Turnbull & Asser

[grimslade]

Originally Posted by Film_Noir_Buff

I use a $2 per shirt laundry and my guy hand (Who is Chinese from Hong Kong and an awesome guy) washes and irons them inside out. Ive never had a single shirt split anywhere or a button crack no matter what the brand from T&A to Paris Custom Shirts. So I have no idea what monsieur Hobbs is talking about. Also, what kind of argument is that, we charge the same but give less than the other shirtmakers because itll just get ruined anyway?

With that logic you should date an ugly girl cause shell just get ugly eventually anyway, so get a head start.


FNB, have you used Heathcote Cleaners on East Parkway at all? Or Embassy on Christie Place? Heathcote, at least, does all their work on the premises. I'm new to the area and still looking for a reliable cleaners, so any insight you can provide into why you use B Gee would be appreciated.

TIA...

 

[Film Noir Buff]

Originally Posted by grimslade

FNB, have you used Heathcote Cleaners on East Parkway at all? Or Embassy on Christie Place? Heathcote, at least, does all their work on the premises. I'm new to the area and still looking for a reliable cleaners, so any insight you can provide into why you use B Gee would be appreciated.

TIA...


Heathcote cleaners is... and Embassy cleaners might be worse. Think crushed buttons, blown seams and hassle.

B. Gee is the best in the area. Mr Gee does the shirts himself and he is a very affable person. As good as Jeeves or Madame Tussauds wax cleaners or that Halleck guy all in NYC. I was routinely having my shirts blown apart when he was recommended to me by some lady who said her husband was very discriminating. Although I rolled my eyes at that because that usually means he spends 30 bucks to buy a shirt instead of 15. However, they really do the best job in the area. I recommend you ask him to press your shirts inside out because otherwise you can ge that shininess, and he will gladly do it for you. He also sharpies your initial in the inside collar of your shirt so theres the heads up on that before I get a "Why didnt you tell me..."


At B. Gees, suits are gently steam pressed if you ask for it (hough I think they know to do this, I of course always neurotically ask). And it is reasonable at 12-18 dollars per suit. I havent figured out the diiferences in price but who cares at that level? Theyve cleaned cashmere jackets and coats, lumbs golden this, flannel that, silk, silk blend and linen with nary a problem. Of course, i might touch up my shirts or suits (Yes I have a professional strength steamer) a little myself but the basic care is excellent.

There is also a small Korean owned place next to 7/11 which is less expensive and the people are friendly and honest. They do inexpensive alterations. Ive taken a couple of my gfs there for their clothes but i wouldnt recommend them for a man's good quality suit.

Best in the area. Also, LuLu's bakery on Garth Rd. is the best in the county making an exquisite choc chip cookie. They were on food network a year ago as the number one dessert place in the country.

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by zjpj83

I totally agree with your emoticon, in every sense of the ideas and thoughts behind it. If you can’t afford to have the shirts hand / machined washed (low cycle), then why the **** are you buying T&A shirts? Jon.

 

[Tomasso]

Originally Posted by Film_Noir_Buff

LuLu's bakery on Garth Rd. is the best in the county making an exquisite choc chip cookie.

I love their cupcakes, too.

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by TCN

I twice talked to their US-CFO about the matter, which only confirmed to me that the CFO is the last guy in any organization that you want to talk to about customer service issues. I actually thought about filing a lawsuit and refusing to settle just for $hit$ and giggles. They'd better get their act together, as I imagine that they'll only be able to trade on their past glory for so long.
My ‘problem’ got escalated to him as well, Collins, right? Only I wanted was shirts with the same spread collar they used to make for RLPL shirts when T&A used to make them, and I wanted the patterns on my shirts to match. But apparently this was too complex for them, and they could not find my MTM info in their database in England or NYC, yet I have records from NM regarding my MTM shirts and of, course the shirts themselves. Frankly, at the end I was better off buying H&K shirts when they went on sale and having them tailored (my tailor is excellent) here at home, and it was still costing me half the price of a T&A MTM shirt. Jon.

 

[TCN]

Originally Posted by imageWIS

My ‘problem’ got escalated to him as well, Collins, right? Only I wanted was shirts with the same spread collar they used to make for RLPL shirts when T&A used to make them, and I wanted the patterns on my shirts to match. But apparently this was to complex for them, and they could not find my MTM in their database in England or NYC, yet I have records from NM regarding my MTM shirts and of, course the shirts themselves.

Frankly, at the end I was better off buying H&K shirts when they went on sale and having them tailored (my tailor is excellent) here at home, and it was still costing me half the price of a T&A MTM shirt.

Jon.

I think it was "Collins", he was worthless. Funny, the first time I talked to him, they claimed that they couldn't access my MTM transactions, so I had to root around for receipts; the second time, the CFO couldn't remember me and couldn't find the e-mail discussions we had, so he wanted me to search around for those. Finally I figured that this garbage wasn't worth a $95 tie. I've switched to Ascot Chang shirts and RL and Borrelli ties, and couldn't be happier.

I always meant to write a letter to T&A higher up the food chain, but never got around to it, perhaps I/we should. I've got to believe that at some level there's someone interested in keeping moderately-good customers happy.

 

[Jovan]

Looking at all these responses, I'm quite surprised. Turnbull and Asser have been pretty highly regarded, I'd think they'd do better as far as quality and customer service goes. I guess when they dressed Connery back in the day it was a different ball game.

 

[grimslade]

Originally Posted by Jovan

Looking at all these responses, I'm quite surprised. Turnbull and Asser have been pretty highly regarded, I'd think they'd do better as far as quality and customer service goes. I guess when they dressed Connery back in the day it was a different ball game.


Many European companies--and in this context I'd include that island off the northwestern shore--have terrible customer service, however good they are at doing other things. Note T&A's returns policy--14 days, in new condition, for store credit or exchange only. That says much to me.

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by grimslade

Note T&A's returns policy--14 days, in new condition, for store credit or exchange only. That says much to me.
That’s a good return policy? Jon.

 

[Tomasso]

Originally Posted by Jovan

Looking at all these responses, I'm quite surprised. Turnbull and Asser have been pretty highly regarded, I'd think they'd do better as far as quality and customer service goes.

I could recount my experiences with T&A (MTM shirts) but at this point it would just be piling on.

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Tomasso

I could recount my experiences with T&A (MTM shirts) but at this point it would just be piling on.

No, please pile on. Anything that sees T&A brought to light is interesting, to me anyways.

Jon.

 

[TCN]

Originally Posted by imageWIS

No, please pile on. Anything that sees T&A brought to light is interesting, to me anyways.

Jon.


I second that. I think we've disclosed our biases, now let's burn 'em!

 

[SGladwell]

Customer service issues aside, I don't understand the affection for T&A. Sure, their collars are nice. Yes, some of their patterns/colorways are interesting, though IMO because they're so busy they often look dated faster than most other shirts do. (At least in the sense that one gets tired of wearing them sooner rather than later.) At $100, sure, they're nice. At the standard tariffs, I don't like them. I agree with people who think Lorenzinis are better made. While I don't have any bespoke T&A (just RTW) or RTW Zegna shirts (just MTM), I do think that my Zegna Su Misura shirts are nicer in fabric and construction than T&A. Draber, perhaps, but nicer. And less expensive.

 

[Film Noir Buff]

Originally Posted by Tomasso

I love their cupcakes, too.


I take it you are in the area?

Everything is good there. They make a lo-carb cheesecake that tastes better than everyone else's normal cheesecake. Two young talented guys run that place and they are very cool. They really add elegant value to the area.

 

[TCN]

Originally Posted by SGladwell

Customer service issues aside, I don't understand the affection for T&A. Sure, their collars are nice. Yes, some of their patterns/colorways are interesting, though IMO because they're so busy they often look dated faster than most other shirts do. (At least in the sense that one gets tired of wearing them sooner rather than later.) At $100, sure, they're nice. At the standard tariffs, I don't like them. I agree with people who think Lorenzinis are better made. While I don't have any bespoke T&A (just RTW) or RTW Zegna shirts (just MTM), I do think that my Zegna Su Misura shirts are nicer in fabric and construction than T&A. Draber, perhaps, but nicer. And less expensive.

I know why I was first drawn to the brand. I was in law school and new to better clothing; all I knew about clothes came from what people in the store told me, the first Flusser book, and my grandfather's closet (a Henry Poole client, but who told me that he had no desire to sit and "talk fashion" like a bunch of women). I had a crush on the hot older woman who ran the mens department at the local Neiman Marcus, and she showed me the T&A shirts. Being an Anglophile, I was drawn to them, then they did a trunk/MTM show, and I met the eccentric and colorful reps from T&A, then the Neiman's manager gave me that T&A book, and I bought the history and pageantry angle hook, line and sinker.

Fast forward five years, even without my horrible customer service experience, and I began to understand shirt construction more, and realized that T&A shirts were nothing special (especially given the price), but I was out a ton of money in the meantime.

Even when I was an adoring young fan, I had to look hard to find RTW T&A's that didn't look like clown shirts, then I'd have to have a local seamstress extend the sleeves and re-pleat the cuff gathering, which was a pain. Obviously MTM was a different story, but I noticed that depending on the fitter, I'd end up with shirts that fit me completely different from year to year.