The men's dress style thread..

[Accy cyclist]

I bought these in the tan colour in I think November 2022. https://lanxshoes.com/products/maudsley-navy So far the shoes have worn well, are very comfy, they buff/polish up well and get quite a few compliments. At the same time I bought a pair of their oxblood brougues which are the same if not better quality than the tan Maudsley shoes. https://lanxshoes.com/products/shir...ariant=44184319230190&utm_medium=cpc&utm_sour I live about 4 miles from Lanx Shoes. I might pay them a visit tomorrow and see what the navy Maudsley shoes look like in the flesh. They are on offer with £45 off. I think they'd go well with the dark brown suit and the pale blue one I've recently bought. The only drawback I can find with Lanx shoes is the colour of the heel. All their men's shoes have that slim brown and tan heel. I think the heel sometimes doesn't go with the shoe. With being so close to Lanx Shoes I see them being worn quite often. You can tell they are Lanx Shoes due to that distinctive heel.

 

[Accy cyclist]

If I were to buy those navy blue shoes I'd buy a tin of this. I have Timpson's restoration polish in oxblood, tan and neutral. It has a very high pigment content. This would buff those shoes up to a very good mirror shine.

https://www.timpson.co.uk/timpson-renovating-shoe-polish-navy

 

[Drago]

Leather dye is inexpensive. BITD when I was in the army there was none of this canvas boot rubbish, and some lads would buy boots only available in brown and then dye them.

 

[Profpointy]

I bought these in the tan colour in I think November 2022. https://lanxshoes.com/products/maudsley-navy So far the shoes have worn well, are very comfy, they buff/polish up well and get quite a few compliments. At the same time I bought a pair of their oxblood brougues which are the same if not better quality than the tan Maudsley shoes. https://lanxshoes.com/products/shir...ariant=44184319230190&utm_medium=cpc&utm_sour I live about 4 miles from Lanx Shoes. I might pay them a visit tomorrow and see what the navy Maudsley shoes look like in the flesh. They are on offer with £45 off. I think they'd go well with the dark brown suit and the pale blue one I've recently bought. The only drawback I can find with Lanx shoes is the colour of the heel. All their men's shoes have that slim brown and tan heel. I think the heel sometimes doesn't go with the shoe. With being so close to Lanx Shoes I see them being worn quite often. You can tell they are Lanx Shoes due to that distinctive heel.

At the risk of dissin' something you've already spend money on, even with money off they are still a rather pricey for glued sole non-Northampton shoes. You'd not have to pay a lot more for proper Northampton made Goodyear welted Loakes, particularly off ebay - even Crocketts regularly come up on the 'bay for £200 or less for 2nds or slightly worn

 

[Accy cyclist]

At the risk of dissin' something you've already spend money on, even with money off they are still a rather pricey for glued sole non-Northampton shoes. You'd not have to pay a lot more for proper Northampton made Goodyear welted Loakes, particularly off ebay - even Crocketts regularly come up on the 'bay for £200 or less for 2nds or slightly worn

You can buy made in India Loake 'Designer' shoes for less than £200, but they aren't Goodyear welted. I have a few pairs of Loake 1880, Goodyear welted shoes/boots. As I've said quite often on here the Goodyear 1880 shoes/boots take a month of painful breaking in. I've found the toe caps on some cut easily. Goodyear welted is ok if you intend to get the shoes/boots re-soled after many years wear, but I've never reached that stage of wear and if I did I'd most likely be bored with the shoes/boots by then and give them away. As for Goodyear welted seconds and pre-worn, those seconds are hard to find and as for pre-worn I could buy pre-worn from the shop I work on for £30. Do I want pre-worn though? I'm a bit fussy about such things and like to check such shoes out before buying, which is difficult when buying off fleabay etc. As for Lanx Shoes being glued, yes they are, but the one's I've worn for quite a while now have held up well. They didn't need a month of painful breaking in, like Loake shoes do and the leather is soft and supple. People spend a more than the cost of lanx Shoes on such as Dr Martens which are also glued and to me the leather on Dr Martens isn't that good a quality, probably bonded leather which is quite a cheap material.

 

[winjim]

Yeah don't buy DMs. I think they still do a range made in the UK but since they moves most of their production overseas the quality has gone right down.

Solovair boots are made by the factory who used to supply DM, use better leather and have a shanked, replaceable sole.

If you buy DMs you're paying for the yellow stitching. It's branding, same as the lanx heel and it obviously works as you notice it.

There's a cobbler near me which sells off their display models every now and then, which are factory seconds. I've got a pair of Loakes with some dodgy graining on the leather, and some wholecuts, can't remember the branding, with some asymmetry in the decorative punching.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I saw these today in this shop. They look kind of Loake quality and should be for £300, but I don't think they're Goodyear welted. 🤔
https://www.cosgrovesfashion.com/product/barker-mcclean-shoe/

 

[Accy cyclist]

The above shop is quite old fashioned, with the bloke in there hanging a tape measure around his shoulders, Grace Brothers style and quite grovelling, but in a nice way. It's one of those places you just have to have a look inside, then when you get in you try and plan your escape without buying anything! I looked at a wallet costing £65 and a cravat costing £45. On asking the price I never show any emotion when they tell me, even if I might think "How fecking much"!!! I simply thank them for showing me the item(s), saying "Mmm, I do like it, but I don'think it's quite what I'm looking for". I'm not being a tightwad but 45 dabs for a cravat, even though it was very well made, is maybe a bit steep for something I'd probably wear every now and then.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I don't need it and I'm running out of room. Plus it's a summer, not a spring suit, but I have a 15 percent off credit note and maybe if I don't buy it now my size will sell out then I'll be kicking myself! The whole suit is £710, but to me with my 15 percent off it'll be a mere £604! Then again, if I buy it for £604 then Cordings knock 15 percent off for everybody I'll be kicking myself for not getting it for £513 with my two 15 percent offs. i don't think Cordings will knock anything off before the summer as this suit will sell well at its full price. Maybe come the autumn the suit will be on offer, but I just don't think Cordings will offer it for less before then and by then the summer will be over so I'd be stuck with a suit that couldn't really be worn till the summer of 2025. 🤔

https://www.cordings.co.uk/olive-bambridge-linen-jacket.html

https://www.cordings.co.uk/olive-bambridge-linen-waistcoat.html

https://www.cordings.co.uk/olive-bambridge-linen-trousers.html

 

[Drago]

View attachment 723911

He spent so much on the suot he couldn't afford to buy a razor blade. At least he's wearing a tie.

 

[wafter]

I bought a light grey Next, 2 piece linen suit last March for about £150. I probably wore it about 7 or 8 times in the spring and summer. It's not bad, but I think Next quality isn't the same as it was when they first appeared in the 1980's. I also bought a pair of beige River Island lined trousers, for a tenner from a charity shop in the summer. I wore them a lot throughout the summer, while not wearing shorts as much these days do to age things. I found a cream linen made in Italy 3 piece linen suit in a charity shop early last year. On feeling the suit's material and cut of the suit I got slightly exited thinking it might fit me, but sadly on looking at the waist size I saw 36 short on the label. I bet that suit was around £700 to £800 when new.

Good work - sounds like you got some decent use out of it but yes, I think Next quality (and generally that of all high street retailers) has fallen over the years.

Personally as a rule I avoid the high-st jobs, with a few exceptions. Uniqlo seem up-front and decent quality / value, H&M get slated for being fast fashion but I have a number of their cotton jumpers that have lasted very well and look good. I typically like Reiss stuff too, but one has to be careful as like many others they're sneaking a lot more synthetic fibres into their higher-end stuff now.

I also never buy synthetic fabrics unless for specific technical applications, as it usually bobbles and potentially sh*ts microplastics into the water system when washed.

I bought these in the tan colour in I think November 2022. https://lanxshoes.com/products/maudsley-navy So far the shoes have worn well, are very comfy, they buff/polish up well and get quite a few compliments. At the same time I bought a pair of their oxblood brougues which are the same if not better quality than the tan Maudsley shoes. https://lanxshoes.com/products/shir...ariant=44184319230190&utm_medium=cpc&utm_sour I live about 4 miles from Lanx Shoes. I might pay them a visit tomorrow and see what the navy Maudsley shoes look like in the flesh. They are on offer with £45 off. I think they'd go well with the dark brown suit and the pale blue one I've recently bought. The only drawback I can find with Lanx shoes is the colour of the heel. All their men's shoes have that slim brown and tan heel. I think the heel sometimes doesn't go with the shoe. With being so close to Lanx Shoes I see them being worn quite often. You can tell they are Lanx Shoes due to that distinctive heel.

Those Maudsleys look really nice (especially in Oxblood) and on a budget I could probably stretch to if I knew they were going to last. What's the crack with bonded construction - does this typically just mean lower quality or that they can't be re-soled?

I really need a decent pair of formal shoes but tbh wouldn't know where to start..

At the risk of dissin' something you've already spend money on, even with money off they are still a rather pricey for glued sole non-Northampton shoes. You'd not have to pay a lot more for proper Northampton made Goodyear welted Loakes, particularly off ebay - even Crocketts regularly come up on the 'bay for £200 or less for 2nds or slightly worn

You sounds like a man who knows his shoes - as a one-hit "formal" shoe, what would you recommend? I'm drawn to a pair of Ox blood Oxfords, but tbh know very little about styles, colours or brands to look at..

I don't need it and I'm running out of room. Plus it's a summer, not a spring suit, but I have a 15 percent off credit note and maybe if I don't buy it now my size will sell out then I'll be kicking myself! The whole suit is £710, but to me with my 15 percent off it'll be a mere £604! Then again, if I buy it for £604 then Cordings knock 15 percent off for everybody I'll be kicking myself for not getting it for £513 with my two 15 percent offs. i don't think Cordings will knock anything off before the summer as this suit will sell well at its full price. Maybe come the autumn the suit will be on offer, but I just don't think Cordings will offer it for less before then and by then the summer will be over so I'd be stuck with a suit that couldn't really be worn till the summer of 2025. 🤔

View attachment 723911

View attachment 723908

View attachment 723912

https://www.cordings.co.uk/olive-bambridge-linen-jacket.html
View attachment 723909
https://www.cordings.co.uk/olive-bambridge-linen-waistcoat.html
View attachment 723910
https://www.cordings.co.uk/olive-bambridge-linen-trousers.html

Those all look very nice but sadly for me well over-budget. On account of being skint / fattening / not entirely sure of what I want I'm still relegating most of my clothing choices to used / NOS items from ebay.. although I'm definitely cultivating a fetish for linen

Irritatingly I charity-shopped a pair of cheap black linen trousers some time ago as I figured I'd never wear them in the summer on account of their colour... however now I think they'd do well with a black linen jacket and black / brown / dark grey poloneck..



So, my clothing quest continues. Not bought owt "smart" recently, but did score a packable shell in the CRC sale recently and have some other technical bits on their way.


I've just had to pop up the shops in the rain so took the opportunity to wear my new Tentree Nimbus waterproof:

I stumbled upon one example in TK Maxx, while muttering to myself about how crap their selection of coats usually is (unless you want a white puffa with "cocksport" emblazened down each arm). Wasn't familiar with the brand but was sufficiently interested to scuttle back to the office and research it. They claim to be envionmentally-focussed; using recycled plastics and planting many trees. They're well-reviewed, I needed a daily waterproof and this shop is the only place I can really spend my work Christmas vouchers so back I went and bought it.

So far I'm really pleased - I love the clean aesthetic, the fit is comfortable yet still reasonably flattering, pocket placement is low and relaxed and everything feels good quality. This colour was the most-reduced on their website (I paid a bit less than they were before they sold out) but I really like it and I think it goes well with my low-contrast blond-ness / love of subtle earth tones. Another positive attached to the purchase was the decisiveness with which it was executed, while usually I'll spend six months deliberating until the item is out of stock..

Tuesday was a great day for waterproofs in the house of Wafter - I've often struggled for such clothing but the above has ticked the "daily" box and should go with pretty much everything, while I also purchased the Fohn shell from CRC which should do well as an emergency measure when out on the tourer / gravel bike. I have my silly-expensive GoreTex Mountain Equipment shell for the proper techie stuff, the Brompton jacket to be kept in the Brompton bag / used on the commute, and finally a black double-breasted M&S mac for when I need to look semi-posh in the rain

 

[Accy cyclist]

Good work - sounds like you got some decent use out of it but yes, I think Next quality (and generally that of all high street retailers) has fallen over the years.

Personally as a rule I avoid the high-st jobs, with a few exceptions. Uniqlo seem up-front and decent quality / value, H&M get slated for being fast fashion but I have a number of their cotton jumpers that have lasted very well and look good. I typically like Reiss stuff too, but one has to be careful as like many others they're sneaking a lot more synthetic fibres into their higher-end stuff now.

I also never buy synthetic fabrics unless for specific technical applications, as it usually bobbles and potentially sh*ts microplastics into the water system when washed.


Those Maudsleys look really nice (especially in Oxblood) and on a budget I could probably stretch to if I knew they were going to last. What's the crack with bonded construction - does this typically just mean lower quality or that they can't be re-soled?

I really need a decent pair of formal shoes but tbh wouldn't know where to start..



You sounds like a man who knows his shoes - as a one-hit "formal" shoe, what would you recommend? I'm drawn to a pair of Ox blood Oxfords, but tbh know very little about styles, colours or brands to look at..


Those all look very nice but sadly for me well over-budget. On account of being skint / fattening / not entirely sure of what I want I'm still relegating most of my clothing choices to used / NOS items from ebay.. although I'm definitely cultivating a fetish for linen

Irritatingly I charity-shopped a pair of cheap black linen trousers some time ago as I figured I'd never wear them in the summer on account of their colour... however now I think they'd do well with a black linen jacket and black / brown / dark grey poloneck..



So, my clothing quest continues. Not bought owt "smart" recently, but did score a packable shell in the CRC sale recently and have some other technical bits on their way.


I've just had to pop up the shops in the rain so took the opportunity to wear my new Tentree Nimbus waterproof:

View attachment 723995

I stumbled upon one example in TK Maxx, while muttering to myself about how crap their selection of coats usually is (unless you want a white puffa with "cocksport" emblazened down each arm). Wasn't familiar with the brand but was sufficiently interested to scuttle back to the office and research it. They claim to be envionmentally-focussed; using recycled plastics and planting many trees. They're well-reviewed, I needed a daily waterproof and this shop is the only place I can really spend my work Christmas vouchers so back I went and bought it.

So far I'm really pleased - I love the clean aesthetic, the fit is comfortable yet still reasonably flattering, pocket placement is low and relaxed and everything feels good quality. This colour was the most-reduced on their website (I paid a bit less than they were before they sold out) but I really like it and I think it goes well with my low-contrast blond-ness / love of subtle earth tones. Another positive attached to the purchase was the decisiveness with which it was executed, while usually I'll spend six months deliberating until the item is out of stock..

Tuesday was a great day for waterproofs in the house of Wafter - I've often struggled for such clothing but the above has ticked the "daily" box and should go with pretty much everything, while I also purchased the Fohn from CRC which should do well as an emergency measure when out on the tourer / gravel bike. I have my silly-expensive GoreTex Mountain Equipment shell for the proper techie stuff, the Brompton jacket to be kept in the Brompton bag / used on the commute, and finally a black double-breasted M&S mac for when I need to look semi-posh in the rain

That's quite a long post @wafter I'm off out soon, so no time to reply, but i'll be doing so later this evening!

 

[wafter]

That's quite a long post @wafter I'm off out soon, so no time to reply, but i'll be doing so later this evening!

lol - no bother; just responding to stuff of interest and the techie / waterproof bit at the bottom was for general consumption / not aimed at you specifically.

No pressure re. a reply - enjoy the outside!

 

[Accy cyclist]

lol - no bother; just responding to stuff of interest and the techie / waterproof bit at the bottom was for general consumption / not aimed at you specifically.

No pressure re. a reply - enjoy the outside!

I know it wasn't aimed just at me, but quite a bit of it was. Therefore I'm going to post pics of my new LANX shoes, as in 2 pairs later! I've been buffing up one of the pairs. I think I've done pretty well! Photos to follow later.

 

[Accy cyclist]

PS, don't go 'dissing' LANX shoes folks, they are decent shoes ok!!!