u/dyingslowlyinside

Spending a few days in the Porto area.

Looking for some shopping recommendations, specifically for:

- clothing shops and brands I can’t get in NY, especially local or hyper-local brands/small-time makers. For men or women

- Shoe stores or Portuguese shoe brands; Wife is on the hunt for some new loafers

- thrift, vintage, or second hand shops

- fabric or textile shops (visited this place in Rome selling hand block printed home textiles, clothing, and small yardage. something similar would be nice! https://www.fabindiaroma.it/en)

would also gladly accept recs for the following (but I can search here for that).

- vegetarian eateries

- sights or worthwhile strolls

- drink spots

- day trips

Mods: thought this was of community interest. Hope it’s allowed. No worries if not.

Not sure how familiar this community is with the production process, and cost break down, for something like a button up shirt.

Can‘t really speak to Drakes manufacturing costs. But I can speak more generally about cost of materials, as I have some experience with that.

Obviously, almost all of the cost of materials will be sunk into fabrics. But less obvious is that fabric can be near if not the most expensive part of production in total, trumping cost of labor even in places like England and the U.S.. This is true even for major producers buying fabric at wholesale prices, and it is also true for smaller time bespoke shirt makers, like CEGO or Beckenstein’s. Especially for smaller scale producers, those buying a few bolts at a time (50 yards per bolt = ~25 shirts) from mills like Thomas Mason, fabric costs can run quite high. When your base price is anywhere from $225 (CEGO but 5 shirt minimum) to $350+ per shirt (Beckenstein’s, but you have to purchase fabric separately from them iirc), a lot is being sunk into fabric costs.

Drakes often uses exceptional fabric for their button downs. No doubt they are sourcing from top tier mills. Even though they are producing at scale, one would still expect fabric to be a major part of the production costs, which, at least in part, justifies the high price tag.

Cue my surprise when browsing their madras shirts: https://us.drakes.com/products/navy-white-and-yellow-madras-check-cotton-mandarin-collar-popover-shirt?view=sl-CD47D8E3

This fabric is exceptional. I know because I made a shirt with the exact same fabric two summers ago. It’s hands down some of the best madras I’ve come across. And Ive been fortunate to get it in small yardage direct from the mill in India.

Would you like to know how much I, a part-time shirt maker who sources fabrics for every order individually (2-2.5 yards per shirt), pays for this top of the line madras? $5 per yard = $10 per shirt. For context, this is very inexpensive; part of the in-expense being place of manufacture, I imagine; but I’ve definitely not encountered other Indian made madras anywhere near this inexpensive.

Absolutely no shade on Drakes, their cost, or their choice of fabric. They are making in England (high production costs), have storefronts, are shipping worldwide, have extensive marketing, etc. etc., and I do think a good portion of the price reflects real quality…the cost isn’t just hype. And again, this is great fabric by any metric.

I do find it an interesting glimpse behind the curtains, though, and thought others might find it equally interesting.

Sweaty feet gang, what shoes are you wearing with shorts and casual pants? I can’t do suede loafers in the heat, and want something a little more put together than my Feiyue or El Ganso tennies. Considering huaraches, raffia loafers or mules, kolhapuri mules/slides, fisherman sandals, or espadrilles. Pictured in order.

Does anyone have recs for a (preferably) US-based retailer for heavyweight knit fabric? Online or local to NYC area ok. I’m looking for something:

• high quality (tight knit/no fuzz, smooth hand)
• heavyweight (9-11oz/yard)
• non-stretch, 100% cotton
• ideally with matching ribbing

…something comparable to the top end of mid-tier retailers. If you’re familiar with JCrew’s or Drakes’s rugby shirts, this is exactly the fabric I’m looking for (despite the much lower cost, JCrew’s rugby is the best on the market in terms of fit, fabric, and details).

eg: Drakes

J.Crew

I’ve discovered Swatchon, which has good prices, a low MOQ, but is based in Korea: tariffs are an added complication and it’s not clear on the front end what the cost will be or what extra charges I may incur on behalf of the carrier.

I tried KBMfabrics on Etsy, but the knit was poor quality and much lighter than the listed weight (the swatch for their 11oz knit could not have been more than 4oz…).

I frequent Mood and Beckensteins, but haven’t had luck with heavyweight, non-stretch knits.