The Cloakroom

Our eagerly awaited next drop of Cloakroom denim isn’t far away and we expect to have these on the shelf by early next week. Once again we’ll have a dark blue and an indigo on offer. The dark blue being a dressier jean with a dark finish on the stitch, while the indigo is more casual with a copper stitch.

Also arriving very soon (this week) will be our first shipment of Carminas, which are on a plane from Spain as we speak. These shoes are beautifully crafted and sure to get all the shoe enthusiasts out there very excited. As one of only 2 stockists in Australia we expect there to be a lot of interest, so if you are interested please don’t delay.

Here’s a sneak…

And we’ll have shell cordovan available by request

2012 looks to be an exciting year at The Cloakroom and we’re currently seeking part time staff to expand our Brisbane team.

If you’re someone who thinks you might have what it takes please forward your CV and a cover letter to andrew@thecloakroom.com.au

For most of us suede shoes can be something we balk at, and mostly because we just aren’t sure how they’ll wear, or  whether they will last as long as regular leather. Usually this doubt arises mainly from trepidation about how they’ll handle wet weather.

In actual fact one of the great things about suede is that it will get better with age. A well made pair of suedes should last a long time, and with a simple amount of care you’ll see that it isn’t as hard as you might think. Obviously using shoe trees after each wear and putting your shoes on in the morning with a shoehorn will help keep them in shape, but when it comes to cleaning it gets a little more tricky.

Our resident shoe guru Ben recommends a suede brush as an essential tool to have at home. This usually has coarse boar (not steel like old brushes) bristles one side for keeping the suede pile from lying flat and crepe or rubber bristles on the reverse for lifting away anything that’s sticky or set in.

This video from Leffot in NYC shows just how robust suede is. These guys are serious about shoes and stock some great brands.

2 weeks ago, Mitch and I were lucky enough to get out of the Brisbane store for a quick hit and run 4 day trip to HK. It’s a particularly nice time of year to visit, with the temps hovering in the mid 20s and without the usual humid stickiness.

We got the chance to catch up with our suit team to spend some time working on a few changes we’re currently making to our cut and to tweak a few construction details. We also got to check in with our shirt team, who do an amazing job of delivering us a great product day in day out.

Having a fulltime Cloakroom staff member on the ground in HK is  a great asset to our business. And having a dedicated tour guide for the entire time meant we were chauffeured to all the spots only a local would know.

Here’s a snippet…

The bamboo scaffolding become a fascination of Mitch’s. It certainly is impressive what they can do.

Most of the time was spent in Kowloon, but we did get over to HK Island to among other places the IFC2 behemoth with stores like Kiton and Loro Piana, as well as checking in with the guys at The Armoury for a scotch.

For Summer we’ve designed a new range of pieces for our ready-to-wear line, Pistols at Dawn. This season we’ve played with some interesting fabrics in the quest to provide some comfortable options for the warmer months.

Here’s a look at some new suits & jackets now in store.

Cotton and Linen

100% Cotton Tan 1 Button Notched Suit – worn with vivid blue cotton shirt.

100% Cotton (Dormeuil) Bone 1 Button Peaked Jacket – worn with white pinpoint shirt and wool-linen-silk tie.

100% Linen Blue Half-Lined DB  Jacket – worn with white pinpoint shirt and linen-silk tie.

Mohair

Dormeuil 95% Wool – 5% Mohair (250gm) Navy 2 Button Notched Jacket with Patch Pockets – worn with white oxford shirt and linen-silk tie.

After the drama of last week it is great to have our Brisbane store back open again.

It took 3 days of cleaning, scrubbing and painting from the team, but the effort was worth it, with the shop almost back to its old self.

A big thanks to everyone for their messages of support during this time, it is very much appreciated.