You English-made goods just got more expensive

[Christofuh]

I can see Peal & Co. stuff running in the $500s come fall '07 season - if not sooner. Let alone all the big dog names

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/ar...561383,00.html

 

[Kent Wang]

Can't we enlist some currency speculators to help us out here?

 

[augustin]

The discussion of expected price increases in the linked article was even more discouraging than the exchange rate information. Have domestic shoe prices (that is, in pounds) been going up in the past year? And all this just when I'm beginning to think about some C&J Coniston's.

 

[hopkins_student]

My Lobb orders will be placed tomorrow...

 

[Jared]

Well it's too late to beat the currency increases, obviously. As for the price increases, that should mostly be for goods that are sold domestically from imported supplies: where does leather come from? Manufacturers that export the majority of their product will have to cut prices to maintain demand: who buys most of the British-made shoes? In the long run, higher currency will allow manufacturers to invest in automation, so we should expect more machine-work in British-made goods.

 

[Film Noir Buff]

This is an interesting concern considering that items from other places are priced artificially high already because of the cachet of the brand name. At least many English things (import duties aside) are priced at the quality level and not for the privilege of wearing the name on one's sleeve.

This general downplay of fahionista fever in English jacket and tie styles is one of the reasons I am writing a few essays on the English look.

http://www.filmnoirbuff.com/article/...l-white-rabbit

 

[Artisan Fan]

I went to a Tampa GTG for TimeZone and hung out with some wealthy watch collectors in November. They said shopping here was so cheap it paid for the trip. Polo items (yeah I know) were half price to them even at full retail. Some bought watches as well though the discount was a bit less. Apparently British folk are taking Easyjet flights into NYC purely for shopping reasons.

On the other hand, some deals can still be found in Italy. These days are tough on us artisan fans.

 

[Christofuh]

They can fly in NYC for the weekend, hit up all the better retailers and pay in £ for the same Italian makers 1/2 of what the latter sell for in London

Plus, they won't be hammered by 17.5% VAT

 

[augustin]

Originally Posted by Jared

Well it's too late to beat the currency increases, obviously.

Some say there's more to come. So here's another reason to buy those John Lobbs, as a dollar hedge. Try that one on the wife....

 

[Christofuh]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070417/britain_pound.html?.v=14

 

[thinman]

Originally Posted by augustin

Some say there's more to come. So here's another reason to buy those John Lobbs, as a dollar hedge. Try that one on the wife....

Shoes as a currency hedge. I like the way you think!

 

[Christofuh]

Pound hits new 1981 peak at 2.0303 dollars


Jul 11 05:15 AM US/Eastern


The pound leapt to yet another 26-year pinnacle against the dollar on Wednesday amid US housing market concerns and the prospect of higher interest rates in Britain, dealers said.
The pound jumped to 2.0303 dollars in early European trade -- the highest level since 1981. It later stood at 2.0288 dollars.

Meanwhile, the euro had struck a fresh record high of 1.3787 dollars in earlier deals.

Currency investors are focused on interest rate differentials, boosting currencies from areas with better prospects for higher rates, such as the eurozone and Britain.



http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...show_article=1

 

[Tarmac]

why did i discover english shoes in 2006 and not in 2003, when it was $1.60 a GBP

 

[Artisan Fan]

I bought Berluti for $550 in Milan in 2000. I bought EG around the same time for I think $600-650.

 

[Will]

I have bespoke Savile Row suits that I paid $2,000 apiece for not that long ago. Then there was the order that went from $2,500 when I placed it to $3,500 when it was time to pay.