@armenianmovieman I included the CT jacket with credit to you for the find. Thanks again for sharing that! I'll also include those J&M trousers you shared in another post in a future article. And @St_John_Smythe , those Tommy Bahama jeans look like a great option!
Eleventy is a brand that's been mentioned on here before, and it seems a linen blend blazer (linen\wool\silk) is available in most sizes and is down to $112.
Eleventy is a good underrated brand. I think of it as Cucinelli-Lite. I believe the founder was at one time one of the head stylists/designers of Brunello Cucinelli and left to form the company. I find it interesting that Eleventy and Cucinelli use very similar-looking zippers and both have leather tippings at the end of their drawstrings, but I digress.
But what does it speak to the pricing structure if an item is discounted at 88%?
I have a suede bomber jacket from Eleventy (sort of my "budget" Matchless alternative) that I love. Agree that the brand tends to fly under the radar and that price is crazy good.
Sort of a companion piece to the past articles on the SPECTRE apartment and No Time To Die Jamaica House, pulling in ideas from Dr. No and Live and Let Die. Let me know what you think and if I missed anything great!
Anyone on the hunt (like me) for an ivory cardigan alternative should check out Buck Mason's version for $175. Someone more familiar with the TF\Royale ivory version can judge the color but it looks pretty decent.
And if you're willing to wait until Black Friday you may get it for 30% off. (Can't recall if they had that sale last year, but I do recall them having done it before).
@armenianmovieman I've actually included that one in tomorrow's post update on the cardigan. Great minds, and all that 😁 Yesterday I interviewed a couple of guys from the Buck Mason team for an upcoming article; really nice guys and they have a very clear vision of how they want to serve their customers.
Another McQueen post for today. This one is a little more niche:
Since I couldn't find many alternatives for the Belstaff jacket McQueen actually wears (it has some very unique design features), I focused on alternatives for Belstaff's modern interpretation of the "Mojave Jacket", which is currently the Brooklands model. Almost every article I read for research tries to claim that the jackets like the Brooklands are what McQueen wore. But just looking at the photos shows there are some pretty clear differences. Anyway, for better or worse, the modern Belstaff style is the more popular design these days. So I shared plenty of options for that one. In other words: if you like the Racemaster, you'll have plenty to choose from!
Working on the Daniel Craig inspired spring style post for Sunday. So if anyone has suggestions about what they'd like to see, please let me know and I'll start hunting!
I can 100% vouch for Buck Mason! I have tons of their stuff! For the money, the best tee shirts on the market, in my opinion. My all-time favorite tees are from James Perse, but you can get Buck Mason tees for half the price.
Now, about this sweater… I’ve seen it in person, tried it on. Love it! Little heft to it but not in a bad way. It is a quality garment. Great choice to add to the list!
Well done as always.
"History isn't kind to men who play God." - DC "I gave him the limp." - PB "Better make that two." - TD
"Keeping British end up, sir." - RM "This never happened to the other fellow." - JL "I must be dreaming." SC
@JTullock23 thanks for that feedback! I have a couple of their tees as well. As I mentioned, I interviewed two members from their team for an upcoming article and they're very proud of their designs and how hard they work to meet customer expectations. I feel a little ridiculous: I've been in New York for 2 years now and still haven't been in any of their stores! I hope to change that this Saturday.
@canoe2 You’re welcome! I can attest to how they help their customers. I had an issue with a hoodie I got from them. I reached out to their customer service to see if I could arrange them to simply mend it. They sent me an brand new one! They are an excellent company. Next time I go to Nashville to visit my family I’ll visit the Buck Mason there as they have a Porche sitting in the store!
"History isn't kind to men who play God." - DC "I gave him the limp." - PB "Better make that two." - TD
"Keeping British end up, sir." - RM "This never happened to the other fellow." - JL "I must be dreaming." SC
Just as a counterpoint to the love for Buck Mason customer service... I do really rate their clothes, but an order I placed during their January sale was disappointing. The order was confirmed and paid for, then they suddenly emailed to say they were canceling part of it. They decided they didn't have the navy cardigan after all. I said I would happily take the black one, but that was denied as it 'wasn't on sale'... I asked them why their website UX allows you to complete an order and pay for something that isn't available, but that question was ignored... As I say, their clothes are great but not sure I agree with @canoe2 about "how hard they work to meet customer expectations".
Wow, sorry to hear that! To be clear, I don't have any skin in the game with BM (they're not paying me to be part of the article or sending me free stuff). I just enjoyed talking with them, like the pieces I have from them and have heard good things from other customers. But I agree: screw ups happen, but it's what the company does to keep the customer happy that matters.
I have had similar interactions with extremely reputable companies, not BM as they have always done right by me. It stings when you feel you’ve gotten a great deal just to find out you’ve been give a raw deal.
I used to work for a National men’s retailer. We’d often get orders for items we had that needed to be shipped out but upon searching for the item it wasn’t anywhere to be found. What happens, as I am sure you’re probably already of, is if an exchange or a purchase is done incorrectly a store’s or company’s stock/supply will show incorrectly. That may have been what happened to you here. Sadly, it has happened to me as well. Having said that, I am sorry that happened to you. For a message to go ignored regarding a customer service issue is terrible.
For what it is worth, you may want to reach out to a store, call their 888 phone number off their site or perhaps one of their social medias. You may find that one of those options would be beneficial though since the sale was some time back you may be out of luck. Best of luck!
"History isn't kind to men who play God." - DC "I gave him the limp." - PB "Better make that two." - TD
"Keeping British end up, sir." - RM "This never happened to the other fellow." - JL "I must be dreaming." SC
@canoe2 That was a great article on the chukka boots. I would be careful with the Delicious Junction boots. The pair I ordered a few years ago was at least a full size too small and the black crepe strip around the sole was sloppily applied, Too bad fully black crepe soles like Steve McQueen's chukkas in Bullitt are no longer available.
Regarding the Sanders and Herring boots take note in the description they both use the JOEL last. That alone proves the provenance of the Herring Shoes. Herring used to sell rebranded Loake Kemptons. This was evident in both the look of the boots and the fact both were made on Loake's 026 last.
@Westward_Drift thanks for the insight on the boots! I think I knew that about the Herring Mustangs, but I don't think I ever had it confirmed by them (maybe it was you, all those years ago, that first told me about it!).
Comments
Kindly note: I just realized the two links above to the TB Boracay pants take you to the same page; you will need to select the color
Happy Hump Day! The latest Best Budget Style Finds:
@armenianmovieman I included the CT jacket with credit to you for the find. Thanks again for sharing that! I'll also include those J&M trousers you shared in another post in a future article. And @St_John_Smythe , those Tommy Bahama jeans look like a great option!
Cheers!
John
Hello everyone,
I'm looking for a budget friendly crocodile 20mm watch strap that will work well as an alternative to Connery's Submariner strap in DN and FRWL.
Does anyone have a suggestion for me?
Hello everyone, if anyone knows of someone trying to get rid of a small RGT jacket please PM me.
Hi all! New post is up: looking at the McQueen Monaco watch
I have the post on designing your Bond inspired bedroom coming on Sunday. And then it's on to all the Spring and Summer stuff!
Cheers!
John
Eleventy is a brand that's been mentioned on here before, and it seems a linen blend blazer (linen\wool\silk) is available in most sizes and is down to $112.
https://www.yoox.com/us/49629993RQ/item?gender=U&kpid=US-49629993RQ-7-PE22&adtype=&tp=214453&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0M600rOU9gIVhD2tBh0-oQwBEAQYBSABEgJ5sfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#cod10=49629993RQ&sizeId=7
@armenianmovieman another nice find! I'll make sure to include it in an upcoming post with credit to you for the find.
Eleventy is a good underrated brand. I think of it as Cucinelli-Lite. I believe the founder was at one time one of the head stylists/designers of Brunello Cucinelli and left to form the company. I find it interesting that Eleventy and Cucinelli use very similar-looking zippers and both have leather tippings at the end of their drawstrings, but I digress.
But what does it speak to the pricing structure if an item is discounted at 88%?
I have a suede bomber jacket from Eleventy (sort of my "budget" Matchless alternative) that I love. Agree that the brand tends to fly under the radar and that price is crazy good.
New post: designign your Bond inspired bedroom!
Sort of a companion piece to the past articles on the SPECTRE apartment and No Time To Die Jamaica House, pulling in ideas from Dr. No and Live and Let Die. Let me know what you think and if I missed anything great!
Cheers!
John
Anyone on the hunt (like me) for an ivory cardigan alternative should check out Buck Mason's version for $175. Someone more familiar with the TF\Royale ivory version can judge the color but it looks pretty decent.
And if you're willing to wait until Black Friday you may get it for 30% off. (Can't recall if they had that sale last year, but I do recall them having done it before).
https://www.buckmason.com/products/natural-seafarer-cotton-shawl-cardigan?variant=39631938355283&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2uyyx_nr9gIVAQh9Ch1DtQ16EAQYASABEgIHHPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
@armenianmovieman I've actually included that one in tomorrow's post update on the cardigan. Great minds, and all that 😁 Yesterday I interviewed a couple of guys from the Buck Mason team for an upcoming article; really nice guys and they have a very clear vision of how they want to serve their customers.
Another McQueen post for today. This one is a little more niche:
Since I couldn't find many alternatives for the Belstaff jacket McQueen actually wears (it has some very unique design features), I focused on alternatives for Belstaff's modern interpretation of the "Mojave Jacket", which is currently the Brooklands model. Almost every article I read for research tries to claim that the jackets like the Brooklands are what McQueen wore. But just looking at the photos shows there are some pretty clear differences. Anyway, for better or worse, the modern Belstaff style is the more popular design these days. So I shared plenty of options for that one. In other words: if you like the Racemaster, you'll have plenty to choose from!
Cheers!
John
Post update: the ivory cardigan
Working on the Daniel Craig inspired spring style post for Sunday. So if anyone has suggestions about what they'd like to see, please let me know and I'll start hunting!
Cheers, gang!
I can 100% vouch for Buck Mason! I have tons of their stuff! For the money, the best tee shirts on the market, in my opinion. My all-time favorite tees are from James Perse, but you can get Buck Mason tees for half the price.
Now, about this sweater… I’ve seen it in person, tried it on. Love it! Little heft to it but not in a bad way. It is a quality garment. Great choice to add to the list!
Well done as always.
"Keeping British end up, sir." - RM "This never happened to the other fellow." - JL "I must be dreaming." SC
@JTullock23 thanks for that feedback! I have a couple of their tees as well. As I mentioned, I interviewed two members from their team for an upcoming article and they're very proud of their designs and how hard they work to meet customer expectations. I feel a little ridiculous: I've been in New York for 2 years now and still haven't been in any of their stores! I hope to change that this Saturday.
@canoe2 You’re welcome! I can attest to how they help their customers. I had an issue with a hoodie I got from them. I reached out to their customer service to see if I could arrange them to simply mend it. They sent me an brand new one! They are an excellent company. Next time I go to Nashville to visit my family I’ll visit the Buck Mason there as they have a Porche sitting in the store!
"Keeping British end up, sir." - RM "This never happened to the other fellow." - JL "I must be dreaming." SC
Just as a counterpoint to the love for Buck Mason customer service... I do really rate their clothes, but an order I placed during their January sale was disappointing. The order was confirmed and paid for, then they suddenly emailed to say they were canceling part of it. They decided they didn't have the navy cardigan after all. I said I would happily take the black one, but that was denied as it 'wasn't on sale'... I asked them why their website UX allows you to complete an order and pay for something that isn't available, but that question was ignored... As I say, their clothes are great but not sure I agree with @canoe2 about "how hard they work to meet customer expectations".
Wow, sorry to hear that! To be clear, I don't have any skin in the game with BM (they're not paying me to be part of the article or sending me free stuff). I just enjoyed talking with them, like the pieces I have from them and have heard good things from other customers. But I agree: screw ups happen, but it's what the company does to keep the customer happy that matters.
I have had similar interactions with extremely reputable companies, not BM as they have always done right by me. It stings when you feel you’ve gotten a great deal just to find out you’ve been give a raw deal.
I used to work for a National men’s retailer. We’d often get orders for items we had that needed to be shipped out but upon searching for the item it wasn’t anywhere to be found. What happens, as I am sure you’re probably already of, is if an exchange or a purchase is done incorrectly a store’s or company’s stock/supply will show incorrectly. That may have been what happened to you here. Sadly, it has happened to me as well. Having said that, I am sorry that happened to you. For a message to go ignored regarding a customer service issue is terrible.
For what it is worth, you may want to reach out to a store, call their 888 phone number off their site or perhaps one of their social medias. You may find that one of those options would be beneficial though since the sale was some time back you may be out of luck. Best of luck!
"Keeping British end up, sir." - RM "This never happened to the other fellow." - JL "I must be dreaming." SC
Our Daniel Craig inspired spring style post is now live!
Enjoy your Sunday everyone!
John
Hi all! Just updated the post on the James Bond Chukka Boots
Tried to cover all of them from the Craig era (so 7 pairs in total). Some great alternatives this year!
Cheers!
John
Lewis Leathers makes a replica jacket of this one here! It seems like its actually a D Lewis leather jacket originally.
https://www.lewisleathers.com/universal-racer-mk-2.html
@TheExit148 That's a great find, thanks for sharing!
I'm looking for an affordable option for the BC belt in Spectre. I came across this and am wondering what you all think? or if you have better alternatives? https://www.vineyardvines.com/mens-belts/braided-leather-belt/1B001192.html?dwvar_1B001192_color=202&cgid=Mens-Belts#start=12&cgid=Mens-Belts
@canoe2 That was a great article on the chukka boots. I would be careful with the Delicious Junction boots. The pair I ordered a few years ago was at least a full size too small and the black crepe strip around the sole was sloppily applied, Too bad fully black crepe soles like Steve McQueen's chukkas in Bullitt are no longer available.
Regarding the Sanders and Herring boots take note in the description they both use the JOEL last. That alone proves the provenance of the Herring Shoes. Herring used to sell rebranded Loake Kemptons. This was evident in both the look of the boots and the fact both were made on Loake's 026 last.
Deal alert! Mango has a great alternative for the SPECTRE Matchless. $249, genuine goat suede
U.S Site
UK Site
@Westward_Drift thanks for the insight on the boots! I think I knew that about the Herring Mustangs, but I don't think I ever had it confirmed by them (maybe it was you, all those years ago, that first told me about it!).
Cheers!
John
While we're on the topic of Mango alternatives, they seem to have a version of the Spectre PTS suit:
And while the one above has a more accurate check pattern, it's a polyester suit.
The one below is wool but the pattern isn't as screen accurate, IMO:
Budget alternative for the Thunderball shirt. John Lewis £75.
Alternative for the Tom Ford Ivory Cardigan. Massimo Dutti £99.95. Cream rather than ivory. They seem to be a bit limited on sizes.
That looks very nice. I can't find it on their website though. Any idea of a product name?? Many thanks in advance.
@Sadanoyama here's the link mate https://www.johnlewis.com/ted-baker-chatley-short-sleeve-jersey-pique-shirt/p6147567 however you'll find it 20% cheaper on the Country Attire website https://www.countryattire.com/ted-baker-chatley-jersey-pique-shirt-mens-shirt/ca50248217.html?colour=Pink&sku=1467647&productid=390666&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7JXnxcmJ9wIVSIBQBh1Y6ArmEAQYAiABEgKpwPD_BwE 😀