The unofficial Drake's London Appreciation Thread

[csm88]

Ordered! I used to own it, sold it and now have bought it again.

I feel your pain. There’s a 2013 Patrik Ervell leather jacket floating somewhere in the ether that I shouldn’t have should and would repurchase in a second. Glad it worked out for the tie!

 

[nprose]

There's a lot to like here.
View attachment 1790659
View attachment 1790662


Love the intro video.

Anyone know the name/artist of the song that plays after the horse race trumpet intro?

Lots of wearable things in here although I'm in Northern California, so I'd have to wait until Octoberish lol. I dig the chinos, event though they're just a staple item and make the RRL officer chino look like a steal. The rugby shirt is fun too. Good inspiration as the white linen chore coat is probably the only thing special enough I'd consider buying at these prices.

 

[kid1002]

Not feeling the latest lookbook. Starting to look like pure snapshots instead of refined nonchalance.

 

[calrock]

Curious to hear if anyone has owned the Bleach Wash Chore Jacket long-term and what you think of it? Curious to hear about sizing, styling, regular use, etc.

Don’t know if anyone has got back to you on this. It’s a great coat, love the cut and the heft/softness of the denim but I find it weirdly hard to style for some reason. In hindsight I probably would have got the dark indigo one.

Somehow in my mind it gets a little too close in tone and vibe to casual pants. I think it would be a fantastic piece if you were dressing down things like wool or more tailored trousers. I can wear an ancient stormrider in the same wash no problem with things like white jeans, but just doesn’t sit right for me with this one.

 

[espen]

Don’t know if anyone has got back to you on this. It’s a great coat, love the cut and the heft/softness of the denim but I find it weirdly hard to style for some reason. In hindsight I probably would have got the dark indigo one.

Somehow in my mind it gets a little too close in tone and vibe to casual pants. I think it would be a fantastic piece if you were dressing down things like wool or more tailored trousers. I can wear an ancient stormrider in the same wash no problem with things like white jeans, but just doesn’t sit right for me with this one.

This is super helpful thanks! I was slightly concerned that the bleach wash was going to be hard to wear, since I don’t have a ton of darker shirts to contrast with.
Might go with the darker wash. I had an Epaulet denim chore jacket I liked but it was just a tad too short all around to work comfortably.

 

[wahnamhong]

Don’t know if anyone has got back to you on this. It’s a great coat, love the cut and the heft/softness of the denim but I find it weirdly hard to style for some reason. In hindsight I probably would have got the dark indigo one.

Somehow in my mind it gets a little too close in tone and vibe to casual pants. I think it would be a fantastic piece if you were dressing down things like wool or more tailored trousers. I can wear an ancient stormrider in the same wash no problem with things like white jeans, but just doesn’t sit right for me with this one.

Helpful indeed! I was/am considering the bleach core as well, basically after seeing a guy in a bakery in Paris 6th a few weeks ago who I believe was wearing one. He wore it over bleached jeans and modern sneakers, and it looked very ‘street’ and a bit anti-Drake’s lookbook style. Which I liked! As a diversifier. I see the Drake’s bleach core like a vintage style item, as I was wearing ages ago. And kind of away from the whole ‘grown up’ style I’ve been wearing recently, hence the attraction.

But it should still match, and perhaps other core coats would be a better match for a larger amount of styles.For example, here the bleach is indeed being worn with tailoring, which I love, but basically lots of chore coats would match this outfit. I guess that overall indeed a darker navy chore coat is more versatile, however personally I’d pick the linen navy over the raw denim.

 

[calrock]

This is super helpful thanks! I was slightly concerned that the bleach wash was going to be hard to wear, since I don’t have a ton of darker shirts to contrast with.
Might go with the darker wash. I had an Epaulet denim chore jacket I liked but it was just a tad too short all around to work comfortably.

It really is a great jacket, and to be clear, I still love it. I just don’t reach for it as often as you might think. Personal quirk or something.

It was actually a fit pic earlier in the thread that someone else posted that put me over the top regarding the purchase. Carrying on the tradition!

 

[calrock]

Helpful indeed! I was/am considering the bleach core as well, basically after seeing a guy in a bakery in Paris 6th a few weeks ago who I believe was wearing one. He wore it over bleached jeans and modern sneakers, and it looked very ‘street’ and a bit anti-Drake’s lookbook style. Which I liked! As a diversifier. I see the Drake’s bleach core like a vintage style item, as I was wearing ages ago. And kind of away from the whole ‘grown up’ style I’ve been wearing recently, hence the attraction.

But it should still match, and perhaps other core coats would be a better match for a larger amount of styles.For example, here the bleach is indeed being worn with tailoring, which I love, but basically lots of chore coats would match this outfit. I guess that overall indeed a darker navy chore coat is more versatile, however personally I’d pick the linen navy over the raw denim.

View attachment 1791294

Somehow that outfit you saw sounds both very french and anti-drakes indeed!

 

[GabrielJF]

I hate to be the guy that brings the conversation back around to price, but I mean to only in relation to their recent offering, the style and what does appear to me to be an absence of it. I like some of the clothes in the latest lookbook. I'd probably wear some of the outfits myself if I was inclined to lark about in the woods with some similarly dressed men (any takers?!) but I'd likely not go to Drakes nor pay the drake's premium to achieve the look.

Kind of feels like they're a little creatively spent at the moment. I certainly can't see a place for Drake's in my wardrobe at the moment. For tailoring, I've gone to The Anthology for MTM. They have such a clear sense of style and identity and at a very reasonable price (basically the same as Drake's RTW but for fully canvassed mtm). For everything else, I can think of several different brands that do basically the same thing at similar or sometimes even higher quality at a more reasonable price point. Anglo-italian for jeans... BD Baggies for shirts. Why buy the canal loafers when you can get much better looking crocket and jones loafers from AI for cheaper?

I know it's a little boring a talking point, the price. However, I'm genuinely interested in knowing why you'd go to drakes to buy stuff from their recent offering? (Having a great deal of money doesn't count as an answer)

 

[espen]

I think it’s a reasonable approach to the discussion of price with Drake’s. I struggle to see a world where someone wears the company almost exclusively, at least anyone here. We are all in a different bracket of discernment when it comes to clothing so we pick apart what fits the definition of value within our budgets.

What I appreciated about the recent releases is that they don't make suggestions that their gear is the stuff of hardier pursuits. They've taken a particular anti-tech fabric approach and by definition know that this is the gear for men who want to sit on the dock and drink a beer by the fire before the flies get too bad. There's a premium built in to that lifestyle (I live in Toronto, and the industry built around "cottage country" is insane), and Drake's is just leaning in.

Personally, I stand by the fleeces as something I'd like to own. They'd be great for chilly days golfing, which is a world that is dominated by garish logos by weekend warriors who think they are sponsored tour pros. So that'd be my reasoning to your question. Am I buying their shoes? Nah. Epperson bags? Nah, those are just straight up cheaper on the Epperson site.

The other brands you listed are absolutely solid recommendations. The Anthology especially has made great strides in the last year or so, and they've expertly delivered the idea of laid back, yet put together (seriously, while drawstring trousers aren't necessarily my thing, they do appear to be the nicest I've ever seen).

Admittedly I have only enjoyed AI from afar. The clothing, while great, always comes off very cold, lacking a bit of soul. That, combined with the crapshoot of having to order online and hope that everything fits. The biggest difference here is that Drake's benefits from scale, and backing, allowing the marketing to be a bit more fun, and the experimentation engaging (or enraging) just enough to have us rattle on endlessly about it. Anytime AI comes up, the reaction is always "yup, good stuff" and nothing more.

 

[justinpledger]

After taking a slight break from Drake's I visited the S Row store and there are some gorgeous heavyweight linens chores (as people have mentioned) and some fantastic linen shirts. But what really drew my eye was the red canvas cotton chore. It's gorgeous. The canvas will age and wear beautifully. But it's the colour that is really different - it's a deep, peachy red and a colour I would never think of wearing. I'm dark blonde and blue-eyed and didn't think I'd get away with it. But I tried it and was pleasantly surprised. I bought it, and my girlfriend loves it too. She did say, 'slight fireman vibes but they go almost instantly.

And this is where the doubt has crept in. I mean, I don't want to look like a fireman! I think she regrets saying that now quite frankly. Anyway, I wanted to ask people's thoughts on wearing such a colour. I tend to wear blue a lot. Various shades of blue so colour would be good to mix things up. But red...? I tried green and I find it harder to match with my usual palette. I live in jeans, Warehouse t-shirts in summer, chambray and linen shirts, linen and cotton chores and denim jackets from 3Sixteen and Paynter, oh, and Crockett & Jones Coniston boots (which sounds mad) in suede. I love a bandana and a pocket square. Workwear influences and a little prep on the side I guess.

Any opinions on pulling this off? I really like how different it is...

 

[henrip]

After taking a slight break from Drake's I visited the S Row store and there are some gorgeous heavyweight linens chores (as people have mentioned) and some fantastic linen shirts. But what really drew my eye was the red canvas cotton chore. It's gorgeous. The canvas will age and wear beautifully. But it's the colour that is really different - it's a deep, peachy red and a colour I would never think of wearing. I'm dark blonde and blue-eyed and didn't think I'd get away with it. But I tried it and was pleasantly surprised. I bought it, and my girlfriend loves it too. She did say, 'slight fireman vibes but they go almost instantly.

And this is where the doubt has crept in. I mean, I don't want to look like a fireman! I think she regrets saying that now quite frankly. Anyway, I wanted to ask people's thoughts on wearing such a colour. I tend to wear blue a lot. Various shades of blue so colour would be good to mix things up. But red...? I tried green and I find it harder to match with my usual palette. I live in jeans, Warehouse t-shirts in summer, chambray and linen shirts, linen and cotton chores and denim jackets from 3Sixteen and Paynter, oh, and Crockett & Jones Coniston boots (which sounds mad) in suede. I love a bandana and a pocket square. Workwear influences and a little prep on the side I guess.

Any opinions on pulling this off? I really like how different it is...

Your style sounds very similar to my own and that red chore is a great addition to it. I’ve had the same ”trouble” with adding color to my wardrobe. To my own surprise I ended up buying an orange shetland sweater from Drake’s a couple monts ago and I absolutely love it.

I’m an actual firefighter and have never ever wore anything even remotely close to that chore for work so don’t worry about the firefighter vibes 😅. All the materials and silhouettes are super high tech… ripstop Gore-tex Nomex and such

 

[wahnamhong]

Any opinions on pulling this off? I really like how different it is...

I’ve had the same when I started wearing white trousers. Always felt that the whole world was watching me. But it’s just in your head. What helped me was just looking at pics from others wearing that item and seeing how normal it looks.

 

[GabrielJF]

I think it’s a reasonable approach to the discussion of price with Drake’s. I struggle to see a world where someone wears the company almost exclusively, at least anyone here. We are all in a different bracket of discernment when it comes to clothing so we pick apart what fits the definition of value within our budgets.

What I appreciated about the recent releases is that they don't make suggestions that their gear is the stuff of hardier pursuits. They've taken a particular anti-tech fabric approach and by definition know that this is the gear for men who want to sit on the dock and drink a beer by the fire before the flies get too bad. There's a premium built in to that lifestyle (I live in Toronto, and the industry built around "cottage country" is insane), and Drake's is just leaning in.

Personally, I stand by the fleeces as something I'd like to own. They'd be great for chilly days golfing, which is a world that is dominated by garish logos by weekend warriors who think they are sponsored tour pros. So that'd be my reasoning to your question. Am I buying their shoes? Nah. Epperson bags? Nah, those are just straight up cheaper on the Epperson site.

The other brands you listed are absolutely solid recommendations. The Anthology especially has made great strides in the last year or so, and they've expertly delivered the idea of laid back, yet put together (seriously, while drawstring trousers aren't necessarily my thing, they do appear to be the nicest I've ever seen).

Admittedly I have only enjoyed AI from afar. The clothing, while great, always comes off very cold, lacking a bit of soul. That, combined with the crapshoot of having to order online and hope that everything fits. The biggest difference here is that Drake's benefits from scale, and backing, allowing the marketing to be a bit more fun, and the experimentation engaging (or enraging) just enough to have us rattle on endlessly about it. Anytime AI comes up, the reaction is always "yup, good stuff" and nothing more.

Interesting. I feel quite the same way about AI's offering. There is something quite clinical and cold about it, like you'd be the best dressed Mormon if you were head to toe in it. But individual items, worn with clothing from other places I think it works wonderfully. Ironically, the philosophy of AI's approach is to create clothing that works together, that everything is cohesive and part of an overall look, but I've certainly been left cold by most of what I've seen of theirs.

I used to get actively excited by Drake's lookbooks, the ideas and sense of identity in them meant my own sense of 'style' was influenced so much by their aesthetic. This last lookbook looks like LL Bean and Cotton Traders did a collab. The photos of Michael Hill looking like a little school boy on a big day out were kind of the death knell of my love of the brand, for the time-being anyway.

 

[Treble]

I think Drake's are pivoting because relatively few people work, sit around and socalises in shirts and ties - and even less will be buying more and more of those items.

It is aiming to be more of a lifestyle (do you go on walks? Sail a bit? You can wear Drake's doing that now!) + slightly ironic urban brand, appealing to new and younger customers and reflecting their locations and staff style. I think the aesthetic fits together nicely, as sometimes called 'rugged ivy' just added to euro or ivy-ivy.