The END is near ...

[culverwood]

Budd is now closed for refurbishment until the end of August.

[davidhuh]

Dear all,

When I went to Budd early July to commission some shirts, including their genuine Budd stripe style, my dear and most respected cutter Mr. Butcher told me that the cloth is no longer available.

This is not a tragedy of course, but nevertheless disappointing. Budd praises itself of doing this style since the 1930s and says so on its new web site. I have written to them, no answer yet.

Regards, David

[davidhuh]

Answer from Budd. Not very promising...

"I have spoken with Mr Butcher. He advised me that the cloth will not be available in the near future, however if he is able to get hold of some of the cloth he will do so and keep that for you.

Kind Regards

Charlotte Sydes
Finance
Budd Shirtmakers"

[st.tully]

Budd's herringbone fabric is also no longer available. Last month I bought all my size rtw Budd stripe and herringbone - fortunately the Budd rtw block in my size is a perfect fit.

The store is undergoing a bit more than a "refurbishment" although I do believe they are trying to preserve something of Budd's character.

We shall see here shortly whether they are successful.

[AndyM]

That's a shame about the herringbone, I thought Budd's was the nicest I've seen. I assume they buy cloth made up as if they had cloth made to order there would not be a problem? Although surely the stripe was made especially for them if not the herringbone? I shall be in London in September so I will call in and see what they have.

[Costi]

On the good side, it may be an opportunity to make new choices when such hugely wide variety is available. Sometimes we get stuck with habits and forget why we made certain choices - we just get used to the objects. Until the objects are no longer available and we have to cast the dice again. Then we remember HOW to choose. And that is always good
Perhaps the end is near, indeed - it's just behind us...

[davidhuh]

Dear all,

fortunately, I ordered some herringbone early July. I was not told it was running out.

Costi is right, there may be an opportunity for new choices. Back in July, I ordered some Soyella from Alumo; Mr. Butcher told me I was the first client getting these. On the other hand, there is an argument for maintaining traditions and respecting heritage. The Budd web site (I am still in disbelieve that it does indeed exist) features both cloths prominently.

So I hope that they will find the right balance between what we like to see and get when ordering from Budd, while being open for some innovation. Perhaps it should also be mentioned here that they stock wonderful madder ties at very competitive prices. I got three in July, at 65£ each, and make some furore wearing them.

cheers, david

[Costi]

On the other hand, there is an argument for maintaining traditions and respecting heritage.

Absolutely! But there is also merit in creating traditions and generating heritage. That is not the same as adopting fashions. Or making a change on an impulse out of boredom (although luck may work, too, sometimes). It is a process that requires good knowledge, extensive experience, clear intuition, infallible taste, courage of initiative and a power of anticipation, of mental representation of the outcome. It is THE WAY traditions are born, and time consecrates them as such.
We keep running out of things - cloth, shirting, artisans - so we need to get used to it. Besides maintaining traditions, we'd do good to think about maintaining THE SPIRIT of traditions alive: apply the principles to what is available and come up with new (but consistent with the heritage) solutions.
Isn't the end a little farther away when we look at things from this angle?

[lgcintra]

I have read recently that Drake´s London has been sold. Does this fact have anything to do with the debate on this thread?

[davidhuh]

I have read recently that Drake´s London has been sold.

Indeed: http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2011/08/08/d ... shionable/

Does this fact have anything to do with the debate on this thread?

Not in my opinion.

cheers, david

[lgcintra]

Sorry to disagree, but this part of the article you kindly shared kind of tells it all: "Last year, Mr. Drake [...] sold the company for an undisclosed price to the Armoury, a Hong Kong menswear retailer. [...] his contract expired at the end of July." I think it has everything to do with NJS´s criticism -- and I heartly do agree with him. Notwithstanding, I hope you´re right.

I read this lounge looking for style (Michael´s, Costi´s and others) -- I do avoid big business like the devil flees from the cross...

Best,
Luis

[NJS]

Sorry to disagree, but this part of the article you kindly shared kind of tells it all: "Last year, Mr. Drake [...] sold the company for an undisclosed price to the Armoury, a Hong Kong menswear retailer. [...] his contract expired at the end of July." I think it has everything to do with NJS´s criticism -- and I heartly do agree with him. Notwithstanding, I hope you´re right.

I read this lounge looking for style (Michael´s, Costi´s and others) -- I do avoid big business like the devil flees from the cross...

Best,
Luis

Without commenting specifically on either Budd or Drake's: it is inevitable that successful, small businesses, with handy customer lists, will attract (understandably) irresistible offers from predatory, bigger businesses, which see the customer lists and the goodwill as the real asset; take the businesses over, assume the goodwill and custom; keep them ticking over for a while, much as before and then rub out the extra overheads in premises and staff; gradually subsume the business wholly in their own, and everything (except the broader profit-margin from cut quality and lower overheads) and everybody else (customers and wholesale suppliers) are let go to hell in a hand-barrow. It is commercial reality. It isn't charming but there we are. Britain has, for some time, been seeing the effects of hostile takeovers ('mergers and acquisitions'), in the 1980s and 1990s, all for the sake of purported surpluses over liabilities in occupatonal pension schemes: there the 'prize' was pay-backs to the employing company of these actuarially assessed 'surpluses', which assessments, with the general, catastrophic, economic buggeration that shortly followed, proved to be hopelessly awry: consequently, current prospective pensioners are facing uncertainty.

It's all caused by something called Greed.
NJS

[andreyb]

Budd's herringbone fabric is also no longer available. Last month I bought all my size rtw Budd stripe and herringbone - fortunately the Budd rtw block in my size is a perfect fit.

It seems that Bromleys still have a few white ones left -- moreover, one sale prices!

http://www.classicwardrobe.co.uk/White- ... Piccadilly

Andrey

[andreyb]

What bothers me most in "The Armoury buys Drake's" case is that a rather inexperienced retailer (a bunch of young lads with only a year of shop ownership behind them) bought a manufacturer... Moreover, not "a" manufacturer -- actually, the most revered English maker of hand-made ties still in existence.

Said this, all the best and good luck to the combined The Armoury and Drake's team!... still, I have my worries.

Andrey

[alden]

the best and good luck to the combined The Armoury and Drake's team!

A few of the young men from The Armoury are members here and I have had the occasion to meet one of them. They are going to do very well with Drakes.

But Michael Drake, also an LL member, is a tough man to replace. He combines great business skill with equal parts of good taste and personal charm. (Michael: if you are reading this, don't believe a word of it. ) I wish him luck in his new ventures.

Cheers

Michael