
Suits are back (cf. pg's submarine essay) - ximeng
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/02/20/uk-fashion-menswear-savilerow-idUKBRE91J0IY20130220
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cduan
The point of PG's essay is well-taken, but I'm not really sure how the linked
article really applies other than at a superficial level. I can't find a
recent press release from which this article was derived; the closest one is
the cited Bain & Co. note from Oct. 2012, which is pretty old by current
standards.

Additionally, the reporter here seems to have at least done a modicum of
original research, given that he's quoting actual clothing makers. This is in
contrast with the USA Today article cited in PG's essay, which quoted a PR
guy, a GQ editor, and a consultant.

Thus, to the extent that the submarine theory applies here, it's probably just
to show the long reach that a well-manufactured eight-year-old marketing
campaign can have. But there were plenty of other marketing campaigns from
that time that didn't stick around this long, so maybe that's an indicator
that there is some real substance to this trend?

Of course, I've only done a little research into this. If someone can turn up
the actual press release or other marketing push from which this article was
derived, I will gladly reverse my opinion.

~~~
ximeng
This one also quotes a GQ editor!

Milan fashion week apparently started today.

[http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/8475bc40-7087-11e2-a2cf-00144...](http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/8475bc40-7087-11e2-a2cf-00144feab49a.html#axzz2LSmczUoJ)

[http://www.gq.com/fashion-shows/F2013/new-
york/top-10-milan-...](http://www.gq.com/fashion-shows/F2013/new-
york/top-10-milan-paris-moments#slide=1)

------
gknoy
PG's submarine essay: <http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html>

(In case others are like me, and didn't have it memorized. :))

~~~
knowtheory
Annnnd on the flip side are bad PR dudes pissing a journalist off by offering
to ghost write and ending up on Jim Romanesko's blog:
[http://jimromenesko.com/2013/02/19/pr-mans-jaw-dropping-
offe...](http://jimromenesko.com/2013/02/19/pr-mans-jaw-dropping-offer/)

Having spent a year and a half developing software for journalists, I'm
certain that there are some lazy, careless journalists, but there are a whole
lot more overworked and underpaid journalists, some of whom may not have the
savvy to know when they're being duped (some due to ignorance, some due to
lack of experience, some due to lack of resources).

PG notes that they were paying their PR firm 16k$ a month. Take a moment to
ask yourself how much you think the starting salary for a reporter is, and
then follow the link below:

[http://gawker.com/5829589/average-starting-journalist-
pay-30...](http://gawker.com/5829589/average-starting-journalist-pay-30k-if-
youre-lucky)

~~~
quotemstr
> Having spent a year and a half developing software for journalists

That sounds interesting. What did you write?

~~~
knowtheory
I work on DocumentCloud at Investigative Reporters & Editors.

<http://www.documentcloud.org> <http://github.com/documentcloud>
<http://ire.org>

------
bjourne
I don't think it can be emphasized enough how eye-opening that essay is. It
totally changed the way I consume media. Reading about the "submarines" should
be mandatory reading for anyone in school because it's that important.

------
kmfrk
It always confounds and frustrates me how fashion labels are always some of
the worst offenders in adapting to new technology. For one, so many of their
websites use Flash, and it can generally be a pain to find any information
about them.

I was in Paris a while ago, and I had to rely on a French version of Yelp to
get some basic information of where I could get my shopping on.

------
clicks
I'm curious about one thing -- the suits that are making a comeback, how
similar exactly are they?

I think from afar they _look_ great and very close to clothes from the past,
but how is the fitting -- comfortable? Or has there been zero innovation in
clothe-making and clothes back then were just as comfortable to wear and fit
just as well?

~~~
dailyrorschach
This will probably sound obvious, but well made suits and properly fitted
shirts and suits aren't really uncomfortable a all. Of course most people
don't factor in the costs of tailoring into their suit purchases, and buy
inferior suits like the Jos. A Bank sales, which hey great if you're on the
road all the time, but otherwise 2-3 basic suits, 2 pairs of shoes, some ties,
and a few white and blue shirts will go a long, long way.

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r0s
I'm a big fan of English suits, wish I had the money.

Here's a good example: [http://tailgate365.com/wp-
content/uploads/2012/11/Ralph-Fien...](http://tailgate365.com/wp-
content/uploads/2012/11/Ralph-Fiennes-in-Skyfall-585x350.jpg)

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burnblue
The title of the article ("Timeless suits from London's Savile Row back in
fashion") is a contradiction in terms. Either the suits are timeless OR they
go in and out of fashion. Can't have both.

