OT: Proper Cloth | The Boneyard

OT: Proper Cloth

minidarren

minidarren

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Anyone use them before? Just bought a dress shirt from them. I am normally a Men's Warehouse guy, but they have an awful selection for my size of dress shirt. I picked up three of them from there today and only one if the three fit because the other two were "slim fit". My wrists aren't even slim.

I like that Proper Cloth has a billion (maybe a few less) fabric options and they seem to have a good algorithm for the sizing.
 
Dress shirts are a bitch. If they fit my neck they are baggy. Dry cleaner shrinks the crap out of the cuffs and collars on most brands. I looked at Proper Cloth but never tried them. Liked Paul Frederick best back when I had to wear them. Nice variety of fabrics and long lasting. Lands End shirts were nice when new, shrank like crazy though.

Fortunately I can now be casual every day if I want. I started grabbing $19 shirts at BJs Wholesale, and you know what, they are fine. Makes it easier to just toss them once the dry cleaner wrecks them, but they hold up about an average period anyway.
 
Custom made dress shirts done in person at a tailor are the way to go. You'll never go back once you get one
 
HuskyHawk said:
Dress shirts are a bitch. If they fit my neck they are baggy. Dry cleaner shrinks the crap out of the cuffs and collars on most brands. I looked at Proper Cloth but never tried them. Liked Paul Frederick best back when I had to wear them. Nice variety of fabrics and long lasting. Lands End shirts were nice when new, shrank like crazy though.

Fortunately I can now be casual every day if I want. I started grabbing $19 shirts at BJs Wholesale, and you know what, they are fine. Makes it easier to just toss them once the dry cleaner wrecks them, but they hold up about an average period anyway.
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The shirt I ordered should be here the first week of April, I'll let you know how it is.
 
DaveHuskiesFan said:
I’m a big fan of Charles Tyrwhitt shirts when I can get them 3 for $90 or $99.
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I second this. Good quality, great customer service. I have a closet full of them. I have an in-between sleeve length and they will alter them for $12.95; it's a godsend.
 
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nomar said:
I second this. Good quality, great customer service. I have a closet full of them. I have an in-between sleeve length and they will alter them for $12.95; it's a godsend.
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Yupp I’m a 16/35 and it’s rare to find that exact combo, but they have it on practically every shirt. I think I’m up to 7 or 8 of them now. I strictly only buy the non-iron shirts because the regular shirts wrinkle pretty easily. The extra slim fit shirts fit me better than any other brand I’ve worn.

The only downside I find is a lack of color variation. The majority of their colors are white & blue.
 
Buy my sons shirts for him at Marshall’s or TJ Maxx he loves the Michael Kors shirts as well as Ralph Lauren. Able to find them from 21.99 Kors to 39.99 for the Polo’s. He’s a 17 1/2 35-36 so sometimes hard to find so the occasional Hilfiger, Izod or Nautica are looking good for 19.99.
 
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I like them
 
Indochino is the way to go. I own a bunch of CTshirts as well they are solid but even if you get them slim fit they need to be tailored. I've done BB and they are awful at best.
 
Bespoke is the only way to go.

Get good bespoke shirts and suits and they’ll not only look much better, but they’ll Last longer.

I think I’ve got 10 custom suits and 25 custom shirts. I just get 5 shirts and a suit or maybe two every 2-3 years.

I use a guy from Taiwan that comes to the states every yearand hits all the major markets.

Tons of fabric options, cuffs, collars, etc. not cheap but well worth it, for me anyway.
 
Northbound said:
Bespoke is the only way to go.

Get good bespoke shirts and suits and they’ll not only look much better, but they’ll Last longer.

I think I’ve got 10 custom suits and 25 custom shirts. I just get 5 shirts and a suit or maybe two every 2-3 years.

I use a guy from Taiwan that comes to the states every yearand hits all the major markets.

Tons of fabric options, cuffs, collars, etc. not cheap but well worth it, for me anyway.
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Seconded
 
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DaveHuskiesFan said:
I’m a big fan of Charles Tyrwhitt shirts when I can get them 3 for $90 or $99.
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I just got a bunch from my daughter and son in law for Christmas. Charles Tyrwhitt shirts are great. Still wait and see how they hold up in cleaners over time but my son in law swears by them
 
Lands end no wrinkle works. Twice a year they go on crazy sale
 
Edward Sargent said:
I just got a bunch from my daughter and son in law for Christmas. Charles Tyrwhitt shirts are great. Still wait and see how they hold up in cleaners over time but my son in law swears by them
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They're great. I'm had mine for over a year and they've held up really well. To be honest, I have the non-iron shirts so I haven;t taken them to the cleaners once.
 
UCFan1513 said:
Custom made dress shirts done in person at a tailor are the way to go. You'll never go back once you get one
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Agreed. I get mine made at Tom James. They come to my office and measure and then ship them when they are done. Not cheap but super high quality and perfect fit.
 
I hate buying dress shirts. I just went to Nordstrom and tried on two of the same shirt— 16.5 and 17. 16.5 had buttons popping off and 17 was a parachute. Oddly enough the shirts that fit me best (5’10” 230 lbs, 5 cellphones, triathlete...) are XL slim fit at Gap/Old Navy. Unfortunately the Old Navy ones only hold their size and shape through 3 or 4 wash and wears.
 
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A proper cloth for people of the cloth:
CM Almy

When I saw the thread title I thought you were looking for clerical wear
 
I have three shirts from Proper Cloth and I'm very pleased with all of them.

The fit of each was right on the money on arrival, and the fabrics feel good and have original style while remaining understated.

To compare, I had three shirts made at a very well reviewed tailor in Thailand, but two of them just aren't in the same class as the ones I got from Proper Cloth. Fabric and fit aren't as good, even though I chose the fabrics in person and went for two fittings.

Mine are all casual shirts, so I can't speak to the quality of PC's dress shirts. (Yeah, I admit I'm just a casual shirt wearer.)

Still, I gotta think their attention to detail carries over to all their products.
 
CTMike said:
Am I just cheap that I feel like taking a $100 flyer on a shirt from Proper Cloth feels too expensive?
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no you're just not a fancy rich boy like a lot of these people. I'm not spending anywhere close to $100 on a damn dress shirt. I have crazy long arms, and have found that Express tall shirts actually fit me sometimes. Problem is they are shifting to increasingly slim fit, and extra extra slim fit now, and while I'm not a chunker, I'm not a slim fit. The shirts there seem to be pretty high quality to me, have a little bit of stretch to them and they have a number of different fits so you can find something that feels tailored while not costing a ridiculous amount
 
I've purchased MTM shirts from Luxire and Ratio, haven't tried Proper Cloth yet. Luxire is my go-to; they have the most customization options, the best value, and free shipping. If you are worried about the process of MTM, you can send a shirt you already own that fits perfectly to Luxire and they will mimic its dimensions on your new custom shirts.

Spier and Mackay is another great option folks should check out. Based in Toronto.
 
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CTMike said:
Am I just cheap that I feel like taking a $100 flyer on a shirt from Proper Cloth feels too expensive?
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Ratio has (or had) a no-risk offer for new customers. Buy your first custom shirt from them and it doesn't fit they'll alter or remake the shirt at no additional charge.
 
CT are good, even better when on sale!
I find Brooks Brothers to be true to size and hold up great - just make sure you know if you are a blue or red label
Got 3 PFs a few years ago - 2 are good, 1 did not hold up - they offered to take it back but I got too lazy
Oh yeah - Proper Cloth - I have never tried them but two of my friends have and the reviews were mixed - the initial offer is good but one thinks the price does not fit the quality - again I have never tried them myself
For cheap and hard to find sizes - try Van Huesan (sic) at the outlets - you'll get at least a year out of them
 
Kembacity said:
no you're just not a fancy rich boy like a lot of these people. I'm not spending anywhere close to $100 on a damn dress shirt. I have crazy long arms, and have found that Express tall shirts actually fit me sometimes. Problem is they are shifting to increasingly slim fit, and extra extra slim fit now, and while I'm not a chunker, I'm not a slim fit. The shirts there seem to be pretty high quality to me, have a little bit of stretch to them and they have a number of different fits so you can find something that feels tailored while not costing a ridiculous amount
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I’m the polar opposite of slim flit so I see value in a shirt that fits but... dang... $100 or more for a shirt.
 
CTMike said:
but... dang... $100 or more for a shirt.
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It's a matter of long-term value. Getting 8-10 years out of a $100 shirt vs 2-3 years out of a $50 shirt. My old man still has some Brooks Brothers shirts in his closet he bought in the 80s.

Same thing with shoes. Dropping $350 on Aldens or Allen Edmonds that you can re-sole makes sense; they'll last decades. Or you can buy uncomfortable cheap/plasticy $100 mall brand dress shoes that need to be trashed in two years.
 
Lefty2one said:
It's a matter of long-term value. Getting 8-10 years out of a $100 shirt vs 2-3 years out of a $50 shirt. My old man still has some Brooks Brothers shirts in his closet he bought in the 80s.

Same thing with shoes. Dropping $350 on Aldens or Allen Edmonds that you can re-sole makes sense; they'll last decades. Or you can buy uncomfortable cheap/plasticy $100 mall brand dress shoes that need to be trashed in two years.
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This. Throwing down some more money up front on these type of items (as long as you're actually throwing it down for better quality), will generally end up saving you money over time. I drop $100+ on a pair of jeans and some of my family/friends think I'm crazy, and then they end up going through 3-4 pairs of jeans in the same length of time it takes me to blow through that 1.
 
Lefty2one said:
It's a matter of long-term value. Getting 8-10 years out of a $100 shirt vs 2-3 years out of a $50 shirt. My old man still has some Brooks Brothers shirts in his closet he bought in the 80s.

Same thing with shoes. Dropping $350 on Aldens or Allen Edmonds that you can re-sole makes sense; they'll last decades. Or you can buy uncomfortable cheap/plasticy $100 mall brand dress shoes that need to be trashed in two years.
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So I'm the only one who is liable to get a greasy stain on a shirt and have it be useless? For the same reason I wont spend 'good' money on a pair of sunglasses I'm liable to leave behind or sit on, I don't think its worth it to spend that much on a dress shirt.

I find it worth it to spend good money on a winter coat from Eddie Bauer, because its quality and if it rips or otherwise 'breaks' they will give me a new one without a problem. Seems far too easy to rip or stain a shirt that I think I could be truly rich and still be buying dress shirts for $50-$60 max
 
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