• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Aussie members - Dress Shirts?

Presto87

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2007
Messages
147
Reaction score
0
so guys, I am in desperate need of dress shirts, NOT business shirts ... what do you recommend? in terms of brand etc. I'm seriously at a loss of what brands to look at. I currently own an Industry (pink, nice fit), Oxford (blue striped, bit big on the sleeves - so forced to roll up!), and an Uber Stone? (green striped, best fit by far) ..... and THATS IT!!!
frown.gif


and note quality as well ... I've been told to stick away from Ben Sherman shirts because the quality isn't great (but I am a HUGE fan of their polos!). oh and if it matters I'm a small guy, like 150ish cm.
 

Sator

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
3,083
Reaction score
39
The answer to your problem is easy: Charles Nakhle bespoke. He easily makes the best bespoke shirt in Sydney.

69 Phillip St
Parramatta 2150
(02) 9633 4696

Because he is located out of the conservative business dress his prices are also much lower, starting at around the $200 mark. He stocks a huge range of exceptional fabrics from England, Italy and Switzerland. You will be spoilt for choice and anything else will become totally unwearable afterwards. His margins are ridiculously low but he refuses to compromise on quality and construction. I (and several others here) prefer them over $600+ shirts from the likes of Borrelli, Kiton, Brioni etc (whether MTM or RTW) in terms of fit, construction and fabric.

ps what do you mean by a non-business 'dress' shirt? Do you mean for black tie? Whatever you have in mind - casual, business, formal dress shirtings - Charles will have it all. Of course, because it is bespoke it is guaranteed to fit you perfectly.
 

California Dreamer

Distinguished Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Messages
6,814
Reaction score
3,305
And when you consider the likes of Herringbone, SABA and Calibre will charge you $150 for OTR which will still require alterations, Sator's suggestion becomes a no-brainer.
 

schanop

Active Member
Joined
May 16, 2007
Messages
35
Reaction score
0
I second Sator's suggestion. Having had quite a few shirts from Charles myself ranging from a casual one to a marcela shirt, I don't think you can easily find anything better within Australia compared with his offering.
 

Sator

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
3,083
Reaction score
39
Take a read of these tutorials on bespoke shirtings from Alex Kabbaz before you go to Charles:

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/T...irtFabrics.htm

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/T...hirtMaking.htm

They can also be found as archival threads in SF. I have seen many of the exact same shirtings in Alex's tutorial in Charles' store. In other words he offers the same shirtings as you can get in an $800 USD shirt for a fraction of the price. But Charles' shirts are already at a point of diminishing return, so that Alex charges a lot more for things which are increasingly subtle. In fact, Charles and Alex are old countrymen and colleagues. As fate would have it one of them ended up in NYC and the other in Sydney. New Yorkers are willing and able to pay $800 USD for a shirt or $2500 for a pair of shoes. Aussies being a daggier breed, you'd go broke if you tried that here, so the final product ends up commanding a rather meagre street price.
 

meister

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
10,772
Reaction score
2,515
SKin Deep also makes shirts as do Rochefort - both in Elizabeth St near Park - around AUD200- 220.

My question who is the best shoe repairer in the city?
 

ajn946

Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
18
Reaction score
0
Does he do suits also, will be looking for a tailor soon as having been trying to find a decent suit off the rack and had no luck.
 

Sator

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
3,083
Reaction score
39
Originally Posted by meister
SKin Deep also makes shirts as do Rochefort - both in Elizabeth St near Park - around AUD200- 220.
There are customers of Charles' I know who still swear by him after trying all of these, Borrelli MTM, John Cutler, Hemden, and even Charvet in Paris. None of the conservative business dress shirtmakers make a particularly good shirt and they are virtually all MTM rather than bespoke. Rochefort certainly isn't bespoke - his speciality is ties. I have even met one recently retired conservative business dress shirtmaker who says that Charles makes a much more high end shirt, and that he is crazy not to move into the conservative business dress where he could easily command prices in the $+300 bracket.
 

Burzum

Active Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
31
Reaction score
0
I'd go the bespoke options as mentioned above.

Originally Posted by Presto87

and note quality as well ... I've been told to stick away from Ben Sherman shirts because the quality isn't great (but I am a HUGE fan of their polos!). oh and if it matters I'm a small guy, like 150ish cm.


Quality is not the issue with Ben Sherman - more that a particular demographic on the right side of thinking and wearing braces tend to like wearing Ben Shermans. Lets just say no more on that.
laugh.gif
 

Teacher

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Apr 2, 2005
Messages
12,135
Reaction score
407
Originally Posted by Presto87
so guys, I am in desperate need of dress shirts, NOT business shirts ...

What's the difference in Australia?
 

Presto87

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2007
Messages
147
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by Sator
The answer to your problem is easy: Charles Nakhle bespoke. He easily makes the best bespoke shirt in Sydney.

69 Phillip St
Parramatta 2150
(02) 9633 4696

Because he is located out of the conservative business dress his prices are also much lower, starting at around the $200 mark. He stocks a huge range of exceptional fabrics from England, Italy and Switzerland. You will be spoilt for choice and anything else will become totally unwearable afterwards. His margins are ridiculously low but he refuses to compromise on quality and construction. I (and several others here) prefer them over $600+ shirts from the likes of Borrelli, Kiton, Brioni etc (whether MTM or RTW) in terms of fit, construction and fabric.

ps what do you mean by a non-business 'dress' shirt? Do you mean for black tie? Whatever you have in mind - casual, business, formal dress shirtings - Charles will have it all. Of course, because it is bespoke it is guaranteed to fit you perfectly.


THANX MATE!!!

I noticed it was a quick reply as well ... ok so a bit of confusion from what I said - what I meant by NON-business was like, not to be worn with a tie - like open collar - can be worn either with jeans or nice pants. Does that make sense? I'm new to the whole "fashion" scene (or should I rephrase - actually taking interest in what I'm wearing) - so sorry for the ignorance ... but how do I go about going to a Bespoke Tailer. Do I make an appointment? Call up? Just turn up? and so I can ask for any pattern and they will have it? (e.g. if I wanted Pink Striped).

Oh and on a side note, do you purchase AE's etc. online, or do you know of any local brands for shoes?
 

Sator

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
3,083
Reaction score
39
Originally Posted by Presto87
THANX MATE!!!

I noticed it was a quick reply as well ... ok so a bit of confusion from what I said - what I meant by NON-business was like, not to be worn with a tie - like open collar - can be worn either with jeans or nice pants. Does that make sense? I'm new to the whole "fashion" scene (or should I rephrase - actually taking interest in what I'm wearing) - so sorry for the ignorance ... but how do I go about going to a Bespoke Tailer. Do I make an appointment? Call up? Just turn up? and so I can ask for any pattern and they will have it? (e.g. if I wanted Pink Striped).

Oh and on a side note, do you purchase AE's etc. online, or do you know of any local brands for shoes?


Just turn up. Easy. No appointment needed. Pink striped shirting? Charles has more than you can poke a stick at.

There are a couple of Aussie shoes threads - try the search engine. Check out my RM Williams thread too.
 

Sator

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
3,083
Reaction score
39
Originally Posted by Teacher
What's the difference in Australia?

Just to explain a bit of local culture. This is the uniform Aussie attire:

messagebrettblokeic9.jpg


I am afraid that in Oz anything with sleeves (extraordinary), or even buttons (wow) is generally regarded as having a similar level of formality to a tail coat and top hat.
 

California Dreamer

Distinguished Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Messages
6,814
Reaction score
3,305
Es can be found at Peter Sheppard's if they have a Sydney outlet. The best thing is to go in there, get a clear idea of your size, then go buy on the net.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
505,160
Messages
10,578,960
Members
223,882
Latest member
anykadaimeni
Top