As the last couple of weekends have just gone by without having time to answer any of the questions I’ve got I decided to shortly do it now. Sorry again for the delay.
Q: Hi Atte, First and most importantly, your blog is great. Secondly, on to the question. How would you rate the quality of Kamakura’s shirts? Is there anything you especially like or dislike about the shirts?
A:
Thanks a lot! First of all I only have one shirt from Kamakura and I’ve paid one visit to their store while I was visiting New York but based on that experience I would dare to say that in general Kamakura is a top choice, especially if you are looking a simple button-down collar shirt with a more modern (slim) fit featuring a reasonable price. The workmanship on the shirts is pretty good, stitching (at least in the one I’ve got) is even & clean, and seams finished well.
I wouldn’t say that there is anything I particularly dislike. As the shirts are “of the rack” the toughest part might be (and was for me) finding the right size. But as Kamakura offers four different cuts (New York, Tokyo, New York Slim, and Tokyo Slim) it is however possible to find just the right one. The New York is a traditional, full-cut shirt whereas the Tokyo is a little trimmer in comparison. The slim versions from both models are darted and hence slimmer still.
On the other hand the best part of the shirts (when talking about the OCBD-shirts) is the special cotton-lined but unfused collar, developed by the founder of Kamakura Yoshio Sadasue. I’m not an expert when it comes to button-down collars but (imo) the one in these shirts is “big” enough and rolls nicely and naturally.
Hope this helps. If you have a chance to visit their store either in New York or in Asia it’s definitely worth going. But if not, Kamakura seem to have opened their E-shop again. Might need to order couple of more shirts myself.
Q: Hi, I’ve been looking for a stylish double breasted trench coat for 4 years, but haven’t been able to find one… SO, do you have any hints or suggestions where to look besides Burberry, Aquascutum or other over 500‚¬ priced labels. I’d love to find one similar to the ones Burberry has, but 1400‚¬ is pretty expensive. Any suggestions will be extremely appreciated. Great blog btw!
A:
In case you have been looking for several years I guess you have made up your mind about getting a trench coat. However I would still urge you to think that for what kind of occasions you are looking a coat for and consider if a trench really is what you want as I personally think that for most of the guys trench is really hard to pull-off. The burberry trench (and many coats alike) is a classic no doubt, but the the belt and shoulder straps can easily make one looking like “trying too hard” (especially if you happen to wear a hat with the coat).
So I might suggest you try and look for a basic rain mac (or a car coat) instead of a trench as it's easier to pull off and much more versatile in my opinion. And there are quite many options available even in the price range of 200-400 euros.
But here are some options to check out in case you have decided to go with the trench :)
8 - Made in Italy (via Yoox) / 8 - Made in Italy (via Yoox)
Hope you find what you are looking for!
Q: Hey Atte - love reading your blog! Great pictures! I was wondering if you have any experience with Septieme Largeur (and maybe Markowski). I guess they would be considered mid-range shoes, but I’m very tempted to get an SL (especially the brown Adelaide captoe) due to their sleek looking lasts. Seems like its good value for the money. What do you think?
A:
Unfortunately I have no personal experience with or Septieme Largeur or Markowski.
Based on what I’ve been reading I dare to say that both companies but especially Septieme Largeur offer shoes made of good quality leather featuring goodyear welted construction for an affordable price. It might not be the lowest of the price scale on the market but for what you get, leather and construction wise, it's a great deal for sure!
What I personally like when it comes to SL is as you said the lasts which are sleek but not too pointy (at least in pictures). Another interesting thing is the patina service for the shoes that they sell, which might be something than no other brand (particularly in this price range) offers.
If you end up going with SL let me know what you think!
And thanks a lot, appreciate the feedback!
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