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AL - Simmons Bilt!

wdw

One Too Many
Messages
1,260
Location
Edinburgh
Good to know, Hide'n'seek. There was always some confusion over that aspect. For the departees, it all must have seemed such a good idea 3 years ago. How things change...
 

hpalapdog

One of the Regulars
Messages
295
Location
uk
I saved the images of the Cabourn jacket sometime back from the sale page. Most of the current website doesn't have Alexander branding visible.
 

Sloan1874

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,427
Location
Glasgow
Just to clarify things, no workers that left Aero to go to Alexander have returned to Aero nor would they be welcome, they would be shown the door. We are far better of without them and to be honest they are all getting close to retirement age.
The experienced Aero machinists ( and other staff ) that returned are staff that could not work with Lauder but were happy to return once he had gone.

And this was all given in evidence during the trial as well. As far as the AL branding goes, 80 per cent of the pictures have either the original green and black 'Schuh'-style logo or carry the AL initials in the right-hand corner each picture. At best it's an evening's work - or, more accurately, a quiet afternoon - using Photoshop to remove those.
 

Superfluous

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,995
Location
Missing in action
No, not really. The Brand Label saying "England" is fine of course, but there are laws governing "Made in ..." labels. Perhaps it was just a sample jacket and not actually for sale. No matter what brand is placed on an object, the label of origin has to be accurate.

Exactly!
 

nick123

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,371
Location
California
Admittedly, there are many out there who say England to mean Britain, but we forgive their ignorance...

The "should I say England or Britain?" thing bugged me enough to look it up recently. (I'm a Yank)...If I taught a class, you bet I'd explain and stress the difference!
 

Big J

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,961
Location
Japan
I used to like Cabourn, until I understood that he wasn't 'authentic', he was just branding a fake simulacrum pastiche nostalgia for the way people who are too young to remember The British Empire would like to pretend to remember it.

(Copy-writing available on request, contact for details! lol )
 

Sloan1874

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,427
Location
Glasgow
lol Their stuff is also 'dowhatnow?' expensive. From what I'm told, the quality of the materials that AL were given to work with wasn't precisely off-the-scale.
 
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Big J

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,961
Location
Japan
Sloan, do you know that film with Tony Curtis as a racing car driver in some kind of cross-Europe rally? It's a kind of comedy from the 60's (but I can't remember the name).
In that film, the British team is played by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore; they are the perfect comedy British!
THAT'S exactly Cabourns image (except that he's lacking a self-aware irony, and is deadly serious. I feel cheated. Britain isn't like that at all!).
 

Big J

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,961
Location
Japan
Monte Carlo or Bust! Tis a fun film.

Yes!
I love that film. Pete and Dud do a perfect tour de force of British Imperialist cliches that are ultimately totally self-effacing, and not offensive. A parody of Daily Mail readers!
You see, even though I know it's not realistic, it's a great image of British Empire gentlemen.
 

Big J

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,961
Location
Japan
lol Their stuff is also 'dowhatnow?' expensive. From what I'm told, the quality of the materials that AL were given to work with wasn't precisely off-the-scale.

When I was a student in the UK waaaay back in the day, shocked by your freezing summers, I bought a Cabourn ventile parka. I was totally taken in by the branding, but then I didn't know any better. I do now. But I think that golden era of Britishness has great cache with foreigners. Cabourn is popular in Japan.
 

pawineguy

One Too Many
Messages
1,974
Location
Bucks County, PA
Does anyone remember the Coastal Command frankenjacket ? Those still crop up on ebay now and again. Some of his military inspired smocks are nice, but as Sloan said about the price : yowhatnow ?

There are still people on other forums that consider that jacket their "grail" and reference it all the time.
 

Sloan1874

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,427
Location
Glasgow
Yeah, I saw that on the Style Forum. People seem very beguiled by Cabourn's overpriced nonsense, but there's a complete disconnect between the price and the product.
 

Big J

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,961
Location
Japan
I don't get it. Originals, or exact reproductions of all the clothes that 'inspire' Cabourns products are available for less.
Triumph of branding over sense.
 

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