[Closed] PSA - Bargin wooly hat from howies? ;-p

knitted by some grannies apparently... I remember sending them an email with a jumping shark in it. I don't get sent their catalogues any more.

£55 FFS, what a load of tat!

No doubt knitted with dwarf atric sheep wool by a albino Inuit virgin whilst sitting on the lap of a homophobic gay polar bear.

P1SHH! 🙁

LOL! I just spotted that too!

I'd never pay more than a tenner for a beanie.

Howies do some good kit but they have utterly comical prices for some stuff.

A near £200 hoodie anyone?!

laugh at them and laugh at the idjits who buy their stuff.

ASDA £1 Beanie does me just fine

mbuk are doing a free one (well £4.20 but you get 2 mins of free entertainment as you whizz through the crappy content)

Still got my on fire Beanie that was linked on here for a £1. Bargain 🙂
Wouldn't pay £55 for a coat let alone a hat!

We might mock, but I bet lots of real shepherds will be "flocking" to buy them.

You will also need the scarf @ £50 to complete the 'more money than sense' look.

[img] [/img]

I have a load of Howies gear - got really into it maybe 6/7 years ago but last purchase was maybe 3 years ago. The prices now are ridiculous for sure. Good kit - I still have many pairs of trousers and shorts and jackets - but I'll not be rushing to get any more. Quite disappointed actually as they were quite cool - I really liked their gear.

Yeah, I used to really like their stuff. An example is a hoodie from them which has lasted years and years. It's the thickest, nicest cotton of anything I've ever had and I wear it loads. But the quality really went downhill at one point, and then they got bought by Timberland and the prices went up and up. They're now competing with more designer fashion brands but without the high fashion looks.

If Howies has gone from niche (we like niche here don't we?) skate/bike inspired gear to w@nk designer gear aimed at the kind of people who buy jack Wills, then who are the new Howies?

Alpkit could fill that niche I think. Their stuff is awesome.

Don't get me wrong I do buy Howies stuff when I have a 20% off voucher on sale stuff bringing it down to "normal" prices as it does wash and fit nicely 🙂 i.e. got some T's - was £30 down to £10 etc etc..

I hear ya, Foxy! Can't wait until that beanie is down to £40
Got my eye on the [s]Byrne[/s] [url= http://www.howies.co.uk/product.php/3641/13/ ]Xmas jumper[/url] in the collection too.

****in hell - Howies Epic rider trousers - £120. Alpkit Epic jeans - appear to be exactly the same - £30!

Foxy - you're right - my wife does this too and hasn't paid full price in years but seems that most of what they discount is some of the wackier jumpers or jeans down from £145 to "only" £100!

Tend to buy Howies kit on sale only (unless something really nice comes up) but do buy regularly from them.

I do like most of it a lot - they do brilliant jeans and shirts. Wouldn't ever get the silly priced stuff like the £400 coats and the £200 messenger bags!

Did get the Towpath trousers (non sale) made of near waterproof epic cotton -they are good uns.

Have had a few buttons ping off their shorts (all sale items) - none were too tight, just badly sewn on.

LOL - yeh you have to get in early in the sale, be a very odd size or have a wacky taste in clothes 🙂

I like that hat, I already have a howies beanie though that I got in Brick lane for a tenner.

I got a howies wool beanie in a sale. Made me look like an ice cream. Washed on wool wash and it turned into a beanie for a pixie. I no longer have to look like a 5'10" cornetto.

Ummm I've got one of those! and its an ace post ride hat, most beanies make my big head look daft but this looks ok and is toastie!....it was spot prize at the Dyfi though and there is no way I'd ever pay that for it! T shirts are ok too but again only at sale or TK Maxx prices!

Howies stuff seems to have gone a bit wrong lately, either Fat face styled or Rapha priced!

Oh, its the annual [i]Howies aint what it used to be[/i] thread

£45 quid for a pair of unddies!!!! ****ing hell

first time ive heard of this company and dont think i will ever be buying off them!!

I suspect this might be the beanie of choice around certain bars in Shoreditch. The ones with the conspicuously garish Fixies locked up outside.

I've actually got tons of Howies stuff. Its quality gear.But apart from the t-shirts, all of it has been in the Sales. The full pries are comical!

Here's how Brand retail works though. Pay attention at the back. Give it a month and they'll be twenty quid with "SALE!' splashed all over an email. And loads of people will click on the link and buy them. Howies will still turn a decent profit on that. The punters will think they've got a bargain. Everyone's happy*. Nobody died**

*apart from the Ben Shepherd possibly. Has he been paid to endorse this product?

** Apart from possibly the rare creature this most delicate and magical of wool came from. It probably froze to death

Oh, its the [s]annual[/s]weekly Howies aint what it used to be thread

Corrected that for you.

It's because Howies used to be so wonderful though. It's like catching up with one of your best mates from school after a few years, only to realise they've become a materialistic coke fiend yuppie with whom you have nothing in common anymore.

Aye finbar. Happened to TNF and many others before them though.

soma_rich - Member
Alpkit could fill that niche I think. Their stuff is awesome.

+1 to that, just waiting for the proper cold weather so I can put my Filo to good use, I have several of their products (headtorch/airic/random clothes) and am yet to be disappointed, quality is excellent and customer service is superb

I didn't realise they had been bought by Timberland.

Explains a lot, haven't bought anything from them for about 3 years

I didn't realise they had been bought by Timberland.

Where have you been for the last two years (ish)?!

Everyone knows that!

ron jeremy they certainly seem to get everything right at a reasonable cost. I love their stuff and hope the can keep expanding the range.

@ martinh

Yes I know we go here often but couldn't resist

😉

Oh, its the [s]annual[/s]weekly [s]Howies aint what it used to be [/s] I'm more niche than you thread

There. Thats sorted properly now

I'm sure I posted about their ridiculously priced undie pants a few years ago and got shouted down! [i]"They are great quality" "they keep your tiny winkle warm"[/i] etc...

45 quid, I ask ya.

[img] [/img]

Alpkit stuff is really good, but it's hardly cool is it? Don't think they'll be replacing Howies.

Laughing at this! £90 to look a complete twonk

[img] [/img]

but it's hardly cool is it

Is Howies cool then?

Is any brand cool?

God no, Howies isn't cool. But it's come from a skating background, so still has a bit.

Alpkit is a camping/outdoor brand, not really a clothes brand.

Not better just different.

Is any brand cool?

Howies have got beyond my means sadly- jsut too pricey for what you get these days.

I like this lot-

http://sutsu.com

as a bit of an insider, i'd like to say that howies are aware of some of the 'issues' (for want of a better word) with their recent stuff and have plans to make a lot of things better and get things back on track. change takes time, though.

Ruben you/they need to go back to your/their roots! No more stupid priced nonsensical woolly hats and more practical well thought out clothes that last for good value of money!

I used to love Howies stuff and my NBL was my favourite riding top for years. Now I don't even look at the ridiculous catalogue you send me.

more practical well thought out clothes that last for good value of money

Spot on. We're working to produce more things that fit this bill. R&D/Production/planning lead times are a bit of a frustration sometimes, but there's good stuff on the way.

Now I don't even look at the ridiculous catalogue you send me.

We're looking to make our online stuff better in the future, while trying to produce fewer(but better) paper catalogues. To save on paper, transport miles and the risk of wasting resources by sending people things they're not interested in.

My wife and I used send our catalogues back every time as we didn't want one (and ticked all the boxes) as we look it up online. We still get them 🙁 So its good to hear you are sorting your catalogues out 🙂

@rubenlightfoot - Cheers for the mail 🙂

I've also bought stuff in past, but nothing in last 2 years. As above - need to return to well made, practical clothes and don't change the styles every season!

Ruben .. good to hear that someone is listening. Don't usually join in on the regular Howies bashing thread ... but seriously that email with the £55 beanie just got my back up as well. I have lots of Howies stuff of old - in recent years have only ever bought in the sale, but lately there's nothing I'd want to buy even if it were reduced, cause it's boring and severely - even if I squint at it - overpriced. Sort it out!

To be fair the jeans are really really nice. Comfy, hard wearing and actually not an awful lot more than the usual suspects on the high street. My T shirts and sweat tops have stood the test of time too. Had some cords disintegrate around the waist band, but the mother in law fixed them, gawd bless er.

@Ruben - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do short legs in your ranges! I can't be the only hobbit in town!

Ahhem - yes I am wearing a pair of howies trousers in work today :). I do like their stuff as I have said in my previous posts but I do find most of the prices prohibitive 🙂

~

Ruben - good to hear from someone at Howies.

FYI I find the service second to none - have had returns sorted very quickly a few times and all queries answered immediately.

My wife, 2 year old son (smallest stuff just fits!) and I spend not far off a grand a year on your stuff so clearly like it - nice to see Merino/technical stuff coming back again - for a while it seemed like you were dropping it all and only doing "fashion."

Some stuff IS OTT price wise, some seems okay. I like the lack of big logos on most stuff, the quality (apart from some button sewing) and the cut of much of it.

Oh and I like the catalogues too.

Havign read that, I think you should do a garment called the "Surf Mat".

Sounds like he's been keeping the company afloat almost singlehandedly, so you owe him some kind of tribute really.

I used to buy a fair bit of howies stuff, but I can't say I have for the last 5 years. To be fair some of my old stuff is still going strong, but when I was down in cardigan on a long weekends biking, I had a rather tasty bowl of soup in the cafe under the howies shop, but could even work up the enthusiasm to go into the shop. I'm not shy of paying premium prices for nice kit, and don't dislike howies, but stuff like that hat is silly and the rest of their stuff seems to offer nowt more than quite a few other brands now and it costs more.

I spend not far off a grand a year on your stuff

two t-shirts and a pair of gloves?

i emailed howies last year (was drunk at the time and having a right proper rant sat in front of my pc) complaining about the prices and how they used to be loads better than they were etc. I got a phone call from one of the office staff the next day explaining loads of reasons why they thought they deserved to keep high prices - quality garments, portugese is good apparently, it was all codswallop tbrhwua.

I used to buy a fair amount of their stuff. Its become way too overpriced over the last year/18 months.

I did buy a merino top recently as the NBL classic was back in stock. Their merino stuff is the best quality IMO - I had a couple of the zip collar NBL tops for a couple of years - worn pretty much on every non summer ride. Great stuff.

Found myself shaking my head sadly when I got emailed the 55 pound beany this afternoon.

two t-shirts and a pair of gloves?

Plus a pair of merino pants.

saw you coming! seems appropriate

#
dazzlingboy - Member

If Howies has gone from niche (we like niche here don't we?) skate/bike inspired gear to w@nk designer gear aimed at the kind of people who buy jack Wills, then who are the new Howies?
Posted 9 hours ago # Report-Post

Finisterre.

It's not cheap either, but the quality is second to none.

LINK:
http://tinyurl.com/5m7ffr