Hi All,
Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm still making progress on the Patterson jacket project and should have an update early next week. So far, things are looking pretty good!
Good to hear John. Been wanting one for a long time.
Came across a great alternative to the suede R.M. Williams Gilchrist boots. From Macy’s comes the Alfani Dennis boots for $50. Saw these in the store yesterday and they look rather good!
Here is a good alternative to the Tom Ford shawl collar cardigan in cream, ivory/white that DC wore. It's listed for $129 but of you use the code BRFAMILY it's 50% off!
Here is a good alternative to the Tom Ford shawl collar cardigan in cream, ivory/white that DC wore. It's listed for $129 but of you use the code BRFAMILY it's 50% off!
I also highly recommend the Spier & Mackay Navy and Charcoal Grey Merino Wool Turtlenecks as budget alts for the N.Peal Spectre sweaters. Super comfortable, great quality and great price too.
Lots of alternatives suggested by others in this one, so credit to them if you find something you like! Have a great Sunday!
Pussy Galore: “My name is Pussy Galore.”
Bond: “I must be dreaming.”
chriscollins007North Somerset , England Posts: 1,158MI6 Agent
Has any UK guys or john found some Henley short sleeve options for the Matera outfit
The Alfani one is double the price to be shipped to Uk and Jcrew through Nordshack don't ship to UK
cheers
Anyone buy the J Crew Henley Alternative from the EMPIRE still? Does it get the job done?
chriscollins007North Somerset , England Posts: 1,158MI6 Agent
Hi Jon , Any luck with Henley short sleeve options for the Matera outfit for us UK guys please
I can't find anything decent and the US shipping rates on your website are double the price of the garment
cheers
This is a topic I've been wanting to explore for a while. Our relationship with Bond and our desire to live like him can (at times) be a little unhealthy, especially when it puts our personal finances at risk. So I'm researching for a series of articles on this topic. This is the first one, and it's a basic look at organizing a spending plan. But in future articles I want to look at everything from practical guides to finding deals on clothing, travel and entertainment to the psychology behind our relationships with money and how we can overcome bad spending habits and still get the things we want. If anyone thinks of anything they'd like to see covered, let me know!
Ok so a couple reviews of Iconic Alternative recommended products, I meant to have everything together but some items are taking longer to get here and I'm impatient )
Just one picture because it looks exactly like on the site in person and is so soft and my new favorite sweater. My simple review is as follows, *ahem*
"Buy this. Buy this now it's great 10/10. SERIOUSLY THEY JUST PUT IT ON SALE FOR 20% OFF UNTIL TOMORROW, BUY THIS NOW"
This jacket is great, solid 8/10. The suede is soft, light and has some color variation that gives the jacket character without making it not look solid in color. The details are all there when it comes to seams and stitching even including the double zippers and the sizing chart is very accurate.
Now onto the bad parts, the sizing chart is very accurate so the sleeves are about an inch too long on every size. The actual jacket did have longer sleeves but I need to get mine shortened. The collar is also too small, most replicas make this mistake but I felt like pointing that out. Those are still two small details I can live with. The reason it's not a 9/10 is the quilted lining!
They went through so much effort to make a beautiful light jacket then put a quilted lining that makes it much warmer than it should be. I'm getting this relined soon because it's still pretty light and comfortable but the lining is a major design flaw, maybe messaging the seller they could use a different lining.
Final verdict is I would recommend this over most other replicas as a bang for your buck option, at $100 less than other replicas which often look too dark or don't have the right details it's worth it especially if the seller does a different lining.
So the jacket itself is good, the leather has very interesting distressing which I think is better than any other ebay or amazon sellers. I would even put the distressing above Wested (whose different hides are expensive and generally still don't look right, too solid in color.) and Magnoli (Whose products I love and praise all the time but their version of this jacket doesn't look right to the movie.) The construction is also good for a $130 jacket, only a few loose stitches all around, the lining is acetate and stamped with the company logo which is nice, and the leather itself is soft and lightweight. It really does seem like the best option for a jacket that feels like the Menlo rather than a jacket with accurate details that feels more like an Indiana Jones jacket.
Now the bad, there's quite a bit bad but mostly to do with the seller. So my jacket arrived very very late, and the seller said it was to do with the courrier but their tracking shows the seller seems to have just shipped it late and lied to me. This was also after they didn't give me a tracking number when asked, then simply updated the tracking number and let Amazon alert me rather than reply.
The jacket was so late Amazon instantly approved a full refund when I put in an inquiry for a partial refund, to give you an idea of how that all went down once they reviewed the situation.
Once the jacket arrived it had a broken buckle/d-ring on the belt on the back. You can see one side is loose in my picture above. So the jacket arrived late and damaged.
Then the seller messaged me saying they wanted me to send them back some of my refund and keep a partial amount, because Amazon shouldn't have given me a refund or some such. I thought they'd been rude the whole time and didn't reply. I know I got the jacket but the worry I'd been ripped off and then it arriving damaged made me think I'd rather leave this all done. Hopefully I don't come off as the bad guy here, just wanted full disclosure.
Also I took an extra picture because the buttons are bad, they're tan in the center and the contrast somehow comes off as cheap. I'm going to replace them with Dill Buttons 1170 which are much closer to the Menlo buttons.
So-Shway has a 90% seller rating on Amazon (I have yet to and will not submit a seller review) so maybe I just got very unlucky, maybe it was all a misunderstanding, but I can't in good faith not warn others about this experience. That said the jacket itself is very nice and very accurate for a great price, as I said before.
If you do buy it I hope this helps you make an informed purchase and prepares your expectations of the seller, regardless I hope you have a better experience than I did.
And one final review for an item not featured on Iconic Alternatives but I think should be. Old Navy has these https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=435319#pdp-page-content Straight fit trousers in Weimaraner. They are a budget dead ringer for the Spectre Morroco Trousers and a decent color alternative for the Ocean Club trousers. They're not linen and the color is more flat but they read a lot like those pants did on screen in Casino Royale.
And then here they are, light on, with the Royale Filmwear Ocean Club trousers. Here they look warmer like the Spectre trousers sometimes do and are generally a more brown color than the Casino Royale pair. https://imgur.com/vQsn9nn
That said with the lights off, in slightly below average natural lighting they're much closer in color and you can see where I'm coming from. https://imgur.com/IZcKN5y
I think they're obviously better for the Spectre look but they're totally serviceable for the Casino Royale outfits and a great Budget Bond item.
Still to come, the Banana Republic Factory Spectre jacket alternative along with a pair of pants and mock neck sweater to complete that outfit and the Tie Bar Skyfall sweater, once they arrive. Apologies for the long post, I hope this is helpful to some of you!
Timeyswirls: WOW! Thank you so much for sharing those reviews!
It looks like that Spier & Mackay sweater is a real winner. And I'm glad the Morocco jacket worked out for you (although I completely agree about them using a quilted liner. Doesn't make much sense )
As for the So-Shway jacket: shame their customer service is so bad. I've said before that I try to be very cautious when sharing repro jackets from unknown makers. I try to do as much research as I can beforehand, but since I can't buy every leather jacket out there it's still a roll of the dice. But I think your experience clearly shows the advantage of buying off of Amazon or Ebay, where there are some stronger buyer protections in place, than buying directly from the seller.
And great find on those Old Navy pants!
With your permission, I'll update the relevant posts this week with your feedback. Looking forward to what you're going to share next!
Well, that was a morning ... I was all set to publish a huge post on strategy for stylish layering when the tech gremlins struck. Anyway, it will be coming on Sunday. For now, I've updated the post on the SPECTRE Brunello Cucinelli leather bag. And there are a ton of options at all price points!
Like I said before everything I post here you are free to add to the articles, all I want is for everyone to be able to make good informed purchases.
Now I mentioned the Tie Bar sweater before. Just before I was going to purchase it I noticed an email from Woolovers and grabbed the Teal cashmere sweater on sale so for now I won't be purchasing the tie bar one.
A review of exactly that sweater, he calls the Heather Teal color Navy but notes the greener shade and the video shows it's a good color match for the N. Peal one used in Skyfall. So for $45 that's a great Merino alternative
Greetings! New post is live focused on how we can use layering to elevate our personal style. I sought professional advice for this one and spoke with two experts from Aphrodite Clothing: Beth Wear, their head stylist, and Dan Graham, their head photographer. So lots of practical advice in this one!
J.Crew is running a sale this long weekend that includes a budget version of the moc-toe chukkas Bond wears in NTTD. The "anchor grey" is a lighter shade than the SA brown Drake's but close enough for most and the price is hard to beat:
I actually really love this jacket, until I eventually upgrade to a real suede Magnoli version in yonks time this will more than do.
Reviews mentioned slim sizing but I did ok with my normal XL size, it is slim but not unbearably so. Construction is solid, it's overall lightweight and comfortable.
My only criticism is there's little to no nap to the faux suede, it's almost satin smooth. It doesn't look or feel bad but fair warning, it's not exactly luxury faux suede.
So solid 8/10 for getting the look but obviously lacking the luxury and details of the real jacket, would absolutely recommend.
On sale for $39 and free shipping with code SHIPPED, this is a steal!
The silk/cotton/cashmere blend is a great year round fabric that's super comfy. The fit is easy but not big, I wear a Large in t shirts and sweatshirts but dress shirts and jackets or anything slim fit I go up to an XL.
This I bought a large since there was no mention of slim fit and was pleasantly surprised with a close but not sprayed on look.
The only cons are the mock neck is a tad bit short and the color is slightly lighter than the almost black movie version.
Solid 9/10 if you want a sweater version of the sweater get this, if you want an easier to care for t-shirt version that's more spot on in color but more expensive get Magnoli's version.
I think these are a solid option, the houndstooth is small enough to pass for the movie trousers and are a low price with a few fit options. Would recommend as a budget option admitting it's missing most of the specific details of the movie used ones.
And an update on the Skyfall leather jacket, I bought the saddle soap and conditioner from the double rider jacket article and did the whole process. The jacket is now incredibly soft and comfortable to wear, and after fixing the buckle and adding the new buttons it's definitely a great jacket. Here's a comparison between mine and the real deal
The fit and fabric are good, woolovers definitely isn't super boxy anymore and the cashmere is ridiculously soft.
BIG criticism though, it is very very teal. The pictures on their site make it look darker than it is.
In person with and without my room light on, the color is super consistent and very teal. I will happily wear this, but might try mixing in tiny amounts of blue dye to the detergent when I wash it or something .
Hi everyone!
Sorry for my absence the last couple of weeks. I had some technical problems on the admin side of the website (that are now resolved). And then last Monday, I received some pretty big news:
My family and I are moving to New York in January!
We're all incredibly excited about the major life change that's coming. But (as I'm sure you can imagine), there is a ton of stuff to do when you're moving from one country to another: selling our furniture and cars, finding a place to live up there (and buying everything we'll need for our new home), enrolling my son in school, all the paperwork. Plus letting everyone know about the news. So that last week has been a roller coaster!
Now that we have things semi under control after the initial shock has worn off, I've dedicated this week to getting caught up on IA. So new posts are coming!
That is awesome news, John. Congrats! I actually live in NYC so feel free to send me a message if you need any help navigating the city. In any case, it would be fun to finally meet over an adult beverage at some point!
Speaking of New York City, I was out running errands today, checking out some Black Friday deals, and stumbled upon 2 budgets finds out in the wild:
First up is an alternative to Daniel Craig's personal Brunello Cucinelli cashmere jacket. From Banana Republic comes their Slim Italian Knit Blazer. Shell: 80% recycled wool, 20% nylon. It has a nice feel, structure and softness. My idea was to have a tailor add the 3rd button and top 4th button to give the look how Craig wears it. It fits very true to size. May want to size up if planning on layering heavy layers underneath. It's $298 but Banana Republic's current sale is an additional 40% off.
Century One Stores in New York are great for finding some budget, luxury alternatives (Get ready, John!). My eyes opened up wide when I saw this one today. Alternative for the Spectre N.Peal cable turtleneck. KIER & J brings us their Interlink Cable Knit Long Sleeve Wool Turtleneck Sweater. At $89 it certainly looks and feels the part. 90% Wool 10% Cashmere. Very soft and a step up from cotton turtlenecks at this price point.
Hope all of my US friends have a great Thanksgiving this week and to everyone, happy budget alternative shopping this week! Loads of Black Friday deals out their for Craig and Bond alternatives!
Hi everyone!
Sorry for my absence the last couple of weeks. I had some technical problems on the admin side of the website (that are now resolved). And then last Monday, I received some pretty big news:
My family and I are moving to New York in January!
We're all incredibly excited about the major life change that's coming. But (as I'm sure you can imagine), there is a ton of stuff to do when you're moving from one country to another: selling our furniture and cars, finding a place to live up there (and buying everything we'll need for our new home), enrolling my son in school, all the paperwork. Plus letting everyone know about the news. So that last week has been a roller coaster!
Now that we have things semi under control after the initial shock has worn off, I've dedicated this week to getting caught up on IA. So new posts are coming!
Just wanted to give everyone an update! Cheers!
John
It will be great to have you nearby. I hope we can finally meet!
drum007: great finds! And yes, I'm a little terrified of heading into a physical C21 store after seeing everything they have online over the years! ) Honestly, finally visiting some of these Bond brand stores and handle their stuff in person after writing about most of it for so long will be pretty cool!
And thanks to you and Matt for the invitations! The plan right now is to find a place outside the city (we have pets, which complicates things). My wife and I are coming up in early December to do a recon trip and (hopefully) get as much settled as we can. The big move will happen in mid-January.
But I'm really looking forward to getting to meet people in person for the first time! So a get-together in the city would be very welcome!
Comments
https://www.iconicalternatives.com/2019/10/31/the-no-time-to-die-long-sleeve-henley/
I haven't found the exact match yet, but there are more than a few that come very close!
Cheers!
https://www.macys.com/shop/product/alfani-dennis-boots-created-for-macys?ID=9368967
Speaking of today's post: Best Budget Style Finds for November is now live
https://www.iconicalternatives.com/2019/11/03/best-budget-style-finds-november/
Lots of alternatives suggested by others in this one, so credit to them if you find something you like! Have a great Sunday!
https://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=4905320020004&cid=1127081#pdp-page-content
Saw this one in the store and it looks great.
I also highly recommend the Spier & Mackay Navy and Charcoal Grey Merino Wool Turtlenecks as budget alts for the N.Peal Spectre sweaters. Super comfortable, great quality and great price too.
Thanks for the shout-outs as well! -{
Bond: “I must be dreaming.”
The Alfani one is double the price to be shipped to Uk and Jcrew through Nordshack don't ship to UK
cheers
Enjoying Death: thanks for sharing! I need to check out Spier & Mackay more often. I still think of them just as a "suit" company.
I can't find anything decent and the US shipping rates on your website are double the price of the garment
cheers
New post: How to live the Bond lifestyle without going broke
https://www.iconicalternatives.com/2019/11/05/living-the-bond-lifestyle-without-going-broke/
This is a topic I've been wanting to explore for a while. Our relationship with Bond and our desire to live like him can (at times) be a little unhealthy, especially when it puts our personal finances at risk. So I'm researching for a series of articles on this topic. This is the first one, and it's a basic look at organizing a spending plan. But in future articles I want to look at everything from practical guides to finding deals on clothing, travel and entertainment to the psychology behind our relationships with money and how we can overcome bad spending habits and still get the things we want. If anyone thinks of anything they'd like to see covered, let me know!
Cheers!
John
Warning: Long!
First, the Spier and Mackay turtleneck from Spectre
https://imgur.com/Z4p1WOf
Just one picture because it looks exactly like on the site in person and is so soft and my new favorite sweater. My simple review is as follows, *ahem*
"Buy this. Buy this now it's great 10/10. SERIOUSLY THEY JUST PUT IT ON SALE FOR 20% OFF UNTIL TOMORROW, BUY THIS NOW"
Next my problematic favorite of this bunch of alternatives, the RSH Leathercraft Spectre Morocco jacket.
https://imgur.com/DzygHGM
https://imgur.com/Dao1bAJ
https://imgur.com/5YcEOBo
This jacket is great, solid 8/10. The suede is soft, light and has some color variation that gives the jacket character without making it not look solid in color. The details are all there when it comes to seams and stitching even including the double zippers and the sizing chart is very accurate.
Now onto the bad parts, the sizing chart is very accurate so the sleeves are about an inch too long on every size. The actual jacket did have longer sleeves but I need to get mine shortened. The collar is also too small, most replicas make this mistake but I felt like pointing that out. Those are still two small details I can live with. The reason it's not a 9/10 is the quilted lining!
They went through so much effort to make a beautiful light jacket then put a quilted lining that makes it much warmer than it should be. I'm getting this relined soon because it's still pretty light and comfortable but the lining is a major design flaw, maybe messaging the seller they could use a different lining.
Final verdict is I would recommend this over most other replicas as a bang for your buck option, at $100 less than other replicas which often look too dark or don't have the right details it's worth it especially if the seller does a different lining.
Next is the So-Shway Skyfall leather jacket.
https://imgur.com/3Olvazj
https://imgur.com/7joe0tQ
https://imgur.com/VhaWj65
https://imgur.com/6CtjjRA
So the jacket itself is good, the leather has very interesting distressing which I think is better than any other ebay or amazon sellers. I would even put the distressing above Wested (whose different hides are expensive and generally still don't look right, too solid in color.) and Magnoli (Whose products I love and praise all the time but their version of this jacket doesn't look right to the movie.) The construction is also good for a $130 jacket, only a few loose stitches all around, the lining is acetate and stamped with the company logo which is nice, and the leather itself is soft and lightweight. It really does seem like the best option for a jacket that feels like the Menlo rather than a jacket with accurate details that feels more like an Indiana Jones jacket.
Now the bad, there's quite a bit bad but mostly to do with the seller. So my jacket arrived very very late, and the seller said it was to do with the courrier but their tracking shows the seller seems to have just shipped it late and lied to me. This was also after they didn't give me a tracking number when asked, then simply updated the tracking number and let Amazon alert me rather than reply.
The jacket was so late Amazon instantly approved a full refund when I put in an inquiry for a partial refund, to give you an idea of how that all went down once they reviewed the situation.
Once the jacket arrived it had a broken buckle/d-ring on the belt on the back. You can see one side is loose in my picture above. So the jacket arrived late and damaged.
Then the seller messaged me saying they wanted me to send them back some of my refund and keep a partial amount, because Amazon shouldn't have given me a refund or some such. I thought they'd been rude the whole time and didn't reply. I know I got the jacket but the worry I'd been ripped off and then it arriving damaged made me think I'd rather leave this all done. Hopefully I don't come off as the bad guy here, just wanted full disclosure.
Also I took an extra picture because the buttons are bad, they're tan in the center and the contrast somehow comes off as cheap. I'm going to replace them with Dill Buttons 1170 which are much closer to the Menlo buttons.
So-Shway has a 90% seller rating on Amazon (I have yet to and will not submit a seller review) so maybe I just got very unlucky, maybe it was all a misunderstanding, but I can't in good faith not warn others about this experience. That said the jacket itself is very nice and very accurate for a great price, as I said before.
If you do buy it I hope this helps you make an informed purchase and prepares your expectations of the seller, regardless I hope you have a better experience than I did.
And one final review for an item not featured on Iconic Alternatives but I think should be. Old Navy has these https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=435319#pdp-page-content Straight fit trousers in Weimaraner. They are a budget dead ringer for the Spectre Morroco Trousers and a decent color alternative for the Ocean Club trousers. They're not linen and the color is more flat but they read a lot like those pants did on screen in Casino Royale.
https://imgur.com/VkX9eUs
Here are the trousers with the jacket from above and a budget polo, I think the color is very close to how the outfit looked here
https://external-preview.redd.it/AwRKQ1cAO4mmv5glMs0dc-25H-6WqroJ26xJC7X_GZM.jpg?auto=webp&s=0e555c7dcac066442c70493d61f135a6e0a7cf27
And then here they are, light on, with the Royale Filmwear Ocean Club trousers. Here they look warmer like the Spectre trousers sometimes do and are generally a more brown color than the Casino Royale pair.
https://imgur.com/vQsn9nn
That said with the lights off, in slightly below average natural lighting they're much closer in color and you can see where I'm coming from.
https://imgur.com/IZcKN5y
I think they're obviously better for the Spectre look but they're totally serviceable for the Casino Royale outfits and a great Budget Bond item.
Still to come, the Banana Republic Factory Spectre jacket alternative along with a pair of pants and mock neck sweater to complete that outfit and the Tie Bar Skyfall sweater, once they arrive. Apologies for the long post, I hope this is helpful to some of you!
It looks like that Spier & Mackay sweater is a real winner. And I'm glad the Morocco jacket worked out for you (although I completely agree about them using a quilted liner. Doesn't make much sense
As for the So-Shway jacket: shame their customer service is so bad. I've said before that I try to be very cautious when sharing repro jackets from unknown makers. I try to do as much research as I can beforehand, but since I can't buy every leather jacket out there it's still a roll of the dice. But I think your experience clearly shows the advantage of buying off of Amazon or Ebay, where there are some stronger buyer protections in place, than buying directly from the seller.
And great find on those Old Navy pants!
With your permission, I'll update the relevant posts this week with your feedback. Looking forward to what you're going to share next!
John
https://www.iconicalternatives.com/2015/12/07/spectre-brunello-cucinelli-travel-bag/
Assuming there are no more bugs, the post on alternatives for the Skyfall pea coat should be coming on Saturday. Cheers!
Now I mentioned the Tie Bar sweater before. Just before I was going to purchase it I noticed an email from Woolovers and grabbed the Teal cashmere sweater on sale so for now I won't be purchasing the tie bar one.
Instead I found this!
https://youtu.be/MMe5f6omKsY
A review of exactly that sweater, he calls the Heather Teal color Navy but notes the greener shade and the video shows it's a good color match for the N. Peal one used in Skyfall. So for $45 that's a great Merino alternative
https://www.thetiebar.com/product/GFS-4955-0251
https://www.iconicalternatives.com/2019/11/10/the-art-of-layering-part-1/
Have a great Sunday, gang!
John
https://www.jcrew.com/p/10396?mode=edit&N=10H%20MEDIUM&NUM_ITEMS=1&cartId=8d26dd71a707f4a6d98281ab5c&color_name=anchor-grey
So here's a link to the Banana Republic Factory jacket posted on iconic alternatives: https://bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.com/browse/product.do?pid=490439011&sdkw=vegan-suede-jacket-P490439&sdReferer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
And here's some pictures:
https://imgur.com/OjlmxnO
https://imgur.com/oAD4R3U
I actually really love this jacket, until I eventually upgrade to a real suede Magnoli version in yonks time this will more than do.
Reviews mentioned slim sizing but I did ok with my normal XL size, it is slim but not unbearably so. Construction is solid, it's overall lightweight and comfortable.
My only criticism is there's little to no nap to the faux suede, it's almost satin smooth. It doesn't look or feel bad but fair warning, it's not exactly luxury faux suede.
So solid 8/10 for getting the look but obviously lacking the luxury and details of the real jacket, would absolutely recommend.
Now the sweater is from Banana Republic proper, here's the link: https://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=490545002&tid=brpl000026&kwid=1&ap=7&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=CjwKCAiAzanuBRAZEiwA5yf4umlwX44sBPnhuuXwGol9EJ9890Dbe7rjaFh2MP9bYO1i_SOpkBG5dRoCdwoQAvD_BwE#pdp-page-content
Here's a picture:
https://imgur.com/qtOoKpz
On sale for $39 and free shipping with code SHIPPED, this is a steal!
The silk/cotton/cashmere blend is a great year round fabric that's super comfy. The fit is easy but not big, I wear a Large in t shirts and sweatshirts but dress shirts and jackets or anything slim fit I go up to an XL.
This I bought a large since there was no mention of slim fit and was pleasantly surprised with a close but not sprayed on look.
The only cons are the mock neck is a tad bit short and the color is slightly lighter than the almost black movie version.
Solid 9/10 if you want a sweater version of the sweater get this, if you want an easier to care for t-shirt version that's more spot on in color but more expensive get Magnoli's version.
Now for the trousers Old Navy has you covered, this link is for the straight fit but there's also athletic and slim fit if that's better for you: https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=341342022&pcid=999#pdp-page-content
And a picture of the fabric close up and with the other pieces:
https://imgur.com/txUapBl
https://imgur.com/kP3rLBp
I think these are a solid option, the houndstooth is small enough to pass for the movie trousers and are a low price with a few fit options. Would recommend as a budget option admitting it's missing most of the specific details of the movie used ones.
And an update on the Skyfall leather jacket, I bought the saddle soap and conditioner from the double rider jacket article and did the whole process. The jacket is now incredibly soft and comfortable to wear, and after fixing the buckle and adding the new buttons it's definitely a great jacket. Here's a comparison between mine and the real deal
https://imgur.com/OAOpBHk
https://media.endclothing.com/media/catalog/product/2/6/26-05-2014_levisvintage_1930smenloleatherjacket_brown_4.jpg
Edit: Fair warning on this sweater, https://www.woolovers.us/mens/sweaters/mens-new-cashmere-crew-neck-sweater-green-7363
The fit and fabric are good, woolovers definitely isn't super boxy anymore and the cashmere is ridiculously soft.
BIG criticism though, it is very very teal. The pictures on their site make it look darker than it is.
https://imgur.com/3UWDnDV
https://imgur.com/Ym2uz5N
In person with and without my room light on, the color is super consistent and very teal. I will happily wear this, but might try mixing in tiny amounts of blue dye to the detergent when I wash it or something .
It is only 4 buttons, yes, but it gets fairly close! $98 may be steep, but I imagine Black Friday sales will help a bit.
https://www.billyreid.com/l-s-pensacola-polo-104338?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&keyword=&network=g&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItu2l7qjz5QIVLB6tBh1g1wDjEAkYASABEgI7a_D_BwE#color=13386&size=12969&1422=12969&1425=15746&1425=13386&1422=0&1425=0&1422=12969&1425=15746&1425=13386&1422=0&1425=0&1425=13386&1422=12966
Sorry for my absence the last couple of weeks. I had some technical problems on the admin side of the website (that are now resolved). And then last Monday, I received some pretty big news:
My family and I are moving to New York in January!
We're all incredibly excited about the major life change that's coming. But (as I'm sure you can imagine), there is a ton of stuff to do when you're moving from one country to another: selling our furniture and cars, finding a place to live up there (and buying everything we'll need for our new home), enrolling my son in school, all the paperwork. Plus letting everyone know about the news. So that last week has been a roller coaster!
Now that we have things semi under control after the initial shock has worn off, I've dedicated this week to getting caught up on IA. So new posts are coming!
Just wanted to give everyone an update! Cheers!
John
Speaking of New York City, I was out running errands today, checking out some Black Friday deals, and stumbled upon 2 budgets finds out in the wild:
First up is an alternative to Daniel Craig's personal Brunello Cucinelli cashmere jacket. From Banana Republic comes their Slim Italian Knit Blazer. Shell: 80% recycled wool, 20% nylon. It has a nice feel, structure and softness. My idea was to have a tailor add the 3rd button and top 4th button to give the look how Craig wears it. It fits very true to size. May want to size up if planning on layering heavy layers underneath. It's $298 but Banana Republic's current sale is an additional 40% off.
https://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=512829002&vid=1&CAWELAID=120302000001882346&tid=brpl000001&kwid=1&ap=7&gclid=Cj0KCQiAt_PuBRDcARIsAMNlBdruvJYM3Z1sa4gPjJ1pTMVl22WjA628QsPr7im_dQjZvadnBkcrlW0aAt-_EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#pdp-page-content
Century One Stores in New York are great for finding some budget, luxury alternatives (Get ready, John!). My eyes opened up wide when I saw this one today. Alternative for the Spectre N.Peal cable turtleneck. KIER & J brings us their Interlink Cable Knit Long Sleeve Wool Turtleneck Sweater. At $89 it certainly looks and feels the part. 90% Wool 10% Cashmere. Very soft and a step up from cotton turtlenecks at this price point.
https://www.c21stores.com/products/kier-j/interlink-cable-knit-long-sleeve-wool-turtleneck-sweater/1125-6962.html?lid=search
Hope all of my US friends have a great Thanksgiving this week and to everyone, happy budget alternative shopping this week! Loads of Black Friday deals out their for Craig and Bond alternatives!
Russ
It will be great to have you nearby. I hope we can finally meet!
And thanks to you and Matt for the invitations! The plan right now is to find a place outside the city (we have pets, which complicates things). My wife and I are coming up in early December to do a recon trip and (hopefully) get as much settled as we can. The big move will happen in mid-January.
But I'm really looking forward to getting to meet people in person for the first time! So a get-together in the city would be very welcome!
Cheers all!
John
https://www.mangooutlet.com/gb/men/jackets-field-jackets/pockets-linen-jacket_33040943.html?c=56&n=1&s=prendas_he.familia;109
Also:
Leather jacket for £35
https://www.mangooutlet.com/gb/men/jackets-field-jackets/peccary-leather-jacket_33073707.html?c=CG&n=1&s=prendas_he.familia;109
https://www.mangooutlet.com/gb/men/jackets-field-jackets/lapelled-leather-biker-jacket_43040482.html?c=99&n=1&s=prendas_he.familia;109
https://www.mangooutlet.com/gb/men/shoes-shoes/lace-up-leather-boots_33085749.html?c=99&n=1&s=accesorios_he.accesorio;140
https://www.mangooutlet.com/gb/men/shoes-shoes/suede-chelsea-ankle-boots_43023032.html?c=30&n=1&s=accesorios_he.accesorio;140
https://www.mangooutlet.com/gb/men/t-shirts-plain/slub-cotton-henley-t-shirt_33033735.html?c=01&n=1&s=prendas_he.familia;115,116
https://www.mangooutlet.com/gb/men/t-shirts-plain/henley-t-shirt_33095752.html?c=02&n=1&s=prendas_he.familia;115,116
https://www.mangooutlet.com/gb/men/sweaters-and-cardigans-sweaters/structured-turtle-neck-sweater_33017628.html?c=91&n=1&s=prendas_he.familia;110
https://www.mangooutlet.com/gb/men/sweaters-and-cardigans-cardigans/cotton-chunky-knit-cardigan_43060464.html?c=54&n=1&s=prendas_he.familia;110
Happy hunting
https://www.herringshoes.co.uk/product-info.php?&brandid=6&shoeid=17200&x=1
https://www.herringshoes.co.uk/product-info.php?&brandid=6&shoeid=17204
I've been looking at a couple of places and wondered if anyone had any experience with them - or would recommend anywhere else.
Suit (following the recommendation on IA) from Studio Suits - pretty customisable to get it very close in all the details
Shirt: I wonder if it's a twill fabric? Looks to be pretty soft, may be like a chambray even. Couple of places seem to do something close;
Tailor Store:
Apposta:
Any thoughts or experience welcomed