Recent Purchases

[Vanquish]

Does Tom Ford have the quality to back up the name or is it comparable to the Burberry, Gucci, and other fashion labels?

I would say yes. Although, there already seems to be a decent discussion going about the topic already. I know TF isn't Dappered nor do I expect anyone to run out and obtain TF. I just thought it would be nice to have some differences of items being posted on here because some people start here and maybe want to go and obtain something else "higher" up at some point. I.E. Dappered to Styleforum, etc.

[hornsup84]

I may be wrong about this, but I was under the impression that counterfeiting was most common with fashion items that are Veblen goods from brands who exclusively make such things. There is an "everyone knows this is a luxury good" aspect to these things. It's why we see luxury goods advertised broadly: people who can't afford them need to be able to recognize them in order to sell them to people who can afford them. In this case, the box is literally more valuable than what's in the box.

Tom Ford makes $10,000 dresses. If the price was lowered to $5,000, people would want them less. If the same item was sold without the label and the box, people would want it less.

Granted, designer stuff is usually fairly nice as it has to be. However, as was asked earlier, designer goods are not priced as such because they are that much better than the competion. That's all I mean by value; they are terrible value unless you value other people recognizing how much money you spent on something.

We are talking past each other on 'value' -- the boxes are more valuable in the sense that the general public perceives them to be prestigious, and no one would care about a Ratio box. I'm talking about getting a good deal in terms of value of the actual product, as in relative quality to price. As for my "I'm less likely to buy" comment, I'm saying that I generally don't go for styles that coincide with the stereotypical luxury brands that are most likely to be counterfeited--other than maybe in watches and ties on occasion. I generally avoid labels/logos for the most part, which (as you note above) are prevalent for those brands as part of their marketing/pricing strategies.

I would say yes. Although, there already seems to be a decent discussion going about the topic already. I know TF isn't Dappered nor do I expect anyone to run out and obtain TF. I just thought it would be nice to have some differences of items being posted on here because some people start here and maybe want to go and obtain something else "higher" up at some point. I.E. Dappered to Styleforum, etc.

This was all I was making a point about -- By being Dappered about some things, one can splurge once in a while on other things. I am Dappered about some things and very un-Dappered about others, so it's nice to see other 'reaches' out of the zone to take a look.

[JohnG]

While I don't own any Tom Ford clothing myself ($$$$), I can say that the brand's association with James Bond/Daniel Craig has done a lot to elevate awareness. While this association is not the only reason for its relatively rapid rise in popularity (Ford was already pretty well known in some circles for his work with Gucci and YSL), it's played a big part since about 2009 in bringing the brand to the general public consciousness. I've mentioned before I'm also a member of Bond fan forum and there is a certain level of obsession there with getting the screen accurate TF pieces used in the Bond films. For example, the Tom Ford polo shirt used in Spectre retailed for about $1000.00 and many of the forum members bought one. Right now there is a project on the forum to get TF to reissue a tie (about $225) and Harrington jacket (about $2500) used in Bond films.

What I've also learned is that some TF designs are hardly original and he takes "inspired by" a little too far at times for my taste (which is not uncommon among designers in general). An example would be the TF quilted front jacket used in Spectre, which is an almost exact replica of one made by Moncler (the TF one is about $1200 more expensive) and his sunglass line, which borrows freely from OP and others. The polo TF made for another Bond film is pretty much a direct copy of a Sunspel model used in an earlier film. The brand also alienated some Bond fans this last time around with some poor customer service and not-exactly-ethical business practices (raising prices on Spectre associated clothing at the last minute AFTER people had prepaid at the original price).

TF jacket:


Moncler Jacket:



Having said that, Matt Spaiser, who writes the blog "The Suits of James Bond" and is something of a niche expert, does claim that Tom Ford suits are some of the highest quality suits he's seen although he thinks the fit on Craig is off.

This thread on the Bond forum has a lot of information on the use of TF in the last Bond film (and experience with the brand in general). This video from David Zaritski also goes into more detail of the TF/Bond fans' customer experience (go to the 7 minute mark).

Not sure if any of this is interesting to people here, but personally when a brand is asking me to pay $1000 for a polo shirt, I like to know a little bit more about what's going on behind the scenes and other people's experiences. All the best!

[ianr]

Having said that, Matt Spaiser, who writes the blog "The Suits of James Bond" and is something of a niche expert, does claim that Tom Ford suits are some of the highest quality suits he's seen although he thinks the fit on Craig is off.

Here is a person cutting apart one of these suits:

http://tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com/.../tom-ford.html

[JohnG]

Here is a person cutting apart one of these suits:

http://tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com/.../tom-ford.html

First, thanks for sharing, very interesting! Second, credit to the guy for at least acknowledging that buying a $5000 suit just to cut it up is a little crazy!

Regarding the question of the "appropriateness" of sharing luxury brand purchases in this forum: I say, "sure, why not?" Although I haven't been a member here very long, I have visited these threads for a few years, and I think luxury brands have always been a part of the discussion, especially with footwear; $850 Viberg boots get a lot of mentions and they are not exactly cheap. What's the difference between someone sharing their luxury brand boots and someone sharing a luxury brand tie, shirt or suit, especially if doing so makes them happy and helps educate others? I think it only becomes less fun when the luxury brands become some sort of "gold" standard by which others are judged (which I have not see happening here). For me, Dappered is fun because people here tend to comment on what looks good and what is fair value, as opposed to obsessing over labels and/or assigning value to an outfit based on brands worn or the outfit's total price. I hope that doesn't change!

[devastitis]

First, thanks for sharing, very interesting! Second, credit to the guy for at least acknowledging that buying a $5000 suit just to cut it up is a little crazy!

Regarding the question of the "appropriateness" of sharing luxury brand purchases in this forum: I say, "sure, why not?" Although I haven't been a member here very long, I have visited these threads for a few years, and I think luxury brands have always been a part of the discussion, especially with footwear; $850 Viberg boots get a lot of mentions and they are not exactly cheap. What's the difference between someone sharing their luxury brand boots and someone sharing a luxury brand tie, shirt or suit, especially if doing so makes them happy and helps educate others? I think it only becomes less fun when the luxury brands become some sort of "gold" standard by which others are judged (which I have not see happening here). For me, Dappered is fun because people here tend to comment on what looks good and what is fair value, as opposed to obsessing over labels and/or assigning value to an outfit based on brands worn or the outfit's total price. I hope that doesn't change!

That's exactly what brought me here. I've been back to SF, and don't see it anymore, but before, people with huge shell footwear collections with shoes worth $1k+ each, would troll newbies trying to make their first AE purchase, and criticize them for being "cheap" and always looking for deals. Dappered is a nice combination of both people just starting to dress more nicely to veterans, and offers a great variety of styles to choose from, from low end to high end. Not everything recommended or pictured in WIWT is high end like SF, and that's refreshing.

[Vicious49]

Regarding the question of the "appropriateness" of sharing luxury brand purchases in this forum: I say, "sure, why not?"

For me, Dappered is fun because people here tend to comment on what looks good and what is fair value, as opposed to obsessing over labels and/or assigning value to an outfit based on brands worn or the outfit's total price. I hope that doesn't change!

I agree with both of those statements. I don't care what anyone posts, but it should be more about the item itself or how it fits in to someone's outfit/wardrobe and not about the labels.

Simply posting a pic of boxes that say 'Tom Ford' on them isn't in that spirit and is only about the label. There is no other reason to post that than to have someone say 'oooh, what's in the Tom Ford boxes'? This isn't the first or last time someone has or will do this. I usually ignore the person and the item when they do that. I'm not going to give them the attention that they are craving.

[ianr]

This isn't the first or last time someone has or will do this. I usually ignore the person and the item when they do that. I'm not going to give them the attention that they are craving.

I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

[devastitis]

I agree with both of those statements. I don't care what anyone posts, but it should be more about the item itself or how it fits in to someone's outfit/wardrobe and not about the labels.

Simply posting a pic of boxes that say 'Tom Ford' on them isn't in that spirit and is only about the label. There is no other reason to post that than to have someone say 'oooh, what's in the Tom Ford boxes'? This isn't the first or last time someone has or will do this. I usually ignore the person and the item when they do that. I'm not going to give them the attention that they are craving.

http://i.imgur.com/oMBV5dO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ENcDPsX.gif
https://abootlander.files.wordpress....ink-wink-o.gif

[ninpb]

I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

Captain Crunch

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[connersw]

I have that exact same bag. I got mine off eBay though because I don't buy retail.

[hornsup84]

I agree with both of those statements. I don't care what anyone posts, but it should be more about the item itself or how it fits in to someone's outfit/wardrobe and not about the labels.

Simply posting a pic of boxes that say 'Tom Ford' on them isn't in that spirit and is only about the label. There is no other reason to post that than to have someone say 'oooh, what's in the Tom Ford boxes'? This isn't the first or last time someone has or will do this. I usually ignore the person and the item when they do that. I'm not going to give them the attention that they are craving.

It's the same reason why people do box unveils on WUS -- they are getting a bit more fun out of the purchase. I guess there's a related, bigger topic of whether people are posting for compliments (aka to get 'likes' on other discussion boards) or bragging in a way, but that'd likely rope in a lot of other things, like many of the WIWT posts and generally just this entire thread. It isn't like a majority of the posts on this thread show anything about fit, or try to show colors, etc. in a useful manner--largely it's just people saying what they've purchased lately...

[Vicious49]

It's the same reason why people do box unveils on WUS -- they are getting a bit more fun out of the purchase. I guess there's a related, bigger topic of whether people are posting for compliments (aka to get 'likes' on other discussion boards) or bragging in a way, but that'd likely rope in a lot of other things, like many of the WIWT posts and generally just this entire thread. It isn't like a majority of the posts on this thread show anything about fit, or try to show colors, etc. in a useful manner--largely it's just people saying what they've purchased lately...

I agree that it's the reason people do unboxing pics. Which I don't mind so much if they do it all in 1 post. But many times people will post the box and nothing else until others are like 'oh, what rolex did you get? what's in there?' I've never been a fan of that either. Let the watch or the item speak for itself.

It's the same reason I'm not a fan of anything with logos. I don't need or want a huge horse on my breast to show people what I'm wearing. In this case, the collar on the Tom Ford shirt would have instantly stood out without the need to show the logos. Everyone has their own opinion but mine is that it's cheesy, chintzy, seeking validation from others . . . I can't find the exact word I'm looking for, but you get the point.

[Eric S]

I can't be the only one being eaten alive by curiosity over the contents of the Target bag.

[devastitis]

It's the same reason why people do box unveils on WUS -- they are getting a bit more fun out of the purchase. I guess there's a related, bigger topic of whether people are posting for compliments (aka to get 'likes' on other discussion boards) or bragging in a way, but that'd likely rope in a lot of other things, like many of the WIWT posts and generally just this entire thread. It isn't like a majority of the posts on this thread show anything about fit, or try to show colors, etc. in a useful manner--largely it's just people saying what they've purchased lately...

Yup, I love going through Initial Impressions in r/goodyearwelt on Reddit. I've done a few myself as well.