Cloakroom Surry Hills - opening soon!

Things are coming along nicely in Sydney and Josh has been putting some finishing touches to the fitout, including rigging the new lighting.
All going well the doors will swing open this weekend (Aug 1st) to coincide with the InDesign weekend happening in Sydney.

The extra space of the Sydney store will allow us to have a lot more sized stock on the rack and a range of the Grenson shoes ready for you to grab.
Our new range of jackets will be on display, all complete with a few new details inc Bemberg lining as standard. Bemberg is regarded as the best lining there is and is used by the likes of Dior Homme in all their suiting.

If you are in Sydney this weekend please drop in and say hi at 47 Reservoir st.

Cloakroom Surry Hills - update

Just a little update re. the progress of our Sydney store. The bar has now been wrapped in oak panels, and doors have been sourced to give the shop shell some character.
Also we've just received lights from Alexander Lotersztain from his Bolet collection. Which you can view here.
We're hoping for all the stock and shoes to arrive in the next week and the doors to be open by the end of July.
Stay tuned.

How to be a 'Sartorialist'

I saw this today and thought it was a funny take on how to get your mug on the much visited Sartorialist blog.

New Snap!

The latest edition of Montreal magazine Snap! has just hit the streets, and it's looking jammed with lots of great stuff.
Have a look online at SNAP! or pick up a copy if you're a Montreal local.

Once again we've run with a double page spread featuring the work of Mr Papi, Mr Clare and Mr DuPlessis.
Looking good guys.

New Scarves - just arrived!

After a late start to Winter it's been great to have some cool weather that warrants wearing some real clothes.
Although we still have a few of the linen scarves left, we have just had some new additions arrive. Most impressive is a new fabric we've recently sourced - an English made Silk/Cashmere, which is incredibly soft and very resistant to creasing or crunching.
Also on offer we have a grey Italian wool with blue window pane check.

Be quick these are too good to last!

the end of day 2

The end of day 2 at 47 Reservoir st Surry Hills. In keeping with the Brisbane theme the shop here will be mostly black.

A little piece of Bris making tracks in Sydney

Nice to be able to ride the Berretto round town. Took it for a few laps of the park.

I left my heart in Brisbane and a 72 280E

Saw this beauty parked just near Centennial Park. Just like my old beast only in perfect condition, unlike mine that cooked its battery and almost poisoned us running home from the coast.

Day 1 - construction Reservoir Street

It feels like I have vanished for the last week. I have not had a working phone and limited use of email, so I have to apologise to friends and clients that have been wondering where the hell I've been.
I will soon be manning the Sydney Cloakroom store once its had the finishing touches of course.
I will also try to make as regular posts as possible, keeping you all in the loop.

Josh

Fashions on the Field

Brisbane's racing carnival is currently in full swing and this Saturday just gone was the premiere day - the Stradbroke Handicap.
After discovering that this year's Fashions on the Field had only 1 category (men and women together) I hesitantly entered myself. Dressed head to toe in Cloakroom kit, including a 3 pce suit and our new gloves (just arrived), I was pleasantly surprised to be the only male to make the final of 10 (from 150 contestants).
That I went on to win was a massive and very exciting shock.

Subsequent press coverage centered on the fact that it was the first time that a male had ever won the event. See here
Though we were referred to as 'tailors' by the journo, which we aren't, it was great to see some coverage for male fashion, which suffers from disproportionate under-coverage here in Brisbane.


The 3 pce is a great Winter suit as it allows for us to use a medium weight fabric that still works well in the warmer months as a regular 2 pce suit. Although we offer a number of waistcoat options including a version with a lapel, as well as a double breasted option, I find the the classic 5 button is an easy one to wear and the lines it creates work really well with a classic 2 Button suit.

The Cloakroom - coming to Sydney!

As some of may already know we have secured a street level location for a new Cloakroom store in Surry Hills, Sydney.
This is an exciting development for us and the brand, and we're very much looking forward to exposing the Cloakroom story to a new city.
As a result Josh will be moving to Sydney to run things and I will continue to operate the Brisbane store. At this stage we hope to have Sydney open in 3-4 weeks.

As our store has grown over the last 2 years we have been very fortunate to have had the support and patronage of many of you, and for this we are very thankful.
Through your ongoing feedback and honesty we have been able to improve the quality and production of the garments we make and the level of service we provide.

Our suiting today has come a long way since we started and we believe we have a product that rivals most anything in the Brisbane market.
During the last few months we have gradually made improvements to the materials we use and our level of craftsmanship. Elements we now incorporate across all of our suiting include the option of heavy and light canvas hand stitched inside our lapels, an improved level of finish and construction in our trousers, and shirting buttons that are now hand fastened to ensure they don't unravel.


Next week the Cloakroom Brisbane will be closed on Monday and Tuesday (June 1st and 2nd) and will re-open on Wednesday (June 3) with some changes to the store.
An increase in quality across the board means we will only use the very best fabrics we can get our hands on. And whilst there will be a price increase to reflect this we still believe we offer great value for money.

We hope to see you soon.

Cloakroom advert in Map Magazine - May

Hitting the streets today is the latest map magazine which is their Design Issue.
There's some great content so grab a copy if you're in Brisbane or take a look online here
It also features the latest installment in our series of images snapped recently by Clare & Papi featuring the ever sharp Mr Du Plessis.

Black Tie - what to wear?

We have a lot of guys come and see us for a range of suiting for a number of occasions. One thing we have seen more of are requests for a suit that satisfies a 'Black Tie' invitation.
Traditionally a Tuxedo or Dinner suit is the way to go, but you quickly run into problems with a lot of off-the-rack interpretations of this. They'll often be boxy, often over the top with the styling and not very flattering to wear.

This is a recent Tuxedo we had made for one such request. We've taken a number of traditional elements and designed a suit that is still modern. The Peaked lapel is a very 'Tuxedo' detail, but is often too wide or pointy. A narrower Peak helps create a much sharper look.
We've opted for the silk detailing (in a flat silk)on the lapel and pocket jetting. The jacket pocket flaps can be tucked in for a cleaner look to show this off. The suit has silk covered buttons and we've incorporated the traditional 2nd button inside the breast. This allows the jacket to be worn buttoned up, but with a symmetrical line. (The breasts meet rather than overlap)
Silk braids matching the lapel silk on the trousers is something we'll also often include, but in a narrower width than most.

The 2nd image shows the pocket flaps tucked in and the 2nd button done up.

Latest Pistols at Dawn ad - SNAP! (montreal)

The new edition of SNAP! has just hit the streets of Montreal with a new Pistols at Dawn ad acros the inside front cover. Take a look by jumping online at snap
Also there is a bunch of new content on the SNAP! website - click here to take a look.

New edition 'Hunting' jacket

This Winter we've concentrated on designing a range of jackets that every guy can easily wear. Among them is an updated version of the Cloakroom 'Hunting' jacket. This season we've sourced a heavy textured grey wool. This gives the jacket plenty of shape and structure, and also protection from the elements. We've designed it with the action pleat styling and fixed (Norfolk) belt, which provides an interesting twist on a traditional English outdoor jacket.
The jacket will be available off the rack and sized ready to go, or for a few more dollars we'll tailor one exactly for you.