1. Will an oxford shirt from,say, Gant Rugger, be more durable than one from Rugby? How can you tell whether you're paying for the quality or just the details?

                              

    Rugger vs. Rugby?  Sounds like CB’s territory to me.  But if you want an abbreviated answer: Rugby is mostly made in China, and as we’ve discussed before, for many reasons, that usually means a cheaper final product.  Sure, some of the price discrepancy is also buried in economies of scale and brand image, but the cheap labor that comes along with the “Made in China” tag allows Rugby to dramatically cut costs.

    If you opt to go with the Rugger, however, it’s worth noting that for maybe around $20 more you can get what I (and most others, I’d assume) consider to be a far superior oxford at Gitman Vintage.  

    Edit: To Lawrence, I checked the one Rugger I own last night and couldn’t find a “Made in…” tag.  I was under the impression Rugger was made somewhere cheap but not too cheap like Portugal.  Anyone know for certain?

    Edit 2: From Angovodo: Rugger’s oxfords are made in India. For $30 more, you’re getting a better collar roll and and nicer fabric. I’d go for it. Gitman is $160 now. They’ve jacked up prices.

    September 19, 2011
  2. thoughtsandviews: Vanishing Elephant Vanishing Elephant pulling a J Crew and just ripping off other labels.  There, I said it. Now I’m not saying that the kitchen stripe shirt is, or should be, exclusive to Gitman Vintage or any other label, for that matter (Our Legacy had a dope kitchen stripe SS ‘11, too). I’m just saying that this particular kitchen stripe shirt is shockingly similar to GV and OL SS ‘11 (SS vs. AW and cotton vs. linen notwithstanding, particularly seeing that I can’t imagine anyone actually wearing the VE shirt deep into AW).   But that brings me to my next point: this is a perfect example of how laying the ground work by doing the proper research will keep your wallet fatter.  I’m starting to like VE; however, it’s not in the same league as GV or OL.  VE’s interpretation of the kitchen striped shirt is retailing at AUD 110 (which is approximately USD 115), while the GV and OL versions can be found online anywhere ranging from approximately €80 to £90 (or anywhere from USD 92 to USD 150).   And that’s not all—American consumers will benefit from the VAT/GST tax rebate in Europe over Australia.  That is, American consumers enjoy a 20% rebate on EU purchases compared to 10% on Australian purchases (can someone from Australia confirm the VAT/GST rebate—I believe this is correct).   So where does that get us?  After rebates are tallied, but before shipping is contemplated, VE will go for about USD 99 while GV/OL will go for anywhere between USD 74 and USD 120.   I think this is a no-brainer—GV/OL all day.

    thoughtsandviews:

    Vanishing Elephant

    Vanishing Elephant pulling a J Crew and just ripping off other labels.  There, I said it.

    Now I’m not saying that the kitchen stripe shirt is, or should be, exclusive to Gitman Vintage or any other label, for that matter (Our Legacy had a dope kitchen stripe SS ‘11, too). I’m just saying that this particular kitchen stripe shirt is shockingly similar to GV and OL SS ‘11 (SS vs. AW and cotton vs. linen notwithstanding, particularly seeing that I can’t imagine anyone actually wearing the VE shirt deep into AW).  

    But that brings me to my next point: this is a perfect example of how laying the ground work by doing the proper research will keep your wallet fatter.  I’m starting to like VE; however, it’s not in the same league as GV or OL.  VE’s interpretation of the kitchen striped shirt is retailing at AUD 110 (which is approximately USD 115), while the GV and OL versions can be found online anywhere ranging from approximately €80 to £90 (or anywhere from USD 92 to USD 150).  

    And that’s not all—American consumers will benefit from the VAT/GST tax rebate in Europe over Australia.  That is, American consumers enjoy a 20% rebate on EU purchases compared to 10% on Australian purchases (can someone from Australia confirm the VAT/GST rebate—I believe this is correct).  

    So where does that get us?  After rebates are tallied, but before shipping is contemplated, VE will go for about USD 99 while GV/OL will go for anywhere between USD 74 and USD 120.  

    I think this is a no-brainer—GV/OL all day.

    August 19, 2011