I first wrote about them in 2011, I compared their ties to E. Marinella. The argument back then is that you could get a fully handmade, bespoke tie from Sam Hober for cheaper (which is true!) and that some Drake's ties were pressed too flat when compared to Hober (also true!). But Drake's just wasn't for that kind of customer. It is what it is, and it's also part of the reason why younger guys are attracted to the brand.

If you want to really be finicky about timespans, J. Press Shaggy Dogs were $165 in 2010 and then $230 in 2013 ($245 for the slightly slimmer York Street version). Not yet double in five years, but getting there.

 

[pblzqlcn]

I don't know what distinction you make between fashion and whatever else is not fashion (I guess "style not fashion," yada yada yada), but the same has happened in the classic menswear market. I don't remember what I paid for my Steed sport coats back in 2013, when I started using them. But last year, I stumbled upon some receipts and remember being shocked. I think prices have almost doubled in that 7-year span.

The same is true for very non-fashionable shops, such as J. Press (trad, small boutique, small footprint, etc). In 2010, J. Press Shaggy Dogs were $165. Today, they're $250. Prices across the board have almost doubled.

you missed the point
as usual

 

[TheShetlandSweater]

I just don't think of Drake's as being like O'Connell's. I mean, I love O'Connell's and Ben Silver and Cordings and all those other very trad, "anti-fashion" shops. But Drake's just isn't that kind of brand or even aesthetic.

Again, when I first wrote about them in 2011, I compared their ties to E. Marinella. The argument back then is that you could get a fully handmade, bespoke tie from Sam Hober for cheaper (which is true!) and that some Drake's ties were pressed too flat when compared to Hober (also true!). But Drake's just wasn't for that kind of customer. It is what it is, and it's also part of the reason why younger guys are attracted to the brand.

If you want to really be finicky about timespans, J. Press Shaggy Dogs were $165 in 2010 and then $230 in 2013 ($245 for the slightly slimmer York Street version). Not yet double in five years, but getting there.

I mentioned some other places too and could name more. I think part of my point, though, is that Drake's used to position itself more like these more traditional places and has since shifted and this shift in identity has alienated people.

 

[dieworkwear]

Anyway, I realize prices are soaring in fashion and we all have reason to grumble, but prices are also the most boring aspect of fashion. I wish sometimes this thread would move beyond just a discussion about how much something cost, as it's been a 9-year discussion on this singular topic alone.

 

[polyfusion]

Anyway, I realize prices are soaring in fashion and we all have reason to grumble, but prices are also the most boring aspect of fashion. I wish sometimes this thread would move beyond just a discussion about how much something cost, as it's been a 9-year discussion on this singular topic alone.

100%

 

[aristoi bcn]

Are the new cashmere rollnecks 1 or 2 ply? It's not stated in the site although they look 2 ply.

 

[slows2k]

While the price is awfully high that herringbone coat is REALLY calling to me; the silhouette is perfect. The yellow scarf is the exact right shade, too. This look slays me. Really simple but effective.

 

[mbb355]

While the price is awfully high that herringbone coat is REALLY calling to me; the silhouette is perfect. The yellow scarf is the exact right shade, too. This look slays me. Really simple but effective.

View attachment 1477930

Would the coat be better if belted?

 

[markphilly]

I love this coat also, but was wondering if it should be a few inches longer.