WDYBT: What Did You Buy Today

a whole bunch of linen shirts from hawes & curtis that, while on sale and arguably cheap on an absolute basis, are probably expensive for the value I'll be getting out of them.
 
A pair of Trickers Abingdon split toes in brown museum calf.

I had been after that style but not prepared to pay Edward Green Dover money. On the other hand, the Trickers do not claim to have uppers stitched with a boars bristle by ancient Cordwainers. They still seem good enough to me though and they are a sixth of the price of the Dovers.

The Trickers were half price and well done. They do not turn up at the front like some other English brands in this style and the split toe is not too elongated in the French manner.

I have John Lobb Chapel in brown Museum calf. At one time only Lobb seemed to use it, but it’s more widespread now. Lobb leather seems better and it is a more uniform less noticeably mottled colour. I got the Lobbs years ago at the factory shop for a sensible price. In subsequent visits they mostly had loafers. Customers were mostly foreigners including Japanese who would be OK for smaller sizes.

Like many, I have plenty of shoes. Arguably too many but these were a bargain and will get used. None of my Trickers are country shoes. Plain veldtschoen suit me better for country wear. Getting mud and grit out of commando soles is tiresome enough without removing mud from broguing. Fashionable tan colours are not really practical for mud either.
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A pair of Trickers Abingdon split toes in brown museum calf.

I had been after that style but not prepared to pay Edward Green Dover money. On the other hand, the Trickers do not claim to have uppers stitched with a boars bristle by ancient Cordwainers. They still seem good enough to me though and they are a sixth of the price of the Dovers.

The Trickers were half price and well done. They do not turn up at the front like some other English brands in this style and the split toe is not too elongated in the French manner.

I have John Lobb Chapel in brown Museum calf. At one time only Lobb seemed to use it, but it’s more widespread now. Lobb leather seems better and it is a more uniform less noticeably mottled colour. I got the Lobbs years ago at the factory shop for a sensible price. In subsequent visits they mostly had loafers. Customers were mostly foreigners including Japanese who would be OK for smaller sizes.

Like many, I have plenty of shoes. Arguably too many but these were a bargain and will get used. None of my Trickers are country shoes. Plain veldtschoen suit me better for country wear. Getting mud and grit out of commando soles is tiresome enough without removing mud from broguing. Fashionable tan colours are not really practical for mud either.View attachment 33728View attachment 33730View attachment 33728View attachment 33729View attachment 33730

I never knew you owned Lobb and had loads of shoos. Simply incredible.
 
I never knew you owned Lobb and had loads of shoos. Simply incredible.
Yes Lobb purchased in 2009 for £245. They are £1325 on the Lobb site at the moment.

‘Loads of shoes’ is relative. I have more than enough for all my needs - but not a vast collection.

I do have an Edward Green, some C&J, some Trickers, one Church plain black Oxford. So I have all the Northampton manufacturers - plus some Cheaney and some Loake. Plus RM Williams and various low key continental manufacturers.
 
^^Just some Foster & Son to complete the set, then.
I think Crockett & Jones make for Fosters. Fosters do make their own shoes, of course, but they would be made in London. So Northampton is complete. No Cleverley either - but they are also London based. Don’t know about Mr. Graziano’s premises. Put it this way, I have bought from all the firms with factories in Northampton and visited most of them. Also bought from the main Northamptonshire factories too.
 
C&J used to do so. Recently Fosters opened their own factory.
A recent sale seemed to be inted to flush out the last of the old inventory. RTW prices have been raised considerable, and would assume quality have gone up too.

READY TO WEAR
Made to high craft standards in our state of the art Northampton factory, our ready to wear shoes and boots bring you the best of bespoke designs and heritage right off the shelf.

Actually I have a suspicion, that this could be part of the reason John Lobb JS, is trying to change their arrangements with John Lobb Paris. If Foster can make their own RTW, then why not us..
 
C&J used to do so. Recently Fosters opened their own factory.
A recent sale seemed to be inted to flush out the last of the old inventory. RTW prices have been raised considerable, and would assume quality have gone up too.

READY TO WEAR
Made to high craft standards in our state of the art Northampton factory, our ready to wear shoes and boots bring you the best of bespoke designs and heritage right off the shelf.

Actually I have a suspicion, that this could be part of the reason John Lobb JS, is trying to change their arrangements with John Lobb Paris. If Foster can make their own RTW, then why not us..
Thanks. I did not know this.
‘Although an established London-based brand, Foster & Son opened their new shoe factory in Northampton in 2018 to make their ready to wear (RTW) collection. During their long history, Foster & Son have established a reputation for their refined bespoke shoemaking and have counted Winston Churchill, Steve McQueen and Fred Astaire amongst their customers.’

Not too far from Church’s or the railway station. It’s a modern industrial estate type building not an old Victorian one.
Prices are high. No mention of a factory shop. It just has N/A against it. I will wait and see if prices become more favourable though there is nothing I need.
 
Has someone tried to iron those lapels onto a three button?
You may have some work on your hands when you get the jacket to rectify that!
 
wait what you mean?
The jacket is clearly an Ivy style 3/2 jacket - a jacket with three buttons but only the middle one is supposed to be fastened. The top one is folded back to expose the button hole within the lapel. Making it really a two button with ornamental button hole. But if you see those vertical creases in the lapel, it looks like someone’s tried to press the lapel above the top button to create an artificial ‘hard three’ jacket with functioning top button. You’ll have to decide if you want to keep it that way (and thus press a fold/roll accordingly), or else keep it the way it was intended in which case you’ll have to press those vertical creases out of the lapels. Hope you have a good steam iron or a dry cleaners who know what they’re doing!
 
The jacket is clearly an Ivy style 3/2 jacket - a jacket with three buttons but only the middle one is supposed to be fastened. The top one is folded back to expose the button hole within the lapel. Making it really a two button with ornamental button hole. But if you see those vertical creases in the lapel, it looks like someone’s tried to press the lapel above the top button to create an artificial ‘hard three’ jacket with functioning top button. You’ll have to decide if you want to keep it that way (and thus press a fold/roll accordingly), or else keep it the way it was intended in which case you’ll have to press those vertical creases out of the lapels. Hope you have a good steam iron or a dry cleaners who know what they’re doing!

I thought it might be the other way round. They have taken a three button jacket and ironed it to make it Ivy style 3/2. Either way you can clear see the effect of their work.
 
I thought it might be the other way round. They have taken a three button jacket and ironed it to make it Ivy style 3/2. Either way you can clear see the effect of their work.
You could be right but usually lapels are pressed to roll back and thus would not have creases from being ironed flat.
I guess the proof of the pudding would be for Paully to examine the finishing of that top buttonhole. If it’s finished on the side that’s currently exposed then it was meant to be a 3/2 and the vertical creases on the lapel are bogus. If it’s finished on the reverse side (The side you currently can’t see) then it’s a conventional hard three.
 
I concur. It was never a 3/2 jacket.
Well hopefully Paully can confirm one way or the other when it’s delivered, but Ivy details like swelled edges, two-button cuffs, patch-and-flap pockets along with the aforementioned creases rather than rolls in the lapel would suggest that it was originally a 3/2 that’s undergone a poor attempt at conversion to a hard three.
What say you, Paully?
 
The jacket is clearly an Ivy style 3/2 jacket - a jacket with three buttons but only the middle one is supposed to be fastened. The top one is folded back to expose the button hole within the lapel. Making it really a two button with ornamental button hole. But if you see those vertical creases in the lapel, it looks like someone’s tried to press the lapel above the top button to create an artificial ‘hard three’ jacket with functioning top button. You’ll have to decide if you want to keep it that way (and thus press a fold/roll accordingly), or else keep it the way it was intended in which case you’ll have to press those vertical creases out of the lapels. Hope you have a good steam iron or a dry cleaners who know what they’re doing!

The creases are strange as the right lapel's crease is different than the left. Left looks like it could have been pressed to line up in a hard 3 closure but the right crease but the right's crease is in reverse. So I don't think it was worn as a hard 3. The right crease would have to have a reverse fold to what it has.
 
You could be right but usually lapels are pressed to roll back and thus would not have creases from being ironed flat.
I guess the proof of the pudding would be for Paully to examine the finishing of that top buttonhole. If it’s finished on the side that’s currently exposed then it was meant to be a 3/2 and the vertical creases on the lapel are bogus. If it’s finished on the reverse side (The side you currently can’t see) then it’s a conventional hard three.

Got the jacket. Pics of top buttonhole

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Nope I wasn’t on about the traditional buttonhole at the top of the lapel, I was on about the top of the three ‘fastening’ buttonholes. On some Ivy Style 3/2 jackets the lapel is folded back down to the middle of the three buttons, leaving the top button invisible as it’s now on the reverse side of the lapel, and the top buttonhole is sometimes finished on the side that will show.
I suspect your jacket was made this way but someone has tried to convert it to a traditional ‘hard three’ for which the top AND middle buttons are fastened, hence those vertical creases in the lapel. It’s kinda hard to describe if you’re not familiar with all this so if anyone else can explain it better then feel free to chip in here!
 
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Take a pic of both sides of this buttonhole so we can see which is the intended ‘top’ side.
 
Looks like the lower pic is meant to be the visible side, so it’s a legit 2roll3 or whatever they call it. Steam and press those creases out and enjoy!
 
The real test is if you iron it to the middle button, 2/3, does it still hug your neck. All the theory is irrelevant.
 
Many 2/3 actually roll to halfway between 2 and 3. Some a bit closer to 2.
 
Got a couple of pairs of fantastic cords today in great colours. Made in Germany by eurex for Brax. My favourite type.

These are a brilliant rich olive, and these always fit great. These cords only come in once a year and are snatched up quickly, so when l get them it is a celebration. The other pair in navy blue.

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Mine fit better than this.

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Uncle Buck cords.jpg

Dreams can come true. I've waited years for it to happen.
 

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Got a couple of pairs of fantastic cords today in great colours. Made in Germany by eurex for Brax. My favourite type.

These are a brilliant rich olive, and these always fit great. These cords only come in once a year and are snatched up quickly, so when l get them it is a celebration. The other pair in navy blue.

View attachment 33832

Mine fit better than this.

View attachment 33836

View attachment 33837

Dreams can come true. I've waited years for it to happen.
Heavy eight wale corduroy trousers with pleats will never look sleek. A certain amount of bagginess is part of the look.

If you are desperate for cords, Peter Christian offer some quality Brisbane Moss ones at a reasonable price.
 
Heavy eight wale corduroy trousers with pleats will never look sleek. A certain amount of bagginess is part of the look.

True,but those look alittle off.

Kingstonian said:
If you are desperate for cords, Peter Christian offer some quality Brisbane Moss ones at a reasonable price.

those look like they have narrow legs at the openings. I like a decent wide legged wide wale baggy cord. The classic Hiltl cords are even better style, but the fit and materials is not as good as the Brax. Brax is top notch.

Hey güero güero , what is with the sad face? Why not a pretty face The Shooman The Shooman
 
Hey güero güero , what is with the sad face? Why not a pretty face The Shooman The Shooman
I should have just kept my fingers to myself. It's sad to see you with what some people perceive as a lesser product, you definitely deserve better. But I also don't want to spoil your enjoyment. So ideally let's forget about this!
 
I should have just kept my fingers to myself. It's sad to see you with what some people perceive as a lesser product, you definitely deserve better. But I also don't want to spoil your enjoyment. So ideally let's forget about this!

No, l don't want to forget about this. Please tell me more, educate me about cords. It's o.k to burst my bubble. Please tell me everything you know.

regards,
Shooey.
 
Got a couple of pairs of fantastic cords today in great colours. Made in Germany by eurex for Brax. My favourite type.

These are a brilliant rich olive, and these always fit great. These cords only come in once a year and are snatched up quickly, so when l get them it is a celebration. The other pair in navy blue.

View attachment 33832

Mine fit better than this.

View attachment 33836

View attachment 33837

Dreams can come true. I've waited years for it to happen.
did you go to Bonapartes in Carlton?
 

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