The Darcy spearpoint shirts that I bought had the usual full cut of vintage shirts. Are you familiar with these cuts, or have you been wearing modern shirts so far? Vintage shirts are made to be worn with high-waisted trousers; the excess fabric gathers nicely at the waist, while the full cut permits full freedom of movement.
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Darcy's or Old Town Clothing? What are your experiences?
- Thread starter Rudie
- Start date
The Darcy spearpoint shirts that I bought had the usual full cut of vintage shirts. Are you familiar with these cuts, or have you been wearing modern shirts so far? Vintage shirts are made to be worn with high-waisted trousers; the excess fabric gathers nicely at the waist, while the full cut permits full freedom of movement.
volvomeister13
One of the Regulars
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That's what I was expecting and hoping for, but even the armholes were low, I mean crazy low...more so than on modern shirts. My understanding from reading on FL is that vintage shirts came in both fitted and blousey versions but that even the blousey cuts had fitted shoulders and armholes. Am I totally off base on this one?
Benny Holiday
My Mail is Forwarded Here
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Yep I sure did. My tailor managed to improve it somewhat but he was flummoxed by the tent-like proportions of the body and length of the sleeves. I really like their striped fabrics and would love to order one again, but I would need to marry up the chest measurements to the collar. My last shirt purchases have all been Luxire, 3.75 inch spearpoints, and have turned out excellent.
I'm sorry to hear that. My two size 14.5" shirts are made in two of the four or five colors that were copied from originals. The fit is fine, armholes are actually higher and sleeves slightly narrower than on Luxire's standard full cut shirts.
It's just a wild guess, but maybe Darcy fouled up the pattern on some of the larger sizes, modifying the pattern from an original in a smaller size? I don't know what sizes you two wear.
The photos show the shirts without trousers, so they hang freely. I just noticed that my tailor fouled up the sleeve length. Aside from the sleeve length, no alterations were made.
Volvo, the nearly straight cut and the extra long torso is normal if that's what's bothering you. As for armholes, do you have vintage or repro shirts to compare them with? Modern shirts in fashion-forward cuts actually have the armholes cut too high and the sleeves too narrow compared to vintage cuts, a problem also shared by modern t-shirts although the latter sit right under the pit, so it's more extreme there.
It's just a wild guess, but maybe Darcy fouled up the pattern on some of the larger sizes, modifying the pattern from an original in a smaller size? I don't know what sizes you two wear.
The photos show the shirts without trousers, so they hang freely. I just noticed that my tailor fouled up the sleeve length. Aside from the sleeve length, no alterations were made.
Volvo, the nearly straight cut and the extra long torso is normal if that's what's bothering you. As for armholes, do you have vintage or repro shirts to compare them with? Modern shirts in fashion-forward cuts actually have the armholes cut too high and the sleeves too narrow compared to vintage cuts, a problem also shared by modern t-shirts although the latter sit right under the pit, so it's more extreme there.
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Chris Cherry
New in Town
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I dither over Darcy stuff, as I sit unhelpfully between sizes, I take somewhere in the low thirties on my waist (company dependent) but invariably size up to account for my stupendously wide thighs. If they provided more detailed measurements I would be certain but as it is vacillation is my default.
volvomeister13
One of the Regulars
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I was thinking modern shirts like Brooks Brothers. I know what you mean about the trendy slim shirts with too high armholes; I absolutely can't abide being in one of those.
Wow those look great. It's possible my neck size as compared to my body size just didn't line up for those, but I've since somehow gone down a neck size while the rest of my body stayed the same. Maybe I'll give Darcy another shot in a 15.5 instead of 16. Those fabrics they have are fantastic. The armholes on yours look quite similar to a vintage Arrow shirt I have.
Hard to tell where the problem is. At any rate, if the collar fits, everything else should follow, and if it doesn't then discard the idea of buying again.
Incidentally, the neck (and the cheeks, for that matter) tends to lose mass relatively more than the rest of the torso when you're in the process of losing weight. Once you have reached a new equilibrium, the neck will more often than not gain a little once again. If it's a major weight loss, the neck will still be considearbly thinner, but if it's only minor, the neck might revert back to its former shirt size. Of course, as one gets older, the neck can become thinner all by itself.
And yes, the cut of these ones (my size 14.5", I mean) is really good.
Incidentally, the neck (and the cheeks, for that matter) tends to lose mass relatively more than the rest of the torso when you're in the process of losing weight. Once you have reached a new equilibrium, the neck will more often than not gain a little once again. If it's a major weight loss, the neck will still be considearbly thinner, but if it's only minor, the neck might revert back to its former shirt size. Of course, as one gets older, the neck can become thinner all by itself.
And yes, the cut of these ones (my size 14.5", I mean) is really good.
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herringbonekid
I'll Lock Up
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that's the obvious thing to do. i always ask for the usual (pit to pit / shoulder seam to shoulder seam etc.) measurements when ordering any shirt online that i've never bought before.
Tommy-VF51
A-List Customer
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Any recent comments on the Old Town Orfords, particularly in regards to the rise on the 34 Waist?
You'll have to send them an E-mail or call them but if you're in the UK it's worth taking a trip to Holt.
Tommy-VF51
A-List Customer
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Thanks Willy, I've sent them an email and I'll post up an reply to sizing. I might try and get up in person if I can, but it is a fair way away, especially with kids!
Edward
Bartender
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Haas anyone handled one of the new Darcy workwear suits? They look interesting. I've had a couple of pairs of trousers from them. The Moleskin Cricket Whites are lovely; the cut is very similar to a pair of 1950s French workwear trousers I have in shape - little bit of a taper, but still plenty full through the seat and thigh. Another pair I have is a brushed cotton that looks like a worsted. They're starting to show signs of wearf in the crocth, but they have been worn heavily for about a year. Little bit lighter than I'd like - something with a bit more heft would be preferable. Still looked very muvh the part of a pair of generic 30s/40s trousers , though. I now have on order a pair of their cotton drill work trousers and the denim ones to see me through this Summer (I have a bunch of beautiful SJC bits ready to go, but I ordered them small so as to be able to wear 'em at target weight!).
Tommy-VF51
A-List Customer
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I didn't send my email for a while after this tbh (drafted and forgot to), but 5 days later still waiting for a reply... starting to consider other options now, which is a shame?
QuirkyQueen
New in Town
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- East Sussex and Cork
I purchased two pairs of the high rise cords from Old town, Green and Tan, extremely comfortable.
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Timbo
New in Town
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I’ve worn Old Town high rise and French Le Laboureur trousers for a long time but have recently moved with considerable relief to Darcy instead for fishtail moleskins and cords, the main reason being they actually do seem to look and feel like a straight copy the real thing, sounds daft but I’ve found this has been almost impossible to achieve over the years unless you’re prepared to set up as a tailor in your own right. I certainly admire Old Town’s no nonsense approach but I could never shift the feeling that their trousers are a modern twist on something traditional rather than a straight copy of something, they’re a bit strange in the cut and I really can’t get on with the modern looking jeans type seams. Le laboureur cords are actually wonderfully stout and well made but have more than a hint of the French potato farmer about them, I really wanted to like them and tried hard, but they are just too utilitarian and sensible for me.
Edward
Bartender
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You might also enjoy the Aero trousers, a direct copy of an original CC41 pair (even down to the turnups, which of course a CC41 spec shouldn't have..... presumably somebody either bribed their tailor to cut them a bit too long to allow for a cuff, or they got passed on in the family to someone shorter and adapted). The cloth on those is marvellous, real upholstery quality.
My understanding of Old Town is that they are more 'inspired by' the twenties rather than directly copying every last detail. I'd love to buy a suit from them eventually, but when I talked to them by telephone it was clear that my shape and specific measurements meant that I'd really need to try their stuff on. Eventually I'll go to one of their London fittings if I'm ready to buy from them, as their location is awkward for me as a non-driver.
The only negative I've ever heard about Old Town's product quality-wise was from a friend who regretted buying a pair of linen trousers from them (as distinct from the many other pairs of trews in other cloths he has bought from them over the years), as the linen quickly wore thin at the crotch. To be fair, though, and as he said himself, they had a lot of heavy wear that Summer, and linen just isn't quite as durable that way as some other cloths.
My understanding of Old Town is that they are more 'inspired by' the twenties rather than directly copying every last detail. I'd love to buy a suit from them eventually, but when I talked to them by telephone it was clear that my shape and specific measurements meant that I'd really need to try their stuff on. Eventually I'll go to one of their London fittings if I'm ready to buy from them, as their location is awkward for me as a non-driver.
The only negative I've ever heard about Old Town's product quality-wise was from a friend who regretted buying a pair of linen trousers from them (as distinct from the many other pairs of trews in other cloths he has bought from them over the years), as the linen quickly wore thin at the crotch. To be fair, though, and as he said himself, they had a lot of heavy wear that Summer, and linen just isn't quite as durable that way as some other cloths.
GHT
I'll Lock Up
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I can certainly vouch for that.
Edward, you really should go and see George in Peckham. Many a time I've waxed lyrical about Rob Crossley at Rocacha, but George is far more customer orientated.
http://www.threadneedlemantailors.co.uk/
I've seen Old Town products at festivals, but have never been inspired by them. However I would defend them when it comes to linen. There's many a purchaser, me included, that doesn't realise the crumple effect, or the durability of linen, until they have made their first purchase. Nowadays if I do buy anything in linen, I buy it with a sixty/forty polymix. It might not be authentic but it looks exactly the same but without the creases, and is much longer lasting. If polyester really goes against the grain, you can always try a linen/calico mix, that's if you can find it.
Edward
Bartender
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One day I'm going to buy myself one of Rocachas Zoot suits.... George's site looks lovely, though. Any idea of what he charges, on average?
Precisely, it's just one of those fabrics. These last three years I've bought the same navy linen suit in Marksies; works out well cheap, and the cut isn't dramatically different to a few original fifties bits I've had. At around £140 for two pairs of trousers and the jacket, it's hard to beat.
