The Yin & The Yang: Black & Brown Hand-Grades from Crockett & Jones for Tom James

About 6 or 7 years ago, as I was just beginning to dabble in "high-end" men's shoes, I was able to pick-up two pair of Bartons, a captoe brogue from Crockett & Jones' handgrade line, re-badged for Tom James. This was one of Style Forum's more memorable feeding frenzies - C&J's handgrade line normally sells in $600-700 range, so pairs on sale for $150 are rare. For staple models like captoe brogues, wingtips, etc. - its basically unheard of.

The insole stamp.

I'm not entirely sure what prompted Tom James to unload their supply of C&J shoes - if I recall correctly, the company had decided to discontinue the sale of shoes made in England after failing to move them at the retail price. The sale included both benchgrade and handgrade models from C&J - and don't quote me on this, but I think ALL models were priced on sale at $150. $150 for C&J handgrades is ridiculous; $150 for C&J benchgrade models is pretty good too.

Black C&J Bartons for Tom James, 330 last.

C&J's handwritten size and last information.

At the time, I didn't have much of a collection. Aside from a few Paul Stuart Masterpieces from Benny's in Atlanta (also $150 at the time), as well as a few pairs picked up at the absolutely insane Paul Stuart sample sale, the C&Js were some of my first purchases of shoes made in Northampton.

An overhead profile shot of C&Js elegant, round-toed 330 last - 

a predecessor to the more elongated and pointed 337 last.

A close-up of the somewhat bland rams-head medallion.

I've never really acquired much of a taste for black shoes, but this seemed like the perfect time to pick up a pair to have for interviews/semi-formal events, etc. The black Bartons remain my only black shoes, all these years later (well, I also own a pair of spade-sole Johnston & Murphy Handmade 100s, but really that's it). Comparing the two shoes, its easy to see how much more play the antique chestnut Barton's have gotten over the years.

Antique chestnut Bartons by C&J for Tom James, 330 last.

In hindsight, I'm still not sure if the C&Js 330 handgrade last fits true to size. Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to pick up a test case since the shoes were going so fast. I'd say the shoes were about a half size smaller than comparable C&Js, probably because of the stubby last shape. The shoes do fit, and have gradually become more comfortable over the years, so I was probably somewhere right between a a US 10D and 10.5D. But a 10.5D may have been just a touch too roomy, so it was probably a wash in the end.

Of course, I'm looking forward to the next 6 or 7 years with my Bartons.

Tom James' logo stamp on the waist of the sole. 

The shoes featured typical C&J handgrade characteristics such as the channeled soles and ever-so-slightly bevelled waist.

Amos Sulka & Co.: The Cashmere Overcoat

Once upon a time, A. Sulka & Co. was the preeminent clothier for the affluent from New York to London to Paris. The company’s loyal customers included such notables as the Duke of Windsor, Henry Ford, Winston Churchill, Clark Gable, Rudolf Valentino, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gary Cooper, and various members of the Kennedy and Rockefeller clans.

After Amos Sulka’s death in April 1946, the company remained a well-regarded institution among the international elite. The haberdasher had a shop in Paris on the Rue de Castiglione and in London on Old Bond Street. In addition to stores in Chicago and Beverly Hills, the company was well-represented in New York City with brick-and-mortar shops on Park, Madison, and Fifth Avenues, as well as a boutique in the Waldorf-Astoria. 

Sadly, the rise of business casual and CEO "dressed-down" chic was too much for the venerable institution to overcome. The last of Sulka's shops closed almost 10 years ago, but one can still find great examples of the classically-styled and wonderfully well-made offerings on display at A. Sulka & Co. There is perhaps no better testament to the fine works of art created at Sulka than the fact that one can still expect to pay hundreds of dollars for vintage bath robes made of vicuna or fine silks,  in thrift shops or online at eBay. 

Despite the company's poor financial footing in the latter decades of the twentieth century, Sulka pieces from the late 1980s to early 2000s did not suffer from any precipitous decline in quality. Consider this single-breasted 100% cashmere overcoat that I recently discovered. The grey Sulka tag would seem to place the date of manufacture somewhere around the 1990s.

 The manufacturer's tag inside the inner pocket identifies this particular item as having been made for Sulka by Saint Andrews - a fine Italian clothier that has provided suiting for Ralph Lauren's Purple Label  line since that esteemed icon relieved England's Chester Barrie of the manufacturing responsibilities for the Purple Label clothing line in the early 2000s. Its not outside the realm of reason to expect to pay approximately $4000-5000 for a similar camel-colored cashmere overcoat from Saint Andrews today.

While the demise of the venerable House of Sulka remains a sad tale, one can take some comfort in the fact that the company's offerings remained of the highest quality unto the end.

Brunello Cucinelli: The Overnight Bag

The Cucinelli Dust-Bag: Could it be cashmere?

I had a few hours to kill one afternoon last week so I decided to head over to the Brunello Cucinelli sample sale. The sale was located in what appeared to be BC's corporate showroom at 58th Street between Third and Lexington Avenue. There was clothing and accessories for both men and women, but I wasn't planning on purchasing anything - famous last words.

I've been on the look out for a travel bag for some time, but I could never really find anything that caught my eye. Swaine Adeney Brigg makes wonderful leather goods, but I was looking for something not-so-classically British in style. I'm certainly an Anglophile, but I wanted something with just a bit more spice to it. 

In the back corner of the showroom, I spied a table of leather goods that appeared to have gone largely unmolested by the gathering hordes of female shoppers (I point the finger at the fairer sex here because men at sample sales just never seem to exude the same level of maniacal intensity). I have a weak spot for lighter shades of brown, so this particular overnight bag's combination of leather and canvas really jumped out at me at first glance.

All things being equal, once you begin comparing bags in the $2500-3000 range,you'll probably be hard-pressed to justify any bag over the quality goods produced by SAB or Globetrotter. While Brunello Cucinelli has certainly amassed quite a following in the last few years due to luxurious fabrics, particularly his cashmere goods, I think its fair to say that his reputation as a maker of leather goods trails behind that of SAB. On the other hand, BC on the whole would probably be considered more stylish or fashionable than SAB, but I suppose reasonable minds can differ.

Now with all of that being said, if you're lucky enough to find an item that you've been looking for in a style that appeals to you at 85% off the retail price of $2565, it's pretty much a no-brainer.

Hopefully, I'll have a chance to put the bag to good use this summer. I've been hoping to break out a pair of Edward Green saddle shoes that I picked up at Ralph Lauren, and while the picture above doesn't do the color justice, the leather color of the bag is quite similar to the burnished portions of the saddle shoes' edwardian antique patina. 

Now I just need to work on an outfit . . .

[P.S. I also picked up a sweater that I'm selling here. If anyone's interested, shoot me an email.]