Getting out-fitted in Melbourne, Australia

[miss_elise]

Morning coffee time is normally between 9 and 9.30 Miss Elise.

alas, i am already in my cubicle at this time...


Guz, are you after a vintage style suit or an actual vintage suit?

 

[splatt]

Guz, are you after a vintage style suit or an actual vintage suit?

I'd consider either option Miss Elise...the suits nice for me to have...but the hat's are my true love

 

[Guz]

Yeah, me too. Either will do.

 

[SteveN]

Warning: Thread Hijack Alert... It's Sydney Again

Guz, are you after a vintage style suit or an actual vintage suit?

Given how hard it's going to be to find true vintage in Sydney, can anyone recommend vintage style (but modern production) up here? I really need a sport coat or vintage looking blazer.

Cheers,
- SteveN

[Australia is too small to have separate threads for the same topic]

 

[Benny Holiday]

Steve, I recommend checking out Ron Bennett menswear. I've bought two sportscoats from their Parramatta store in recent years and find the style to be quite classic and the coats themselves very well made. The last coat I bought had large European-style side vents, which I took to my tailor to have sewn up for a more 40s look. Upon seeing the coat, the tailor asked how much I paid for it. When I told him it was $400 reduced to $149, he flipped, stating that for the high quality of the jacket, they were practically throwing it away.

There is also my tailor in Liverpool, Mario Valenti, but he's going overseas for two months this week.

 

[Guz]

[Australia is too small to have separate threads for the same topic]

Yeah, I know. I was just kidding!
Actually if you find a good supplier in Sydney I'd be interested too. I try to get up there a few times a year.

 

[PenMan]

I'll second the Ron Bennett recommendation. They have fantastic sales. I am more interested in quality, style and value than in vintage per se. Living near the outlet in Alexandria, I can find some great deals.

 

[SteveN]

Steve, I recommend checking out Ron Bennett menswear. I've bought two sportscoats from their Parramatta store in recent years and find the style to be quite classic and the coats themselves very well made. The last coat I bought had large European-style side vents, which I took to my tailor to have sewn up for a more 40s look. Upon seeing the coat, the tailor asked how much I paid for it. When I told him it was $400 reduced to $149, he flipped, stating that for the high quality of the jacket, they were practically throwing it away.

There is also my tailor in Liverpool, Mario Valenti, but he's going overseas for two months this week.

Benny,

Thanks for the tip. I found your earlier post about Ron Bennett here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=27094

and stopped by their CBD store today. There were having a sale for the end of the financial year, but all of the suits were by Hugo Boss, or a Georgio somebody, and were priced at $299, $399 & $499 for sport coats.

Do these prices vary at the other outlets, or at different times of the year?

Cheers,
- SteveN

 

[Madame_Circa]

Vintage suits in Melbourne and Sydney

I have a vintage shop, and we get many requests from well dressed chaps for sources of good vintage suits, so if you don't mind, I shall contribute a little knowledge:

Melbourne -
Old Hat in High street, Northcote
Sally's Recycled in Smith St, Fitzroy
Curve Vintage in Gertrude St, Fitzroy
Circa Vintage (my shop), also in Gertrude St, Fitzroy
Retrostar in the Nicholas Building, City
Chapel St Bazaar in Chapel St Prahran
Lost and Found Market, Smith St, Collingwood
Also try: Savers (Brunswick and 4 other locations) and Camberwell markets (Sunday morning)

Although I know many of the vintage shops in Sydney, I'm not confident to recommend any on the basis of menswear, as many don't carry it - perhaps Rokit Gallery in the Rocks? I've always found the markets to be fairly good: it's been a decade since I lived in Sydney but I always try to catch Surry Hills, Glebe, Roselle and Balmain markets. Carry a tape measure to check the size is worth trying.

Another great source: the vintage fairs. In Sydney there is the bi-annual Sydney Vintage Clothing Fair
http://lovevintage.com.au/show.htm
which has a few sellers doing menswear and in Sydney and Melbourne, there are the Way We Wear Fairs as well.
http://web.mac.com/vintagecelebrity/The_Way_We_Wear/2008_Fair_dates.html

At Circa, we love menswear and usually try to stock about 30 suits from the 30s to the 70s, in sizes 36 to 48 - all have been drycleaned and repaired. Alas, like all vintage, we can't always find the perfect suit for everyone, but we do our best - new suits come in every week. I hope this doesn't sound too much like an advertisement! I love the old suits and a well dressed chap - I don't mind where you get them from or how much you pay for them.

Nicole

 

[Benny Holiday]

Benny,

Thanks for the tip. I found your earlier post about Ron Bennett here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=27094

and stopped by their CBD store today. There were having a sale for the end of the financial year, but all of the suits were by Hugo Boss, or a Georgio somebody, and were priced at $299, $399 & $499 for sport coats.

Do these prices vary at the other outlets, or at different times of the year?

Cheers,
- SteveN

Steve, I found the Parramatta store to be cheaper, but that was a post-Christmas sale. I imagine an end of financial year sale would yield similar discounts, but that city store sounds expensive. I'd definitely try Parramatta or some other suburban outlet if possible.

 

[Guz]

I have a vintage shop, and we get many requests from well dressed chaps for sources of good vintage suits, so if you don't mind, I shall contribute a little knowledge:...

Thanks for that. Actually I'm a poorly dressed chap who wants to mend his ways. But hopefully they won't mind.

 

[MissS]

Madame_Circa, do you have any womens 40's suits? So hard to find...grrr.

 

[Madame_Circa]

We certainly do! They're very popular - currently we have two or three, in size 10 and 12. I've also got another tweed one, which needs to be drycleaned but will be available soon - I think that's about a size 12 or 14. If you'd like to know more, please call the shop during trading hours (Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 6pm) on 03 9419 8899.

 

[MissS]

Fabulous, will do! Oh, and welcome to the lounge, Madame_Circa! Don't forget to look in events for our MEL get together.

 

[Madame_Circa]

Thank you! Will do

 

[cookie]

What about older 40s/50s bespoke suits for guys Madame C?

 

[Madame_Circa]

What about older 40s/50s bespoke suits for guys Madame C?

Of course! As mentioned above, we have around 30 suits from the 30s to the 70s. Most are bespoke and we have at least three or four from the 40s and half a dozen (at least) from the '50s. If you'd like to call the shop during trading hours, we can let you know about specifics like sizes. All are pure wool too, of course

 

[Madame_Circa]

Sorry to miss you when you popped in - I haven't been able to spend as much time there as I'd like.

I have a perhaps impertinent suggestion regarding the boxy suits - I hope you don't mind, but judging by the coat I suspect you might be going for a larger size that is needed? Have you tried smaller sizes?

Some suits are definitely boxier than others - have you tried late '50s - mid '60s styles? They tend to be "sharper" with a finer cut, especially those that have been influenced by the stylish Italians.

In a jacket, as you know, the shoulder fit is the most important - if the body is a bit shapeless, alterations can be made. Sometimes it's just a matter of moving buttons, sometimes a bit of tailoring?

Oh - the Akubra you bought from Chapel St Bazaar? It looks like new because it is. I've been thinking of stocking them at Circa too. It's a good style on you and will hopefully encourage you to wear your beautiful linen suit.

 

[splatt]

No worries Madame Circa.

I suppose I'm just used to a more modern cut (or my linen suit which was tailored to my exact size), as nearly every vintage suit i have tried on has to my eyes, had that boxy look on me.

The shoulder fit has been pretty well spot on everytime so i do like your suggestion of getting a nice vintage suit altered by a tailor...which hadn't crossed my mind untill you mentioned it :eusa_doh:

 

[SteveN]

Sydney Markets

I decided to try the markets yesterday and went to Rozelle and Glebe. Rozelle definitely has more 'vintage' items, including clothes. Glebe was selling mostly modern goods but at (probably) a cheaper price than you'd get in the stores.

In both locations, menswear was few and far between. The Rozelle market did have two suits that I thought looked vintage. (How do you know the decade by looking anyway?)

There were two double-breasted suits, with high lapel peaks in the back section. One of them had the buttons very closely spaced together, and the suit looked in good condition. I passed on it because as much as I like them, wearing something like that to work would just be over the top. Sure to be noticed, but perhaps not in a good way. Even in banking, people are far too casual these days.

In Glebe there's one woman that has older clothes for sale. I found a 70's vintage sport coat in fine condition. She said that she gets stuff in all the time, so it might be worth a return trip in a few weeks time.

If anyone else can recommend any of the other markets, please post here.

Cheers,
- SteveN