American Classics and Real McCoy in London

[Blackadder]

I wonder if they're cheaper in Japan. You could probably get a cheap flight to Tokyo thrown in for around the same price.

SJ

They are indeed much cheaper in Japan. A major cause of the discrepancy is the rapid devaluation of the yen. Tthe Real McCoy's Nagoya (a dealer like Real McCoy's London) used to sell overseas. They even put up an English site. This went very well for a couple of months until Real McCoy's struck some kind of deal with their overseas dealers like Blue and Green etc. and restricted sale of RM products directly from Japan. I guess that's in return for the overseas dealers to open up shops under the Real McCoy's name in various countries. No doubt, Real McCoy's is gaining some publicity and new customers overseas. I hope it goes well for them as they are losing at least one customer, that is me.

 

[handymike]

Some folks use proxy services to buy from Japanese auction sites.

 

[Sir Jacket]

Some folks use proxy services to buy from Japanese auction sites.

Could you enlarge upon that, Handymike?

Occurred to me you could get Aero to knock up one of their A-1s in the new Italian leather with olive knits (which they can add). SJ

 

[RegentSt1965]

Went into see Max in the new RMC shop (Max, of the Sanforized blog fame, is an excellent choice as manager as I doubt there are many around with his knowledge, or vintage pieces) The store is backed by Superdenim, of course. Interestingly, they can get stuff from RMC Jp in a few weeks, and the current prices are quite keen cos of the Yen, some items are close to the BR price at the moment. The only other way is via proxy sites, particularly since RMC pulled its stock from Rakuten)
Anyway, I scored a pair of the N1 boots, really happy with boots and fit (went up a half size, like I have to on RW Chukkas)
So, what with Nigel Cabourn over the road and Edwin moving in (hopefully with Overworks type product in), Henrietta Street is becoming a go-to now . And of course there's Meatmarket with its great burgers just down the street (Over the old Jubilee Market).
Then of course there's Classics just through the tourist heaven of Covent Garden. It was Adam's (at Classics) Dad that ran the old set up. Classics, of course, own the RedWing store in Newburgh Street.

 

[handymike]

Most Japanese sellers won't sell outside of Japan. A proxy service will place your bid, buy, and send you the item for a 10% fee.
Yahoo auctions Japan has great Japanese made gear!

 

[Graemsay]

And of course there's Meatmarket with its great burgers just down the street (Over the old Jubilee Market).

Hawksmoor Seven Dials is a far better place to get burgers from in that part of town.

There's also Rivet and Hide a short walk away, which is a fantastic denim shop if you want something obscure and Japanese.

Unfortunately I moved out of London about a week before the RMC shop opened.

 

[Sir Jacket]

Hm, they're about £1,000 in Japan. I just realised I have a friend out there now. Does anyone happen to know if the sizes will be the same there as here?

SJ

 

[Blackadder]

Hm, they're about £1,000 in Japan. I just realised I have a friend out there now. Does anyone happen to know if the sizes will be the same there as here?

SJ

They are the same. Don't think they have made-for-foreigners line yet.

 

[Sir Jacket]

Aero, for example, uses a different cut for the Japanese market, I believe, with narrower arms and higher armholes. SJ

 

[wdw]

The Real McCoy leather prices seem beyond crazy when you can get semi-custom from the usual suspects well known to this board.

Would anyone say they're worth the extra?

 

[Edward]

Aero, for example, uses a different cut for the Japanese market, I believe, with narrower arms and higher armholes. SJ

The fabled Aero Japanese Cut.... it makes sense, given the different proportions of the average South-East Asian. The Japanese in particular tend to be much slighter than we in the UK. Average chest here is 42-44; in Japan, it's 38, and many Japanese brands don't make above a 44 as standard.

I was under the impression that the new, Aero Premium cut is the "Japanese Fit" for the Western market. [huh]

The Real McCoy leather prices seem beyond crazy when you can get semi-custom from the usual suspects well known to this board.

Would anyone say they're worth the extra?

Not for me..... at least, not in relation to the leathers or the sheepskins. The Japanese seem to be the only game in town if you want a really good repro of a 50s and earlier nylon jacket. Pity there aren't more i the West doing those, but I suppose if there was the market for it there would be....

 

[Blackadder]

The Real McCoy leather prices seem beyond crazy when you can get semi-custom from the usual suspects well known to this board.

Would anyone say they're worth the extra?

If you like their glass finish hide on their A-2s. Their Buco is a different story. I have compared the Buco J-24 to Eastman Roadstar and Lost Worlds J-23 and I prefer the RM version. Of course there are still Diamond Dave and Aero which I have not had the chance to see in person.

 

[Blackadder]

Aero, for example, uses a different cut for the Japanese market, I believe, with narrower arms and higher armholes. SJ

Some makers in fact miss the arm part when making jackets for the Japanese market.
http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/mavazi/item/lostworlds_010/
I haven't had a chance to try on the Japanese Aero. I think I will give them a try coming Jan when I visit Tokyo.

 

[Blackadder]

The fabled Aero Japanese Cut.... it makes sense, given the different proportions of the average South-East Asian. The Japanese in particular tend to be much slighter than we in the UK. Average chest here is 42-44; in Japan, it's 38, and many Japanese brands don't make above a 44 as standard.

I was under the impression that the new, Aero Premium cut is the "Japanese Fit" for the Western market. [huh]



Not for me..... at least, not in relation to the leathers or the sheepskins. The Japanese seem to be the only game in town if you want a really good repro of a 50s and earlier nylon jacket. Pity there aren't more i the West doing those, but I suppose if there was the market for it there would be....

Not just nylon, the range of jackets offered is also much wider than the Western makers. The Western makers no longer produce the 37J1B which seems to be very popular this year. There are also Deck Zip, Deck Hook jackets, the pre WW2 peacoat etc. Also the Japanese N-1, B-10 and B-15 are made with Alpaca wool whilst most Western makers are no longer using those.

 

[RegentSt1965]

Hawksmoor Seven Dials is a far better place to get burgers from in that part of town

.

Of course, Hawksmoor is superior - its a very good full restaurant (chain), reasonably priced, but its not a basic burger bar selling very good burgers at a good price for a quick meal. I like Hawksmoor but for a good med-rare double pattie burger served in double quick time just down the street, its Meatmarket

 

[Edward]

Not just nylon, the range of jackets offered is also much wider than the Western makers. The Western makers no longer produce the 37J1B which seems to be very popular this year. There are also Deck Zip, Deck Hook jackets, the pre WW2 peacoat etc. Also the Japanese N-1, B-10 and B-15 are made with Alpaca wool whilst most Western makers are no longer using those.

Yes, I should have said cloth or textile rather than nylon! I've often wondered why this is.... maybe in Japan their idea of cool Amrricana was more influenced by seeing American boys on the town rather than the cultural fetishisation of ww2? Does seem that for something to really sell well in this vein in the UK at least there has to be a ww2 connection, at least via a hit war flick from that Sixties era of British cinema.

.

Of course, Hawksmoor is superior - its a very good full restaurant (chain), reasonably priced, but its not a basic burger bar selling very good burgers at a good price for a quick meal. I like Hawksmoor but for a good med-rare double pattie burger served in double quick time just down the street, its Meatmarket

Gah, does nobody actually cook meat any more? I've lost count of the restaurants I reguse to go to because they snottily refuse to do any more than brown the outside a bit.

 

[Blackadder]

Yes, I should have said cloth or textile rather than nylon! I've often wondered why this is.... maybe in Japan their idea of cool Amrricana was more influenced by seeing American boys on the town rather than the cultural fetishisation of ww2? Does seem that for something to really sell well in this vein in the UK at least there has to be a ww2 connection, at least via a hit war flick from that Sixties era of British cinema.

Real McCoy's and Buzz Rickson's are clothing brands. Their niche is in the details as opposed to Avirex which added a few design twists to their clothings. In the west, some of the military clothings were produced for re-enactment. Whilst WW2Impressions, ATF, WPG etc make M-42 jackets, you rarely see people wearing a M-42 jacket on the street. So my guess is as clothing brands, they need to beef up their collections of clothings and as they cannot design their own (because they make only repros), they do it by copying all the available military jackets.

 

[Sir Jacket]

The A-1 (which is what I'm fantasising about) is pretty beautiful. Lovely black-brown leather -- and those olive knits. It felt like quality. I'd pay £1,000 for it (once I'd sold my grandmother), which is the Japanese price but I can't help feeling the location of the RM London shop is aimed at loaded tourists and celebrities.

SJ

 

[Edward]

Real McCoy's and Buzz Rickson's are clothing brands. Their niche is in the details as opposed to Avirex which added a few design twists to their clothings. In the west, some of the military clothings were produced for re-enactment. Whilst WW2Impressions, ATF, WPG etc make M-42 jackets, you rarely see people wearing a M-42 jacket on the street. So my guess is as clothing brands, they need to beef up their collections of clothings and as they cannot design their own (because they make only repros), they do it by copying all the available military jackets.

I don't for a minute think it's lack of design talent... they simply have a market for cold war/ non-WW2 repros that doesn't exist in the same way here. If the b15d was fetishised like the A2 here, there'd soon be half a dozen labels vhurning out proper repros.

 

[Sir Jacket]

Doesn't anyone else find it super-ironic that the Japanese fetishise WW2 American military wear?

SJ