Combatant Gentleman

[C.Dubs]

So does this mean they had to sell their sheep farm?

[ddgently]

I just checked the website just to see what was there, and while there is a lot of product showing, you cannot actually buy anything right now. Either all the sizes are greyed out, or there is a link that says "Notify Me" (on ties and such that don't come in sizes).

Can we say they are officially dead?

[Shife]

Anybody else get the "we're sorry" email offering store credit for past issues and claiming they are under new ownership? It appears someone has been busy scrubbing their social media accounts of negative comments as well. It's hard to imagine a reboot of this company, but if my time in automotive taught me anything it's that you can literally kill customers and they'll continue to believe your marketing shtick.

[batkins9]

Anybody else get the "we're sorry" email offering store credit for past issues and claiming they are under new ownership? It appears someone has been busy scrubbing their social media accounts of negative comments as well. It's hard to imagine a reboot of this company, but if my time in automotive taught me anything it's that you can literally kill customers and they'll continue to believe your marketing shtick.

I got one. I checked the site, looks like they are going back to basics. Only their essential line of suits is up, and they seem to be in stock. I'm curious to see how this relaunch goes, but not curious enough to buy anything. I'm trying to cut down on spending, even on a $160 suit.

[Hebrew Barrister]

I got one. I checked the site, looks like they are going back to basics. Only their essential line of suits is up, and they seem to be in stock. I'm curious to see how this relaunch goes, but not curious enough to buy anything. I'm trying to cut down on spending, even on a $160 suit.

Don't know why anybody would trust or support CG again after what they did.

If only there were a large, well established menswear company who doesn't rip customers off, that regularly has sales and clearance bringing product prices down to what CG was charging, in everything from classic cuts to the latest skinny cuts, often even on half canvassed suits.... And imagine if they even had physical stores where you could return things you bought online, exchange them, etc...



If you watch the clearance section on the JAB website, you can snag signature gold or Joseph abboud suits for under $150, and those are half canvassed. Unlike most sites, there really seems to be no rhyme or reason to what goes in clearance (it's often not just ugly stuff or odd sizes). Earlier this year, I got a pair of sig golds, tailored cut, in navy and charcoal, size 42R, for $120 each. Why were normal cuts, normal sizes, normal colors sitting in clearance? No idea.

JAB seems to have a bad rep in the iGent world, but I don't know why. Spend 2 minutes learning which lines of theirs are decent quality, sign up for their email list, and you can get great deals on decent stuff, from classic to trendy, without any risk.

[John Hamnett]

Don't know why anybody would trust or support CG again after what they did.

If only there were a large, well established menswear company who doesn't rip customers off, that regularly has sales and clearance bringing product prices down to what CG was charging, in everything from classic cuts to the latest skinny cuts, often even on half canvassed suits.... And imagine if they even had physical stores where you could return things you bought online, exchange them, etc...



If you watch the clearance section on the JAB website, you can snag signature gold or Joseph abboud suits for under $150, and those are half canvassed. Unlike most sites, there really seems to be no rhyme or reason to what goes in clearance (it's often not just ugly stuff or odd sizes). Earlier this year, I got a pair of sig golds, tailored cut, in navy and charcoal, size 42R, for $120 each. Why were normal cuts, normal sizes, normal colors sitting in clearance? No idea.

JAB seems to have a bad rep in the iGent world, but I don't know why. Spend 2 minutes learning which lines of theirs are decent quality, sign up for their email list, and you can get great deals on decent stuff, from classic to trendy, without any risk.

JAB's reputation is based mostly off their history. Baggy cuts. Poly fabrics. Fused canvases. Ridiculous 3-for-1 sales. Etc.

But it's possible a lot of us have written them off and not payed attention to what they've done in the past couple years.

[ianr]

I emailed them a week ago to ask about the blue essential suit. No response.

I can forgive a lot of nonsense. People make mistakes. But, if the relaunch is just going to be the same level of service with fewer items, that's not good enough.

[ryn]

I emailed them a week ago to ask about the blue essential suit. No response.

I can forgive a lot of nonsense. People make mistakes. But, if the relaunch is just going to be the same level of service with fewer items, that's not good enough.

They are liars. They made ridiculous claims(like owning sheep) and possibly committed fraud. It is more than they got over their heads with fulfilling orders. One needs to be able to trust a suit maker, and you cannot trust CG.

[jackbauer24]

not sure if anyone post this youtube link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjyQDfMJO4g

[Shife]

They are liars. They made ridiculous claims(like owning sheep) and possibly committed fraud. It is more than they got over their heads with fulfilling orders. One needs to be able to trust a suit maker, and you cannot trust CG.

Maybe, maybe not. It's certainly true they ran their business into the ground and pissed off a giant number of customers. However a large deal of criticism of CG is based on speculation that is just as shaky as CG's marketing fluff. What is currently interesting, is whether or not this is truly a company under new ownership. Their faq page claims previous customer order history is no longer available because everything was "moved to a new system". However, the front end of the site and everything else one can currently inspect is completely identical to before. I've also been unable to uncover anything remotely discussing the reorganization of the company.

I'm leery at best. I have my doubts as to viability of this brand. There's just too much bad press out there. While the type of individual who peruses a style forum is an ungodly small minority, just about anybody will casually google search a brand these days. I don't see how they can reboot with this much negative media out there. Even with the attempt to lure past customers back with store credit it seems doomed to flop. If they can deliver the same quality of goods I previously received at the same price point would I buy from this new CG? I dunno. CG would have to rebuild a very damaged history. If Vishaal is remotely involved with any of this, then it's an absolute no deal.

[Spex]

Here's where they are claiming to be under new ownership: https://combatgent.com/cg-is-back

Honestly, I never cared for this company from the beginning. The early suits looked really cheap, and not tailored or slim, but tight and boyish. They didn't look any better than cheap tight fitting suits in any mall store IMHO. When Aaron Marino wore their suit in his video review that he just posted, you can tell it's a cheap suit.

Then there was the reveal that they didn't make their own suits, when that tag was discovered.

I could not go back to a company that lied to me. In this day and age a company won't survive this type of behaviour with the broad availaiblity of reviews and info on the internet. I can't understand why anyone would try to deceive customers knowing that almost certainly you'll eventually be called out.

[ryn]

Here's where they are claiming to be under new ownership: https://combatgent.com/cg-is-back

Honestly, I never cared for this company from the beginning. The early suits looked really cheap, and not tailored or slim, but tight and boyish. They didn't look any better than cheap tight fitting suits in any mall store IMHO. When Aaron Marino wore their suit in his video review that he just posted, you can tell it's a cheap suit.

Then there was the reveal that they didn't make their own suits, when that tag was discovered.

I could not go back to a company that lied to me. In this day and age a company won't survive this type of behaviour with the broad availaiblity of reviews and info on the internet. I can't understand why anyone would try to deceive customers knowing that almost certainly you'll eventually be called out.

I think they were a little bit like Enron, they thought they could cheat a little bit, and then they would eventually catch up, this is especially when they started to not be able to fulfill orders. They fooled themselves.

The marketing really didn't appeal to me either, or the way the CEO defended himself on the forum. Was is interesting is what they were trying to do, or at least claimed. It was very ambitious, doing just in time manufacturing and trying to own the whole supply chain.

[jordan]

Their faq page claims previous customer order history is no longer available because everything was "moved to a new system". However, the front end of the site and everything else one can currently inspect is completely identical to before. I've also been unable to uncover anything remotely discussing the reorganization of the company. l.

They also just happened to retain every ones e-mail addresses, that helps them continue marketing. Funny how they conveniently kept what benefited them but not what benefits their previous customers.

Don't trust these guys.

[Shife]

They also just happened to retain every ones e-mail addresses, that helps them continue marketing. Funny how they conveniently kept what benefited them but not what benefits their previous customers.

Don't trust these guys.

If I was buying a brand/company, one of the most valuable things in the transaction is often the client list. While I have no experience in clothing, the two most valuable assets my current company holds is our drawing package and our customer records. Their retention of email lists would be standard, assuming there is any real change here.

[jordan]

If I was buying a brand/company, one of the most valuable things in the transaction is often the client list. While I have no experience in clothing, the two most valuable assets my current company holds is our drawing package and our customer records. Their retention of email lists would be standard, assuming there is any real change here.

Correct. But generally those records would be kept in a CRM system that would house lots of other information, up to and including the sales history for that customer.