The unofficial Drake's London Appreciation Thread

[Jon 1981]

Just a heads up, I've returned (today)
Navy Hopsack merino wool blazer 42
Navy hopsack merino trousers 38
Light green linen tie

Kind regards

 

[K. Nights]

Can anyone speak to the sizing on the 100% linen overshirts? I have a 41" chest measurement and typically wear 40R in sport coats ... would a Medium or Large be most appropriate?

Just to add another data point, I'm a 41 and wear a large in the overshirts. They fit well but I wish the shoulder width was larger (a little over 18" shoulders is pretty small for a large shirt). My washed linen version seems to fit the same as my other ones

 

[inTROYspection]

Just to add another data point, I'm a 41 and wear a large in the overshirts. They fit well but I wish the shoulder width was larger (a little over 18" shoulders is pretty small for a large shirt). My washed linen version seems to fit the same as my other ones

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I've got a medium in the khaki/olive linen on the way, but based on input, it looks like a large would have been my best bet. If anyone is up for a trade, let me know!

 

[RickyTakhar]

Gotta love the 3 shirt bundle price hike ?. Some good deals to be had on eBay though

 

[hpreston]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I've got a medium in the khaki/olive linen on the way, but based on input, it looks like a large would have been my best bet. If anyone is up for a trade, let me know!

Let us know how it works out when you receive it.

Gotta love the 3 shirt bundle price hike ?. Some good deals to be had on eBay though

Yep. They raised the price. Buuuut, they added many styles that have never been part of the 3 shirt deal. It used to be just basics, blue/white OCBDs and spread collars. Now there’s linens and stripes and other seasonal shirts that have never been included before.

 

[moncharlemagne]

Looks like they’ve raised the prices across the board, shoes are now more expensive as well. Have to admit that 195€ per shirt is quite hefty.

 

[alghul]

Which color to get? I prefer the tobacco but I am wondering how versatile they are compared to the dark brown. Planning to wear them mostly with flannel and some cords. Moreover I wear mid-grey flannel fairly often and was wondering if the lighter shade of brown will look as good.

Any thoughts?

 

[polyfusion]

195 on a shirt is frankly kind of ridiculous considering you can get bespoke, which will likely fit a lot better for not far off this price. My shirts from Luca Avitabile were only fractionally more and the fit and shape on me gives me satisfaction literally every day I wear them.
Or perhaps I am wrong, and judging Drakes like any other Tailor when really we are paying for style, fashion and someone else’s vision of combining an outfit over and above quality and craft is more of a comparison. Supreme for the upper middle class if you will. I could never have combined the colour, pattern and detailing with my other accessories with the panache Drakes manages, so I suppose this is the price you pay.

However considering the fact Drakes is by and large the default favourite menswear brand of all high end menswear writers, who advise us knowingly away from Fast fashion, consumerism and towards craft and timeless elegance, it also feels something of a hypocrisy to me to be lectured In this way as we all readily buy once again into a brand and fashion led experience of menswear.

 

[mak1277]

Which color to get? I prefer the tobacco but I am wondering how versatile they are compared to the dark brown. Planning to wear them mostly with flannel and some cords. Moreover I wear mid-grey flannel fairly often and was wondering if the lighter shade of brown will look as good.

Any thoughts?

View attachment 1424386 View attachment 1424387

Different brand, but here's a bourbon suede with medium gray flannel example shot if it helps.

 

[dieworkwear]

195 on a shirt is frankly kind of ridiculous considering you can get bespoke, which will likely fit a lot better for not far off this price. My shirts from Luca Avitabile were only fractionally more and the fit and shape on me gives me satisfaction literally every day I wear them.
Or perhaps I am wrong, and judging Drakes like any other Tailor when really we are paying for style, fashion and someone else’s vision of combining an outfit over and above quality and craft is more of a comparison. Supreme for the upper middle class if you will. I could never have combined the colour, pattern and detailing with my other accessories with the panache Drakes manages, so I suppose this is the price you pay.

However considering the fact Drakes is by and large the default favourite menswear brand of all high end menswear writers, who advise us knowingly away from Fast fashion, consumerism and towards craft and timeless elegance, it also feels something of a hypocrisy to me to be lectured In this way as we all readily buy once again into a brand and fashion led experience of menswear.

This is true across the board for shirts, not just for Drake's. Assuming one has access to a good tailor, which is limited in the United States, you can get a bespoke shirt for about $200. It can be cheaper if you know where to source fabric and do CMT, although not all shirtmakers allow you to do CMT.

Shirts remain the only segment in bespoke tailoring where it may be cheaper to go to a tailor (that and the stuff a shirtmaker can provide, such as dressing gowns. A dressing gown from a high-end brand can reach in the four figures. CMT from a shirtmaker can be $500 assuming they already have your pattern drafted).

But bespoke shirtmakers can't always provide you with certain details. I use a tailor for all my shirts, but I've considered G. Inglese RTW because they have a really nice collar. For some reason, collars are still that one area where something can require a certain touch to get a specific look. Ready-to-wear brands may also have access to specific fabrics not available in bespoke. Some also give you more handwork for the money once you reach a certain price point.

For shirts made in England and sold by a reputable brand, $235 isn't that unusual of a retail price. Emma Willis' ready-to-wear shirts are about $250, Budd is $260, Turnbull & Asser is $375, etc. Shirtmakers that use overseas factories, such as Emmett, face different cost structures. (Although even Emmett shirts nowadays are around $200). Charles Tyrwhitt, Thin Red Line, and the like will be cheapest of all, but again, not made in England.

 

[polyfusion]

This is true across the board for shirts, not just for Drake's. Assuming one has access to a good tailor, which is limited in the United States, you can get a bespoke shirt for about $200. It can be cheaper if you know where to source fabric and do CMT, although not all shirt tailors allow you to do CMT.

Shirts remain the only segment in bespoke tailoring where it may be cheaper to go to a tailor (that and the stuff a shirtmaker can provide, such as dressing gowns. A dressing gown from a high-end brand can reach in the four figures. CMT from a shirtmaker can be $500 assuming they already have your pattern drafted).

But bespoke shirtmakers can't always provide you with certain details. I use a tailor for all my shirts, but I've considered G. Inglese RTW because they have a really nice collar. For some reason, collars are still that one area where something can require a certain touch to get a specific look. Ready-to-wear brands may also have access to specific fabrics not available in bespoke. Some also give you more handwork for the money once you reach a certain price point.

For shirts made in England and sold by a reputable brand, $235 isn't that unusual of a retail price. Emma Willis' ready-to-wear shirts are about $250, Budd is $260, Turnbull & Asser is $375, etc. Shirtmakers that use overseas factories, such as Emmett, face different cost structures. (Although even Emmett shirts nowadays are around $200). Charles Tyrwhitt, Thin Red Line, and the like will be cheapest of all, but again, not made in England.

All you say here is true.
As with all things bespoke, the barriers to entry in terms of your own competence as a client are also enormous. You must learn to pick a collar, stitching, cuffs, cloth and style! Without mistake. The learning curve of which is incredibly steep.Though in theory the shirt maker or tailor will guide you through this process and help you avoid mistake, I have found this is rarely if ever the case.
And for that, I do value a good RTW brand such as Drakes. They have several styles I may not have otherwise commissioned which work well. Is the shoulder as good on me as bespoke? No. But the colour and fabric choices are usually flawless. YMMV.

 

[CasuallyWorked]

Which color to get? I prefer the tobacco but I am wondering how versatile they are compared to the dark brown. Planning to wear them mostly with flannel and some cords. Moreover I wear mid-grey flannel fairly often and was wondering if the lighter shade of brown will look as good.

Any thoughts?

View attachment 1424386 View attachment 1424387

I own both, but if I had to keep one for versatility reasons, I'd pick dark browns most of the time. Both are great colors though so even if you pick one over another can't really go wrong

 

[RickyTakhar]

This is true across the board for shirts, not just for Drake's. Assuming one has access to a good tailor, which is limited in the United States, you can get a bespoke shirt for about $200. It can be cheaper if you know where to source fabric and do CMT, although not all shirtmakers allow you to do CMT.

Shirts remain the only segment in bespoke tailoring where it may be cheaper to go to a tailor (that and the stuff a shirtmaker can provide, such as dressing gowns. A dressing gown from a high-end brand can reach in the four figures. CMT from a shirtmaker can be $500 assuming they already have your pattern drafted).

But bespoke shirtmakers can't always provide you with certain details. I use a tailor for all my shirts, but I've considered G. Inglese RTW because they have a really nice collar. For some reason, collars are still that one area where something can require a certain touch to get a specific look. Ready-to-wear brands may also have access to specific fabrics not available in bespoke. Some also give you more handwork for the money once you reach a certain price point.

For shirts made in England and sold by a reputable brand, $235 isn't that unusual of a retail price. Emma Willis' ready-to-wear shirts are about $250, Budd is $260, Turnbull & Asser is $375, etc. Shirtmakers that use overseas factories, such as Emmett, face different cost structures. (Although even Emmett shirts nowadays are around $200). Charles Tyrwhitt, Thin Red Line, and the like will be cheapest of all, but again, not made in England.

Like others have echoed Derek. Completely agree on all these points.

I guess my key gripe is that the shirts have increased substantially in price over the last few years, nearly 50 percent? With seemingly no upgrade in the end product. I have been priced out of drakes RTW, there are plenty of brands in a lower price bracket offering great value shirting with more handwork.

You have to really want the drakes aesthetic to want to buy their products, but are they really that unique

 

[alghul]

I own both, but if I had to keep one for versatility reasons, I'd pick dark browns most of the time. Both are great colors though so even if you pick one over another can't really go wrong

By owning both do you mean that you own both pairs of boots or both colors? If it's the former, would you mind confirming how accurate is the color in both pictures? Normally, I am all for dark brown but in this case, although I like both, the tobacco just seemed a bit more refined and I thought that it was maybe due to the pictures.

 

[pblzqlcn]

Gotta love the 3 shirt bundle price hike ?. Some good deals to be had on eBay though

in less than two years, they went from 299 to 425 pounds (the increase equals the price of a shirt at that time)
i love the argument "everybody is expensive so its ok for me to be expensive"
love the shirts though
great collars and fabrics
waiting for cream green and grey stripped ocbds
but they are not affordable for me anymore
just a special indulgence from now on