Hey Dave K! Shirt advice needed

So what do you do again, I can't recall? I remember you live in Wisconsin, play Fantasy Football and talk about an old POS truck you think sucks. For some reason, I thought you worked on bikes at your own motorcycle shop?

 

Johnny B looks more like Groucho Marx every time he posts up a picture

 

I'm a Firefighter/Medic but I'm also a state union rep so I have to dress up quite a bit.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

 

That makes sense. Every firefighter I've been friends with, loves the job and often has another business on the side, or has time for racing, fabricating, etc.

 

You guys coming back to Cincy for your convention?

 

Possibly in a couple years. Might be something else near there this summer tho. Good town, I like Cincy.

 

The first time I read the title to this thread I read it as Skirt help needed.....

 

Allen Edmonds was indeed a top brand, as was Johnston & Murphy, once upon a time.

AE was bought by an investment firm back in 2006 (and is now owned by a private equity firm). The 2006 sale resulted in a bunch of changes, most of them bad. The new owners:

- eliminated quite a few of the "traditional" shoe styles that had made AE famous
- introduced a number of "fashion trend" shoes
- brought in a line of Italian-sourced shoes
- brought in a line of casual shoes made overseas
- introduced many changes to the manufacturing process

AE always made its shoes in the US, but the new owners changed that. Final assembly of the "trad" line is still done in the US, thus allowing AE to continue to claim Made In USA, but the critical process of sewing the shoe uppers was off shored to Dominican Republic. In the US factory, workers were retrained from being specialized on specific areas of shoemaking to learning multiple disciplines. The idea was to create a more flexible workforce. The actual result was a decrease in assembly quality.

The new owners eventually realized that they were losing their core customers, so they brought back some of the "trad" shoe styles they had discontinued, but they unfortunately didn't bring back the quality. I too have AE shoes from before the acquisition, and they are very high-quality. I hope to keep them forever. The recent-vintage AEs are a mere shadow of the previous ones, and many of the "fashion" designs are just fugly. And why the heck would anyone ever buy Italian shoes from a US shoe maker????

Johnston & Murphy - well, at least AE still makes many of their own shoes. When Genesco, the parent company of J&M, decided to convert from a manufacturer to a "lifestyle brands" company, they shuttered the J&M factories, started buying shoes made in Asia, and slapped the J&M brand on them. J&M shoes are absolute garbage now.

So, no, I'm not talking about a Rolls vs a Corvette. I'm talking about a VW vs a Trabant

These days I recommend buying English shoes. Crockett & Jones is a good place to start.

 

So, you clicked on it, hoping to find some Skirt information? Sorry, wrong thread.

 

When did this take place?

 

2002.

 

Why do you know so much about how/where shoes are made? Are you some sort of executive Al Bundy?

 

I like to learn.

Plus, Genesco was a customer of mine for many years.

 

Thanks for the explanation. That explains why my newer allen edmonds bought about 3 years at Nordstrom aren't as comfortable as the old pairs form the early 90s. Unfortunately I threw away one of the old pairs of wingtips.

 

Just a heads up- coupon stacking at Brooks Brothers. Received 40% discount/coupon. Plus 15% off with new credit card. Stacked the two discounts together for total 45% discount on these new calf skin Peal/Crocket and Jones wingtips.

 

So, going to a wedding.

I have a black suit, belt and shoes.

Shirt question:
French blue with cufflinks? if so, what colour tie?
White shirt with check pattern, normal cuffs? If so, what colour tie?
Straight white shirt, normal cuffs? if so, what tie?
Black Shirt, normal cuffs? If so, what tie?

 

No, never a black shirt. That's for the club and jeans.

Wedding a daytime or night wedding?

 

5pm in PDX, so it will be dark, and I'd consider it a night time wedding.

More importantly:
Omega Seamaster
Tudor Tiger Chrono (on black leather strap)
Omega Geneve, green dial, black leather strap
Seiko GMT 6117 on disco bracelet
Louis Bolle Diplomat big date?

 

I'd do plain white or blue shirt and keep the tie basic. Don't take away from the bride. Black lace up shoes.
Watch - the tudor or omega geneve.

 

Thanks.
White shirt, green tie to match the Omega face.
Shoes are black lace ups.