What is the deal with is Kirby Allison’s business model?

[dlf1981]

I tried to buy a full closet worth of new hangers - a mix of suit, pant, shirt, and dress - as I want everything matching in our closet remodel and they are the only place I can find a well made wide hanger suitable for XL sized knits - so it left me feeling limited on choice to say the least.

And I couldn't get then past a 10% discount. With product priced as such an absurd premium, I would have expected a better nod on a $3,000 purchase.

Every single thing I've ever seen on the site is just hilariously expensive, but I agree with previous posters that they do produce some quality videos.

 

[TheChihuahua]

It would be better to wash your suits by hand and learn how to press them than send them off to a dry-cleaner, in my experience.

I'd literally eat my hat in preference, for then it might still serve a useful purpose.

Any tips?

 

[dieworkwear]

If by washing, you mean wet washing, you should not wash your suits by hand. You will shrink the materials inside at different rates. There are some suits that you can throw into the wash, but they're generally not the types of things discussed here. They are very casual "suits" with nothing inside. Brooks Brothers also made some wash-and-wear suits in the 1950s or '60s, IIRC.

There's something called a sponge and press, where you clean a suit gently by spot cleaning. At the moment you learn how to press a suit jacket properly, I think you're basically working at a tailoring workshop. It's a very skilled thing that requires special equipment. If you really want to learn how, JefferyD wrote a useful guide here many years ago.

guide to touching up your suit without wrecking it

A large part of the beauty of a tailored garment is due to the shaping and molding imparted by a careful and elaborate pressing. In a manufactured garment. there are over 20 different underpressing operations and around 15 steps in the final pressing, most of which have specially-designed forms...

www.styleforum.net

Some places offer a sponge and press. I know Rave offers the service. If you have a very high quality custom tailoring shop in your area, they may also offer it.

I think Rave's dry cleaning service is excellent, if you don't have someone local. They have papers on their site you can read about the cleaning process. I think if you clean your suits once or even twice a season -- which is on the frequent end of cleaning -- you'd be fine there. It costs something like $20 to ship things to them.

 

[Nobilis Animus]

If by washing, you mean wet washing, you should not wash your suits by hand. You will shrink the materials inside at different rates. There are some suits that you can throw into the wash, but they're generally not the types of things discussed here. They are very casual "suits" with nothing inside. Brooks Brothers also made some wash-and-wear suits in the 1950s or '60s, IIRC.

There's something called a sponge and press, where you clean a suit gently by spot cleaning. At the moment you learn how to press a suit jacket properly, I think you're basically working at a tailoring workshop. It's a very skilled thing that requires special equipment. If you really want to learn how, JefferyD wrote a useful guide here many years ago.

The most anyone ought to do themselves is a sponge-and-press, brushing, and pressing the sleeves - which is all the maintenance a good wool should need.

What I'm saying is that I'd prefer to throw my suits into a scrub bucket than send them to the usual dry cleaner. At least that way I'm the one doing the ruining.

 

[MarkI]

I’ve had good luck with Jeeves in NYC for dry cleaning, but I also don’t know much about this stuff. If anyone knows a better place do tell.

 

[Megakurth]

I’ve had good luck with Jeeves in NYC for dry cleaning, but I also don’t know much about this stuff. If anyone knows a better place do tell.

Their tailor butchered a pair of pants (my first mistake was trusting a dry cleaner tailor even with their reputation) that I asked them to take out and sewed the waistband on incorrectly. Jerry Pozniak was relatively condescending when I asked them to fix it and the tailor still did a for lack of a better term a “**** job”. The dry cleaning was ok for the $200 or whatever absurd price I spent.

Hallak can’t clean a suit without pulverizing a horn button or two and arguing with me saying the cheap plastic button they put on “looks the same”.

I’ve had some luck with Madame Paulette, however it usually takes several e-mails with the owner (who I learned is a neighbor of mine in my building after a previous debacle) to get a clear answer on service, pickup and delivery.

I’m far from a difficult customer, but do have certain expectations when I’m spending a premium amount on dry cleaning compared to the “$15 dollar shine press special” at every other corner...

 

[Texasmade]

Kirby with another video up today about Alan Flusser's jackets. I'm almost tempted to put in an order after watching the video.

 

[dauster]

What I want to know is why I cannot find any videos of anyone polishing hangars. Plenty of shoe polish images, but why no love for the resinous wood?

I wish there were videos, for being cooped up at home means I simply have no time to read. It would certainly be educational for my dressing-room servant (that imbecile!), who constantly foils my heroic attempts at closetary organization with his failure to select and maintain the proper condition of hangar.

I recommend you give writing a novel a shot - nothing to add to your post but what's up with 1700 century writing?

 

[dauster]

He does have a dislike for wearing shorts. Idk how he survives in the Texas summers not putting on shorts occasionally.

probably wears a morning coat with a hat to go to costco

 

[Nobilis Animus]

I recommend you give writing a novel a shot - nothing to add to your post but what's up with 1700 century writing?

Well part of my work is writing already, so that's done.

I like writing with a little more flourish from time to time. It's the best diction for satire (my favourite humour), and it's fun to use. All that was obviously a joke, as I'd never countenance such incompetence in even a butler - all of my butlers can butle with stirring adroitness.

 

[dauster]

Well part of my work is writing already, so that's done.

I like writing with a little more flourish from time to time. It's the best diction for satire (my favourite humour), and it's fun to use. All that was obviously a joke, as I'd never countenance such incompetence in even a butler - all of my butlers can butle with stirring adroitness.

one out of two SF mysteries solved. Now I need to understand if this son of saphire with his "me like this crocodile loafer" writing style is for real

 

[Texasmade]

one out of two SF mysteries solved. Now I need to understand if this son of saphire with his "me like this crocodile loafer" writing style is for real

He's been writing like that for years. Great job keeping up the act.

I remember one of his posts translated "would not even with *********" and he wrote it as "not **** with penis not of mine".

 

[dieworkwear]

T4 also used to have a very strange way of writing on here. I talked to him a few times on the phone and he seemed like a very normal person otherwise. Smart, educated, etc. I don't really understand why he wrote like that.

 

[JFWR]

Satire works well with purposefully affected diction.

 

[willyto]

Kirby with another video up today about Alan Flusser's jackets. I'm almost tempted to put in an order after watching the video.

I'm in Europe and it had the same effect on me... Jonathan knows how to sell you stuff and he looks great on the clothes.The jackets looked nice.