Alternatives to Howies/Finisterre?

Over the years I have bought quite a bit from Howies and have seen Finisterre mentioned for similar stuff but never used them. Anything else recommended for trousers, shirts etc of the more casual style?

White stuff – not too bad.

Currently wearing Howies/Finisterre/White Stuff, so I think I need to follow this thread!

White Stuff does have some clothes in a similar style to Howies/Finisterre but turn around and it’s all casual slacks and blazers, so watch out. :)

Kuhl for trousers

Fat Face stuff is well made and in a similar style, their Airlie sweatshirts are super. Nudie also has a great range these days in addition to their jeans…which I am a big fan of.

Some of the Scandinavian brands are similar style/sustainable.

Fat Face stuff is well made

Their jeans aren’t. But then they are regularly reduced to £20

I find all fat face trousers badly made, specifically im always ripping the button off. Not that I’m fat honest!

Like their shirts though!

SiL and other half wear FF stiff seems ok. But seems over priced to me unless it’s in a sale.

I’ve never bought Fat Face jeans, just sweatshirts and shirts which seem well put together. Uniqlo jeans for the money are brilliant.

Carhartt Texas jeans, best fitting ‘raw’ jeans I’ve ever had.

Patagonia have some nice stuff

Spokes do really good chinos

spokes london[/url]

Finisterre is good quality but pricy. Good sales if you keep an eye out though.

Passenger is a similar vibe but cheaper

https://www.passenger-clothing.com

Dickies (workwear people) do some nice stuff too.

FF and. White stuff are so bland and ubiquitous they might as well be M&S

Uniqlo have been a consistent supplier of quality selvedge denims and flannel shirts for some years, plus their ultralight down jackets are pretty good for the money.

I found Fatface trouser/short sizing unreliable and the buttons were always ripping off (to tight buttonholes) so I avoid them now. Carhartt chinos are good though.

Currently wearing Howies/Finisterre/White Stuff, so I think I need to follow this thread!

Same here, more for ethical reasons TBH. I figure I can currently afford to make my pound count a little in issues I believe in, so feel I should.

Sooo, on that note, I also look at Patagonia, Rapanui (from here on the Isle of Wight) and Two Thirds (Barcelona). It seems a lot of European ‘ethical’ clothing companies use manufacturers in Portugal which appears to have a burgeoning ethical textile trade.

Fat Face stuff is well made

I briefly worked in a shop and my sister managed one. I beg to differ. Both FF and WS cut out a distributor (in the traditional retail model) but still price similar to traditional ‘surf’ brands, but then can offer a 70% discount on some lines in sales – this should give you an idea of their mark-up. Certainly FF quality isn’t great in my limited experience, and some of their sizing is all over the place. Allegedly they have a high staff turnover too, which you may or may-not care about (I can believe it as I get creative jobs around Portsmouth pop up in Linkedin and there’s always positions free).

Some of the Scandinavian brands are similar style/sustainable.

Yeap. Definitely worth researching. http://www.natureshop.co.uk is worth keeping an eye on from the PoV.

I beg to differ. Both FF and WS cut out a distributor (in the traditional retail model) but still price similar to traditional ‘surf’ brands, but then can offer a 70% discount on some lines in sales – this should give you an idea of their mark-up

Factor in the costs of running small shops in expensive locations and that mark up soon vanishes….

Neither FF nor Whitestuff are particular profitable.

In 2007 Fat Face was acquired, for £360 million, by private equity group Bridgepoint Capital;[7] the sale netted Slade and Leaver £90 million.[8][9] The company’s sales were badly hit by the Great Recession, forcing Bridgepoint to write off half the company’s value,[8] but improved in 2010 and again in 2011,[10] and Fat Face returned to a small profit in 2012.[11] Bridgepoint planned to float a quarter of the company on the London stock exchange in 2014, hoping to raise £110 million, but later cancelled the flotation due to lack of confidence by prospective institutional stockholders.[1][7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_Face

Profits at White Stuff have more than halved after the retailer, known for its quirky brightly coloured clothes, suffered a triple-whammy from rising pension, wage and currency costs.

Although sales climbed 6pc to £153m, pre-tax profits tumbled from £13m to £6m. In its latest accounts, the chain blamed “external headwinds” for a tough year.

White Stuff has also suffered from the fall in the pound. The slump has made importing clothes from Asia almost 15pc more expensive than the year before.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/08/26/white-stuff-profits-halve-triple-cost-hit/

Factor in the costs of running small shops in expensive locations and that mark up soon vanishes….

Neither FF nor Whitestuff are particular profitable.

Genuinely interesting. I stand corrected.

Clothes are still tosh tho. ;)

In its latest accounts, the chain blamed “external headwinds” for a tough year.

:lol:

The slump has made importing clothes from Asia almost 15pc more expensive than the year before.

Is it too soon to say the ‘B’ word?

I was going to add in an edit, but got asked to do proper work:

Very good point regarding retail locations and size – they do tend to be far more ‘interesting’ and substantially smaller (more intimate?) than similar-ish business model companies, such as Next. I helped fit out FF’s Kings Road ‘flagship’ store when it opened back in 2003-ish – it ain’t big.

Depends if you mean ethically (which seems to be having to continually question or you’ll be disappointed) or style wise – if it’s style then Mantaray / John Rocha in Debenhams have some decent options, and almost always a sale rail or two. AlpKit for some items, worth a look.