Bits and Pieces

Nothing spectacular so far this week; a bit more shirting from Alea, and some more merchandise from Patrizia Pepe has trickled in -- if you need some uber-skinny ties in flashy colors, be sure to look through the tie racks at your local Daffy's -- which reminds me though --- Daffy's has a great selection of ties from Altea (made in Italy) -- these aren't new, but at $16.99 a piece, they're great finds. Amongst the ties are also a few from Gianfranco Ferre, Moschino and Guy Laroche.

Now to the newer stuff:

1) Suits/Sportcoats/Pants from Copen Group (made in Italy): Most of this stuff will be unmarked aside from a hangtag w/a little crest on it (see pic to the right). The quality of stuff is decent, though at times the garments can be over-fitted - moving up one size is not a bad suggestion w/this stuff. A few labels I did see on the garments though -- a few suits marked Marlane and some marked Pennesi (this is the company's main label). Copen Group also produces a line called Royal Hem, from which I spotted one sportcoat and a pair of wool pants; I picked up a buffalo-check blazer for myself marked 'Via De Medici', though I can't find anything about the brand - cost all of $80 for something which was a blend of wool/mohair/silk/cashmere. Suits will run about $119-$139 depending on the item; blazers approx. $70-$80, pants about $40. I've seen this stuff at 34th St., 57th St. East Side, Soho and Jersey Gardens. 57th St. East-Side is the only location I've seen pants from the company.

2) Casusal shirting from Dekker -- Unsure of where it's made, but they got in some shirts from this apparently high-end brand. The stuff is decent, and at $20/shirt you can't really complain -- nicely fitted, construction is nothing to call home about, though. More of a street-wear look to it. Yoox.com is selling this stuff from $70 on up and Farfetch.com has this brand for some pretty high prices as well. Can't really find much else on the brand, but not bad for the pricepoint.

3) Casual/Dress Shirting from Puetre -- Look for solid-shirts w/three little dots in a triangular formation where the chest-pocket would normally be. Again, nicely fitted, but nothing phenomenal. Unsure whether to consider these more dressy or casual -- they're solid, spread-color shirts w/collar-stays, but the fabrication is a bit more on the casual side. At $20/shirt this stuff is worth giving a shot.

4) Casual/Dress Shirting from Admiral's Cup (made in Italy) - Some dressy, some casual shirts under several labels, 'Admiral's Cup' being the most prominent one. I'm pretty sure these are not from Alea Fashion Industries but I could be wrong -- they have a little red hang tag on the front -- different than anything I've ever seen from Alea. Anyway, almost all the shirts from this label are button-down collars, usually in a plaid pattern. Some decent stuff, nothing terrific. $29.99/shirt, but they're selling for $80+ on Yoox.com. Sadly I couldn't find much on this company.

Other things worth mentioning: Ties are available from Jey Cole Man and Gazzarrini at a few of the stores, if you look carefully enough; Some of the stores also got in belts from Gazzarrini which are quite nice if you can find them. Suiting from Gazzarrini is only available at 57th St. East Side, 34th St. and Soho if you are looking for it. Decent selection of shoes came in from Via Spiga.