Thom Browne F/W 07.08 NYC

[surver]

actually, if you wish to get a decent suit tailored the way it used to be - ie, with all the ultra-detailed and exquisite detaling etc - there is a very unlikely place to do that, for literally a fraction of the price of a TB: shanghai.

i am NOT talking about the touristy, all-over-guidebooks, shanghai or hong kong, but something else - to be explained by the following story: a shanghainese friend of mine recently travelled to london and italy and thought that he should get a decent suit made from saville row or italy. so, he brought a suit which he had tailored for him by an old shanghainese tailor by a market because he liked the cut and fit as a reference. upon seeing this suit, the english nor italian tailors all had the same reaction - if you can have this quality of suit made, why are you coming to us? we don't know how to make suits like this anymore.

due to china's 'closure' for almost 40 years, this is one of the positive aspects of the closure - the original craft and tradition of ages ago have been retained and not contaminated/commercialized/changed/made easier by commercial development in other parts of the world. so, in shanghai, one can still get the ultra-quality of the old way of making suits done, impeccably. the only thing is to bring your own cut that you like.

so all this hype about TB in the states actually is quite ridiculous and silly - especially with his claims on building on the history of menswear etc... does he really know how a real suit should be made? apparently, he doesn't even understand tailoring, technically; he has this tailor that he works with...

 

[TheGloryOfThe80s]

I don't know...quality tailoring doesn't seem new to me, it's especially not anything to be excited over. The only thing Browne has going for him is his "innovative" cuts...that really don't deserve the term. Real innovation in fashion benefits the wearer aesthetically...and (in my opinion, anyway) most of Thom's clothes do just the opposite.

I agree. I always wonder why people get excited over "quality" from menswear on here. Like Saville Row never existed and its something fantastically inovative to make a suit out of something better than super 100s.

 

[surver]

is firstview trying to be sarcastic or what? i find it quite funny, and fitting, actually... especially for this particular collection:

Thom Browne - Ready-to-Wear - Runway Collection - Women

http://www.firstview.com/collection.php?p=0&id=12566&of=

 

[ETROsexualJ]

"What is most beautiful in virile men is something feminine; what is most beautiful in feminine women is something masculine.
Anonymous"

Funny that is your quote and you bash Thom who used such feminine looks (bridal train, veil, sheer swiss dot, etc) in the Spring show.

 

[belletrist]

Wow I can't understand why are some people so agressive concerning him. Of course he needs a taylor, were you expecting him for cutting your suits himself? He tells him how he wants the suits to be made, but he's a designer... Do you think Lagerfeld knows how to hold a needle?

Just one thing though, I find his models wearing TB in a MUCH more better way than all the people I've seen across the street (a very few to be honest, but a couple of them at Colette). I've only seen classic suits (with his special cuts) so far, no extravagant pieces, nor shorts, or anything else

 

[belletrist]

Another point: I understand what some people call "a waste of craftmanship" but they must understand that some people (I'm among those) are tired to buy Dior (same applies to other brands) pieces that fall apart after two days of wearing. But whenever I want to buy quality clothing, I must admit that there's no choice. I like Loro Piana and the likes, but once you have three black cashmere turtlenecks, then you want tomething else, and everytime such a brand tries to be fancy, then it's honestly laughable (pinguin/mickey sweaters? no way!). So there's certainly a market for TB, people with a good income, who are very strict concerning quality but who doesn't want to shop at Brioni because they want a fresher cut (can't thank them enough, I hate all these clones on business districts).

 

[MJCouture]

I really cannot understand all of the bitter hatred towards Thom. I quite admire what he has done, and menswear is a much better landscape today because of his work. I personally do not have the need for suits often, and can not justify the price tag for something thats just 'fun,' but in theory I would love to own some of his things. To bash the pricepoint is really moot. Yes there is a large degree of markup, but thats the case with any designer product so it just is what it is. Clearly the pricepoint sets it apart from almost every other menswear designer, but that is not such a bad thing. Yes, it would be fantastic to get that styling and that quality in a $1500 suit, but its not going to happen. I think the mass-marketing of so many designer goods has made people forget that they are exclusive, and that not everyone is meant to afford them (which opens up a bigger debate about the entire structure of Western society, so I'm not going to go there). I personally do not like the F/W collection, as I was ready for him to push it in a new direction, and did not feel that he did, but he is still very talented, and an important part of design today.

 

[ETROsexualJ]

Well the price is the thing most often brought up...so it only leads one to assume.

 

[ETROsexualJ]

It really all works out the same.
As I had said before if on a $3500 suit from Thom Browne you are paying about $1,000 extra for name and exclusivity it works out to just under 30%.
If you buy Prada, Gucci, Dolce, Dior, etc for $1500 and again as I said up top you are really paying that extra $500 again for the name it works out to 33% of the cost.
You can get a decent MTM suit from someone like Coppley which is going to have the same amount of construction merit as an OTR designer for $800-$1,000.
Likewise you can go to an old school tailor and have a handmade suit from a great bolt of fabric for $2,000-$2,500.

 

[JJohnson]

Oh it's catty in here! Anyway, when it comes to TB, how is his sizing?

 

[ETROsexualJ]

Oh it's catty in here! Anyway, when it comes to TB, how is his sizing?

0, 1, 2, 3 and the recently added 4.

 

[JJohnson]

0, 1, 2, 3 and the recently added 4.

*sigh* I'll pass ahaha

 

[Yanka]

I think it's so surreal but kinda fun. If I were a man I'd wear couple of those coats outside just to scare people.