Jump to content

Denim Blunders, Reflections and General Nonsense.


cmboland

Recommended Posts

Nothing is more annoying than when you're following a Japanese shop on Instagram, contact them about whether or not they ship to USA since over half of their website is in English, only for them to reply in English that they don't ship to USA.

I'm all for proxies but sometimes it's nice to cut the middle man out and get something shipped directly from the store.  I'm becoming so cynical that if the shop doesn't have a Rakuten page that when/if translated that they don't do international shipping that I ponder whether or not I should continue following them up to a certain point.  I've used proxies before but they do get their share of the purchase through them.  Rant over.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Geeman said:

I don't get why any store wouldn't ship overseas in its day and age. Why turn  away business.

My guess is they don't want to deal with English communication; also, certain overseas customers from certain countries can be quite needy, demanding, and leave poor reviews if things don't go exactly as they want.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's partly that, partly that there's concern over fraud and that sort of thing, as well as returns and customer service issues being much more complicated. On top of that, as we've heard, some brands don't want Japanese shops to ship overseas at comparatively cheaper prices. I have a feeling that's one of the main issues, although for second hand shops I'm not really sure what the hang up would be... I guess domestic business is just fine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dealing with oversea customers involves dealing with people in a different language and from a different culture (read: expectations).

It involves shipping charges, shipping delays, packages returned to sender, lost packages (and insurance claims), VAT issues, customs fees, returns/replacements and sizing/fit disputes - often additional business turns into bad business (especially, for smaller businesses that don't look at it as overhead cost)...

Edited by Foxy2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Iron Horse said:

Does a shop in Japan need to worry about VAT or customs though? I figured that's a risk the buyer takes on (especially in Europe).

certain shops in Japan don't deduct the domestic VAT from their oversea sales - they might not have the set-up or don't want to go through the efforts...

I am certain that some customers ask them to help avoiding or reducing customs charges in the respective oversea countries.

also, returns will go through the Japanese customs office and are subject to their regulations - if a return package is not declared correctly the shop will be charged.

 

in the end of the day, anybody who has done oversea mail business (small or big) will tell you that it is tricky and time consuming business - the line between profit and loss is fine.

Edited by Foxy2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Foxy2 said:

certain shops in Japan don't deduct the domestic VAT from their oversea sales - they might not have the set-up or don't want to go through the efforts...

I am certain that some customers ask them to help them in avoiding or reducing customs charges in the repsctive oversea countries.

also, returns will go through the Japanese customs office and are subject to their regulations - if a return package is not decared correctly the shop will be charged.

Gotcha, didn't think about domestic VAT and people asking for things to be marked as a "gift" and then subsequently getting busted.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

haven't heard of shops getting busted, yet - but from a legal and insurance point of view "marking down" or "gifts" is risky and highly questionable.

here in Berlin I know of a good number of examples when the customs offices questions the declared value or status (gift) and declares it a comercial transaction, determines the value, charges customs fees, taxes and VAT and, at worst, initiates administrative offence proceedings...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, mikecch said:

I'm curious which brands you guys are buying still on Rakuten? 

I just ordered some Iron Heart stuff from rakuten before they stop selling it on there. The price difference is pretty crazy, $190 for a flannel vs $345 from US/EU stores, $145 for a pull over hoodie vs $295. Of course I'll buy from a store if I go there and try something I want on, but otherwise rakuten is usually way cheaper.

I think shops that do a lot of collabs is the way to go, offering something not available from Japanese retailers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, 1fookntitefd said:

What I don't understand is that if you are going to go through the effort of filling up your bathtub, submerging your jeans in water for 30 min or longer, and then hang drying them, why not just dump them in the washer with your other laundry? Your jeans will be clean and if you hang dry you still get that crispy feeling. I still don't "get it" 

I made the mistake of throwing my jeans in with other clothes and it created weird creasing in the denim. Now, I wash my jeans by themselves. I do like some of the others and start with an initial soak to get some of the starch and shrinkage out but then just throw them in the washer when they get filthy. no point in babying your jeans -- they're made out of cotton and will deteriorate over time anyways. I don't get the whole ritual thing of not washing for 6 months, or people that perpetuate the myth of needing to put your jeans in the freezer, or not washing your jeans at all. makes me wonder how many of these guys are single because no woman in her right mind would date a man who thinks it's acceptable to walk around in his own filthy jeans because he wants epic fades.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, spunkey said:

I just ordered some Iron Heart stuff from rakuten before they stop selling it on there. The price difference is pretty crazy, $190 for a flannel vs $345 from US/EU stores, $145 for a pull over hoodie vs $295. Of course I'll buy from a store if I go there and try something I want on, but otherwise rakuten is usually way cheaper.

I think shops that do a lot of collabs is the way to go, offering something not available from Japanese retailers.

Yeah I've picked up a few iron heart item from rodeo bros in the past because in my opinion the quality is "worth" the rakuten price, not the western price with these latest increases. I'm hesitant to say $345 for a flannel is crazy, because some would say $100 for a flannel is crazy.

Ive dealt with IHUk before too and it their customer service is amazing, but I gotta say, if the western pricing is the new normal cost of entry for iron heart goods, I'll have to pass on any future purchases from the brand.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, SuperJackle said:

Yeah I've picked up a few iron heart item from rodeo bros in the past because in my opinion the quality is "worth" the rakuten price, not the western price with these latest increases. I'm hesitant to say $345 for a flannel is crazy, because some would say $100 for a flannel is crazy.

Ive dealt with IHUk before too and it their customer service is amazing, but I gotta say, if the western pricing is the new normal cost of entry for iron heart goods, I'll have to pass on any future purchases from the brand.  

buying from Rakuten definitely made IH more accessible. I only wished I had bought more IH goods before the change. Paying $300+ for an IH flannel is a hard pill to swallow but I do think they're quality is far better than the majority of other companies out there. I love the fabrics they bring to the market and the piece of mind knowing that they're fit guides are fairly accurate and their clothing is built to last. moving forward, i'm basically going to have to limit my IH purchases to 1 or 2 items a year, or lookout for seasonal sales.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeowch, those prices are crazy. IMO about $200 is a fair price for a nice quality flannel, that's what I paid for most of my nice ones by various brands, and that's what FH, etc. usually retailed for when I lived in Japan.

Luckily IH shirts are way too wide for me in a size with enough hem/sleeve length, so I wouldn't be particularly tempted by their stuff anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/24/2017 at 9:51 AM, ColonelAngus said:

that's a fairly broad generalization you're painting there aren't you? I used to like Gustin and have 4 pairs of their jeans....same with N&F. They're a low cost alternative for people who aren't quite willing, or don't see the appeal in spending $220+ on a single pair of raw denim. Quality is subjective and while I do have expensive denim in my closet (like Strike Gold & 3sixteen) I no longer find it appealing to drop 3 bills on a pair of denim because of how slubby they are or which denim mill made the fabric. If the fit sucks then what's the point? Same goes for footwear. I don't own any RW boots but I wouldn't rule out buying a pair if it were on sale. I have a pair of Indy's that I never wear and kinda like Viberg and Truman, but their silhouettes are weird, so that saves me an easy $700.

I've seen pics of dudes wearing an IH flannel and IH jeans but a sh*tty pair of $80 boots. My first thought is, why would someone go through the expense of paying over $600 for a flannel shirt and jeans but skimp on footwear? At the end of the day jeans are jeans and I no longer care about these types of inconsistencies. They're made out of cotton and a pair of $350 IH's will fade the same as a pair of $80 Gustins or $150 N&F. Likewise, boots are boots and they will get worn out with time.

Of course it's a generalization. I don't like Red Wing. What I have tried on has lacked in quality and I think the boots are just ugly.

 

There's nothing wrong with going cheaper if you want to or have to. I'm just giving my opinion that Red Wing are overrated. I'm not sure why you quoted me when you really didn't counter my point about that.

 

Gustin and N&F have their place as well. I wore N&F and liked them, but was not aware of other brands.

 

I also think it's fine if you know about Gustin as well as stuff like Freewheelers, Flat Head, Iron Heart, Ooe, etc and still choose Gustin due to price as long as you know why. My complaint is the people espousing Gustin and Red Wing as "the best" when we know that that is not true. Especially with Red Wing, the quality is not high enough for them to be considered in such a way.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/27/2017 at 0:27 AM, mikecch said:

I'm curious which brands you guys are buying still on Rakuten? 

Sugar Cane, BSMG, Glad Hand, Iron Heart, Red Tail, Dubbleworks, Gangsterville, Weirdo, SSDD.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, dudewuttheheck said:

Of course it's a generalization. I don't like Red Wing. What I have tried on has lacked in quality and I think the boots are just ugly.

 

There's nothing wrong with going cheaper if you want to or have to. I'm just giving my opinion that Red Wing are overrated. I'm not sure why you quoted me when you really didn't counter my point about that.

 

what are they lacking in quality exactly when compared to other boot companies? Not liking RW's aesthetics is one thing but not liking them because of the leather quality or construction is another, and something you omitted.Like I said, I don't own any RW's so I don't really have an objective opinion on the quality of their boots, i'm just curious why you think RW is so overrated and not up to the same level of quality as other companies? Is it because a lot of guys wear them and can be found anywhere?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, ColonelAngus said:

what are they lacking in quality exactly when compared to other boot companies? Not liking RW's aesthetics is one thing but not liking them because of the leather quality or construction is another, and something you omitted.Like I said, I don't own any RW's so I don't really have an objective opinion on the quality of their boots, i'm just curious why you think RW is so overrated and not up to the same level of quality as other companies? Is it because a lot of guys wear them and can be found anywhere?

Can't say what his opinion is based on but I have a pair of Beckmans and some Vibergs and a pair of Aldens. As I mentioned earlier the quality of leather on the RWs is not up to Viberg standards and worse than the leather on the Aldens, too. Obviously it is not totally fair comparison but the leather of my Beckmans got creased on the toe box in just a couple of wears and that's a sign of inferior leather. Of course it might be just a bad pair...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course the leather used on a boot that's 500$ more expensive will be better than on a pair of RW. I think the point is RW are still solid and not garbage. They're not high end, they're not crap, they're just solid boots. That's why comparing them to Viberg or thinking they're the best ever is silly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, mrman said:

Can't say what his opinion is based on but I have a pair of Beckmans and some Vibergs and a pair of Aldens. As I mentioned earlier the quality of leather on the RWs is not up to Viberg standards and worse than the leather on the Aldens, too. Obviously it is not totally fair comparison but the leather of my Beckmans got creased on the toe box in just a couple of wears and that's a sign of inferior leather. Of course it might be just a bad pair...

maybe i'm missing something but aren't boots supposed to get creasing in the toe box with wear? I have a pair of Alden Indy's and the toe box became creased after a couple of wears. Maybe that's the nature of CXL but I would certainly expect creasing from cowhide regardless of the brand or tanning process. The thickness of the leather might also play a role in how it wears. I think we're nitpicking too. If a person were to use their boots for their intended purpose, which is manual labor, then they would in fact get beat to hell and back, and I doubt that person would complain as much as we do about a superficial cosmetic wrinkle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...