Workshirts

[Broark]

@Thanks_M8 thanks for the info! I think I’ll take some scraps of the Black Seed Cone I have lying around to patch the elbows. They’re pretty small holes right now so shouldn’t take much. We’ll see how it turns out.

[Thanks_M8]

Good luck! And if it doesn't work great, at least selfmade

[Duke Mantee]

FW Lange + Cassady 

[JDelage]

Does anyone own a mock twist chambray shirt by Buzz Rickson? If so how is it?

[Double 0 Soul]

I used to own one about 12yrs ago, superb! nice material, great fit.. probably the best value for money workshirt ive ever owned but saying that i think it only cost around £70 back then.

[Duke Mantee]

FW Rivet Gunner

[Geeman]

I really need to look into  FW shirts....

Edited April 15, 2020 by Geeman

[shredwin_206]

Do we have a bang for buck thread for work shirts? Looking for options under $150

[MileHighEvertonian]

@ecsong187 Most of the Buzz shirts, including the mock twist chambrays @JDelage asked about a few lines above, are at or below $155 from HPA. 

[mlwdp]

BLUCO does on average $70-$120 for their work shirts.  However, they are not MIJ aand they have their tags specifically state that the company is in Japan but clothing made in China.  Wolf Pack sells them.

https://global.rakuten.com/en/search/?tl=551182&k=Bluco&sid=wolfpack

[Duke Mantee]

@ecsong187 pretty sure Sugar Cane shirts are at your price point - great quality too IMO

[shredwin_206]

16 minutes ago, Duke Mantee said:

@ecsong187 pretty sure Sugar Cane shirts are at your price point - great quality too IMO

Thanks Duke! That’s the brand I was thinking of. Just slipped my mind. 

[Duke Mantee]

This baffles me:

Mister Freedom - Sugar Cane: $280

Sugar Cane: $150

Edited April 15, 2020 by Duke Mantee

[mlwdp]

Lol, this should be good.  Go on, @Duke Mantee

[Double 0 Soul]

Dapper's smock shirt Lot.1022

Indigo dot

.

.

These are from 2014ish, i also have the same shirt... it started life as a muted brown but has washed to a gray/brown, it's a lovely irregular material.

The brown version was from Pirates, i think the discharge was from Junky..

[Duke Mantee]

41 minutes ago, mlwdp said:

Lol, this should be good.  Go on, @Duke Mantee

I’m not looking for a debate  - just some logic as to why one shirt is nearly double the cost of the other ... the other being a nicer pattern in my view, although that’s irrelevant to the question.

I wouldn’t think it was a labour cost if the Sugar Cane (top) is made in the U.S. and the Sugar Cane (bottom) is made in Japan (isn’t it?) - maybe if the Sugar Cane (bottom) was made in China or some such, I dunno though; and both fabrics are Sugar Cane so I’m not seeing much Cost difference there ... are they actually the same material?

It’s just something I’ve always wondered. Why is MF so expensive compared to SC?

For sure in one respect, I’ve owned items from both and there wasn’t any difference in quality I could discern - both were very decent.

[Duke Mantee]

@Double 0 Soul That polka dot shirt is a belter 

[Double 0 Soul]

I wish i had x2, it's pretty faded now and i would love to lay it over an unworn deep indigo version to compare.

[Duke Mantee]

37 minutes ago, Double 0 Soul said:

I wish i had x2, it's pretty faded now and i would love to lay it over an unworn deep indigo version to compare.

My FW polka dot isn’t ‘unworn’ but I could send it down to you for a bit

[Duke Mantee]

FW Conductor 

[Iron Horse]

3 hours ago, Duke Mantee said:

I’m not looking for a debate  - just some logic as to why one shirt is nearly double the cost of the other ... the other being a nicer pattern in my view, although that’s irrelevant to the question.

I wouldn’t think it was a labour cost if the Sugar Cane (top) is made in the U.S. and the Sugar Cane (bottom) is made in Japan (isn’t it?) - maybe if the Sugar Cane (bottom) was made in China or some such, I dunno though; and both fabrics are Sugar Cane so I’m not seeing much Cost difference there ... are they actually the same material?

It’s just something I’ve always wondered. Why is MF so expensive compared to SC?

For sure in one respect, I’ve owned items from both and there wasn’t any difference in quality I could discern - both were very decent.

In all likelihood, Toyo probably puts in comparatively large orders on their shirts with the factory (maybe Kiya knows more about this re: SC) and can get better cost breaks. In my limited experience in dealing with garment factories in LA, I found the cost to make per shirt was a touch lower than Japan, though the minimum order quantity was higher.

They also don't appear to be the same material; the MF seems to be more heavily indigo-dyed (?):

When I first started my brand I sold my Heracles shirt for $160 and then the Atlas because I found that to be a reasonable price, but it become apparent that at my much smaller order numbers (100) that was simply not feasible. At one point I inquired about making a straightforward wabash workshirt in 5 oz wabash (the same as the scarves I released) and going by the price I was quoted I would have to sell the shirt for ~$250, or simply not sell it wholesale to retailers at all. I believe that's about what FW wabash shirts cost too. 

 

[Double 0 Soul]

9 hours ago, Duke Mantee said:

My FW polka dot isn’t ‘unworn’ but I could send it down to you for a bit

..and you'de expect to get this shirt back would you?

[Duke Mantee]

14 minutes ago, Double 0 Soul said:

..and you'de expect to get this shirt back would you?

Hmmm ... I’ve obviously not considered this fully

[Duke Mantee]

@Iron Horse Thanks Bryan - I can understand why small batch is more costly, and what drove your price point. I still think the MFSC and SC difference is still a little excessive but no doubt there’s other forces at work too. Totally agree the dyeing is different here - I was just throwing ideas into the pot / brainstorming 

[Double 0 Soul]

Whats worth bearing in mind with MF.. I don't think they make any money on the wears sold inside Japan, i recall having a conversation with Katherine who was store manager back in 2010, if i remember rightly, all stock which is distributed to stores inside JP/Eastern territories is controlled entirely by Toyo and MF doesn't see any profit from such, they only profit from stock sold through MF headquarters and all Western/European territories where MF HQ act as distributor.

They might have secured more of a market share in recent years, since they've built up some rep power, i dunno..

[Duke Mantee]

That’s interesting Neal - not such a great deal for MF then I’d suggest. It’s difficult for small businesses to gain leverage.

I’ve no issue with how either MF or SC set their price, much of what is on display her on these forums is of similar cost. I guess the only thing that rankles with me is the idea that more expensive is better - I don’t think it is in this context.

[conqueror]

i won't comment further, but someone claiming MF don't make any money within japan is utter bullshit.

Edited April 16, 2020 by conqueror

[Double 0 Soul]

53 minutes ago, conqueror said:

i won't comment further, but someone claiming MF don't make any money within japan is utter bullshit.

I can't confirm or deny either way but don't shoot the messenger... as i say, this was back in 2010 when they launched the Speed Safe Collection.. i called Katherine and was asking her numerous questions regarding the covert cloth Mechanics shirt (which i still own) i openly said that i was planning on buying the shirt from JP. Superdenim UK stocked MF for a brief period back in 2010 (which would have been my territory supplied directly by MF-HQ) but they didn't stock the covert cloth. She was a little bit perturbed because i was asking her questions without any intentions of buying from MF HQ "you should ask the shop in JP where you plan to buy the shirt" so i said 'what does it matter, its a 'MF original pattern' you will stand to profit whoever i choose to buy from' at which point she went on to explain exactly what i said above (and rightly so)... she even mentioned that the recently devalued yen was killing them regarding sales.. but hey, if you know any better then do tell us??

[Jared_Lee]

3 hours ago, Duke Mantee said:

That’s interesting Neal - not such a great deal for MF then I’d suggest. It’s difficult for small businesses to gain leverage.

I’ve no issue with how either MF or SC set their price, much of what is on display her on these forums is of similar cost. I guess the only thing that rankles with me is the idea that more expensive is better - I don’t think it is in this context.

I have ordered the low price SC shirt in that pattern before and was shocked at the tissue-thin fabric I received. It did not live up to my expectations of Sugar Cane at all (after owning Hawii's and their Type II jacket). The MF shirt I've handled in Los Angeles and it's a proper heavy work shirt. IRC, the SC felt like a thin dress shirt material. My memory is not crystal on it as I was so underwhelmed I wore and washed through one cycle before discarding in 2014. This isn't to shit on SC as a whole. I love their denim. I just have direct experience with what I believe is the same shirt under discussion here and the garment matched the surprisingly low price.

[Duke Mantee]

@Jared_Lee certainly in this case both of these shirts weigh in at around 8oz, according to the blurb - but your impressions and memory are as valuable in assessment as any other aspect, especially since I haven’t handled either. I’ve owned MF shirts (all now sold, but for example, I was as impressed with the Off Duty CPO as much as I was unimpressed by the Chambray Utility) and SC shirts (again all sold) but I don’t really think the weight of fabric really answers the question.