With naught to do over the fleeting semester break, I shall journey to Sydney for something of a respite from Queensland over the next week. I begrudgingly admit that there are particulars within Brisbane's cityscape that agree with me. However, for the most part I long to do some traveling around Australia's truly great metropolises before my time studying in this strange (yet beautiful) country is at an end.
While in NSW I shall endeavor to visit all the familiar #menswear temples - Incu, Capsule, and Inventory to name a few - but the main purpose of my pilgrimage is to finally stand within the sanguine halls of patrickjohnsontailors for a long overdue meeting with an esteemed establishment. Let the record show I shamelessly declared it "Australia's best menswear store" not more than a year ago, an opinion that holds fast to this day.
Here's what yours truly is lugging all the way south in an effort to brave the cold:
Suitsupply 'beater' suit in navy herringbone (S110 VBC)
LBM 1911 cotton blazer (3 patch pockets, surprisingly versatile even in the winter)
MP di Massimo Piombo shirt (semi-spread collar w/ medium stripe detail)
Club Monaco 6 oz. foulard
Club Monaco knit wool bomber
Todd Snyder x CHAMPION sweatshirt (for running around museums & galleries in)
Meermin MTO austerity brogue
NOT PICTURED:
Adidas Stan Smiths (the ROTM kind, nothing fancy)
Club Monaco sweatpants (for cosyboy feels)
A large volume of content involving acquisitions made in Sydney will be forthcoming early next month but be sure to follow along on my Instagram if you're interested in seeing aerial views of espresso cups. That sounded far less sardonic than I'd like.
Fed Up With Your Shit: Dispelling #menswear's 'Made in China' myths
The frivolous discussion of the world's largest communist-but-not-really-because-they-buy-all-your-shit nation inevitably results in a heated discussion regarding all things 'made in China'. Yes we make alot of instantly lethal crap, but just like any gargantuan commercial enterprise sometimes you find little gold nuggets in the proverbial shit storm, a fact that is no more apparent than in China's emerging #menswear products.
For years China has lagged behind in the #menswear game. Our street style (if it can even be dubbed thus) is a hideous hybridisation of American East Coast/ Southern Italian guido couture. Our 'tailoring' (such as it is) is known for fusing as poisonous as the lead helmets Montogomery Burns supplies his workers with, and our local talent overcome by a sea of mediocre knock off Gucci drawers. While Japan has adopted and amalgamated the Neapolitan, British and Ivy League styles, China has been left to wallow in a pit of relative obscurity: its claim to fame being the world's largest vomit-inducing-technicolor-dreamtote consumer fanbase.
But Imm'a lay it on you: the Red Dragon awakens, bitches and I can say with careful optimism that although the road is yet long and the march early China's #menswear scene is coming alive. From the guys like those at The Armoury to the Europeans willing to take a chance on diversity, China is making strides, and these brands are a testament to what this colossal nation can do for you 2 inch cuff loving nerds.
MEERMIN
If you haven't heard of Meermin by now I'm going to assume you've either been putting bath salt in your eyes or are new to this whole ridiculous selvedge jawnz thing. The fact of the matter is, that Meermin (operating out of Mallorca, Spain) does a large amount of its manufacturing in China which allows it to shift more product for less money and impart its quality of craft to a new generation of foreign workers. Heritage is everything, and in a country best known for having no real menswear foundations of its own its ridiculously touching (phrasing) to see how Meermin have taken a chance of China by moving much of its production to Shanghai.
Pepe Albaladejo took some time to answer a quick e-mail on this subject and quickly summarised the process that goes into making a pair of regular ready to wear Meermin shoes. His friendly openness about the involvement of Chinese craftspeople was reassuring and is a definite sign that Meermin is not some bitch operation aimed at conning you out of your hard earned money. Machine welting is undertaken in Shanghai with a team of Chinese workers who have been with Meermin for over a decade, lasts and sole edge trimming are also done locally meaning a large portion of the shoe's construction takes place outside of Spain.
Meermin's quality however is reflected in the respect with which they treat their Chinese workers: they expect a certain level of quality from them. The staff in Shanghai also construct Meermin shoes in the Linea Maestro line and have been trained to hand cut uppers, hand last each shoe and hand-make the ubiquitous Goodyear welt. Both handmade and machine welted shoes are then trasnferred to Inca, Mallorca where they undergo final processes and a number of rigorous quality inspections (in a manner not dissimilar to what you'd expect from a Northampton shoemaker like Crockett & Jones).
The product should speak for itself, a run of the mill machine made Goodyear welted pair of Meermins will cost you just under $200. They can be resoled, come with an impeccable last and are available in any range of frothworthy #menswear styles (see the Dubmonk POTW). The benchmade Meermins are just as impressive, and may be customized to a ridiculous degree. The width of the last may be altered, broguing options are available and monogramming is even a possibility for the sentimental-at-heart. Most Meermin shoes are at least partially assembled in China leading to a significant number of OG points in this writer's opinion: I know I've already reviewed these guys once but you can cop their level of product for the price of mall rat sneakers? That shit is crazy...
SUITSUPPLY
After endless trawling on Styleforum and much time spent attempting to swallow my own tongue I've come to this conclusion: Suitsupply is not the be-all-and-end-all of tailoring. Hell, as a sad little French Connection clad thirty something divorcee I could have made that astute observation, but the fact remains that its a great brand to buy your first entry level suit from.
Seriously, does anybody remember a time when the intehwebz wasn't teaming with pictures of Neo-Neapolitan dudes standing around waving gelato in their S130 Washington fit suits? With most of their mid range suiting including half canvassed constructions, ticket pockets, surgeon's cuffs and blended fabrics its hard to stomach that- once again- this is another brand that fucks with workers from Chinaland.
Despite the nearly toxic experience I had browsing the opinions of Styleforum's self-proclaimed menswear elite I have yet to find a globally shippable off the rack suit as promising as those offered by Suitsupply. Sure its all very standard fare for menswear nerds but solid construction backed by some interesting features (usually associated with bespoke clothing) pique interest in the brand from people who don't initially...give a shit about bespoke/MTM.
Suitsupply products are manufactured in China but remain head and shoulders above anything I've seen in a local department store of a similar price ilk. Yes the lapels on their jackets may be somewhat crumply, and their blended fabrics are sometimes suspect but the fact is at this price (at least if you aren't buying second hand) your only readily available alternatives are fused, black and come with a 'complimentary pocket square' (i.e. coloured cardboard).
