Frasers Group buys Gieves & Hawkes

[Louis Balfour]

Out with hoodies, tracky bots and shotter bags. In with the three-piece worsted and brolly, for the price sensitive British shopper?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63741467

[g3org3y]

We'll see what happens, but expect a drop off in quality and a reliance on the brand name to push products.

(Like he did with Karrimor among others).

[Louis Balfour]

g3org3y said:

We'll see what happens, but expect a drop off in quality and a reliance on the brand name to push products.

(Like he did with Karrimor among others).

But what are they going to sell?

It's not as though their typical customer base is going fancy a nice chalk stripe Double Breasted with peak lapels, with a starting price of £5k, is it.

Though, to be honest, I'd quite like them to succeed in improving sartorial standards among the Sports Direct customer base. It must be altogether more agreeable having one's car stolen by a chap in a three-season worsted.

[mcdjl]

Louis Balfour said:

But what are they going to sell?

It's not as though their typical customer base is going fancy a nice chalk stripe Double Breasted with peak lapels, with a starting price of £5k, is it.

Though, to be honest, I'd quite like them to succeed in improving sartorial standards among the Sports Direct customer base. It must be altogether more agreeable having one's car stolen by a chap in a three-season worsted.

The guy in the tracky steals your car at knife point the guy in the suit just ends up with all your money through some financial chicanery.

[Leithen]

It's been bought and sold a few times now. They are based at Saville Row, but are not really Saville Row any more IMHO.

[Square Leg]

Louis Balfour said:

Out with hoodies, tracky bots and shotter bags. In with the three-piece worsted and brolly, for the price sensitive British shopper?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63741467

Bridlesmith Gate will soon be looking dapper.

[CraigyMc]

Louis Balfour said:

Out with hoodies, tracky bots and shotter bags. In with the three-piece worsted and brolly, for the price sensitive British shopper?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63741467

Isn't it more likely that you're going to see made-to-measure adidas trackies?

[DeejRC]

I put a £400 order together last night on G&H. Their Black Friday deals are actually useful last night and time to do a wardrobe update and farm the shirts out to family to give me as Xmas pressies. Job jobbed. The other is my mother buys me more “nice slippers”

[bitchstewie]

I go past the one near where I work a couple of times a week and it always seems deserted.

[Louis Balfour]

bhstewie said:

I go past the one near where I work a couple of times a week and it always seems deserted.

Not surprised. For some time it has been difficult to see where they fit in. They had become a sort of boutique with okayish but overpriced formalwear.

You wouldn't, in your right mind, use them now for making suits. There are so many better tailors on the Row who aren't an adjunct of Sports Direct.

[bitchstewie]

Louis Balfour said:

Not surprised. For some time it has been difficult to see where they fit in. They had become a sort of boutique with okayish but overpriced formalwear.

You wouldn't, in your right mind, use them now for making suits. There are so many better tailors on the Row who aren't an adjunct of Sports Direct.

This is Birmingham not London so maybe it's different there and of course I don't literally count the people in the store it just always looks dead because the staff seem to stand by the door watching the world go by.

Rightly or wrongly I always perceived it as more of an upmarket TM Lewin than one of the true Savile Row "old timers".

[Louis Balfour]

bhstewie said:

Louis Balfour said:

Not surprised. For some time it has been difficult to see where they fit in. They had become a sort of boutique with okayish but overpriced formalwear.

You wouldn't, in your right mind, use them now for making suits. There are so many better tailors on the Row who aren't an adjunct of Sports Direct.

This is Birmingham not London so maybe it's different there and of course I don't literally count the people in the store it just always looks dead because the staff seem to stand by the door watching the world go by.

Rightly or wrongly I always perceived it as more of an upmarket TM Lewin than one of the true Savile Row "old timers".

Probably a fair analysis.

[Thankyou4calling]

I think it’s a real shame how people in the UK (men and women) don’t really care about how they look.

I know I’m generalising but my goodness we really are a load of scruffs.

Obsessed with saving £2 and living in clothes that don’t fit.

Sad really.

[DeejRC]

Louis Balfour said:

bhstewie said:

Louis Balfour said:

Not surprised. For some time it has been difficult to see where they fit in. They had become a sort of boutique with okayish but overpriced formalwear.

You wouldn't, in your right mind, use them now for making suits. There are so many better tailors on the Row who aren't an adjunct of Sports Direct.

This is Birmingham not London so maybe it's different there and of course I don't literally count the people in the store it just always looks dead because the staff seem to stand by the door watching the world go by.

Rightly or wrongly I always perceived it as more of an upmarket TM Lewin than one of the true Savile Row "old timers".

Probably a fair analysis.

It’s not a bad analysis and in fairness it’s not a bad place to be price wise. TM lewin, STG, Moss Bros etc all produce awful shirts and suits these days. M&S stuff is overpriced for what it is, with waaay too much polyester involved in their suits for their prices. G&H do sell reasonable quality at not silly prices for the office.

[cgt2]

On Savile Row too I do love Ozwald Boateng's suits. Very very special to wear.

[z4RRSchris]

i have a few from there, my tails is from there too,

quality of the general suits is so so, id put it on par with suit supply. the tails is decent so i think their formal wear / forces garms are a different quality to the general stuff.

Frasers is run by mike ashleys son in law now, so he obviously thinks he can turn a profit.