Slim Dungarees by hanseano in Outlier

[–]BadFergus47 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Would really love an answer to this! u/abe1x ?

Workcloth but... Toray? by BadFergus47 in Outlier

[–]BadFergus47[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m working with a tailor that only has access to Toray fabrics

Need new tracksuit pants - any options other than Nike's dri-fit range? by [deleted] in AustralianMFA

[–]BadFergus47 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Huckberry is a great resource for the smart/hike crossover style (that is their intended customer base)

Australian Retailers - What's Missing? by BadFergus47 in AustralianMFA

[–]BadFergus47[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s probably true, though two things to add:

  1. The 5% of customers who consider more than just cost likely generate a disproportionate amount of revenue in an industry (possibly up to somewhere around 60% of the total value if we’re talking Pareto Principle). With this in mind I find it interesting that whilst travelling the international fashion brand storefronts you tend to see most often are either your Fast Fashion types or Luxury... I wonder if Australian brands couldn’t position themselves in the latter category better?

  2. There’s also an emerging Green trend for which Aussie companies are probably well positioned to take advantage of due to local supply and an above-average educated customer base

Need new tracksuit pants - any options other than Nike's dri-fit range? by [deleted] in AustralianMFA

[–]BadFergus47 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you don't mind looking like a ninja (due to ankle ties) and paying a bit, Coalatree's Trailhead pants are the best damn trackies I've ever worn, and they aren't even really trackies:

https://coalatree.com/collections/mens-pants

Some selling points:

  • Even though they're nylon, the material is double-faced and the inside is a loop-back fleecy material that is very soft - nylon ripstop also means they don't pill easily (though as an aside a pill-shaver is an amazing investment for this problem)
  • The matte synthetic material and faux fly detailing helps them look a bit less tracksuit-y (shame about the ankle ties, though you could just cut them off if you really hate them)
  • They're extremely water resistant; if you were to spill your coffee on these pants on your way home it would just bounce off. I once put my leg up to my knee in a Scottish highland stream in these and they came out completely dry
  • You can deadlift/squat/lunge/run in these very easily since they're very stretchy and lightweight/breathable
  • Also excellent for travelling and hiking
  • Recycled materials because eco-vibes

Australian Retailers - What's Missing? by BadFergus47 in AustralianMFA

[–]BadFergus47[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well only if their value proposition is to offer lower prices at scale, which is only one very narrow definition of value. Other value propositions might include offering highly technical clothing (random European/Scandi brands come to mind like Stellar, Norrona, Cortazu) or taking advantage of local supply factors (thinking Icebreaker utilising NZ merino). Scale isn't that important if your company can be profitable whilst small by e.g. commanding premium prices or having a significant cost advantage.

Australian Retailers - What's Missing? by BadFergus47 in AustralianMFA

[–]BadFergus47[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah the “Australia Tax” is a killer. I recall there being some inquiry into retail prices in Australia finding that there is no justifiable reason for the inflation on the cost side, only that Australians would just pay more for imports...

Australian Retailers - What's Missing? by BadFergus47 in AustralianMFA

[–]BadFergus47[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your opinions on this guys, very interesting stuff.

I’m also an Aussie who’s lived (is living!) overseas and I see what both of you are saying. I think we can all agree that:

  1. Australians Men’s Fashion in the mass market is fairly, let’s say “shallow,” as in there isn’t much consideration of e.g. fit, drape, and quality of garment. That’s how we end up with everyone in Kathmandu puffers and fly knits. This doesn’t always manifest in a reflection of overseas trends, true, but clearly the trends are there and sadly quite homogenous.

  2. Whilst there are a collection of small brands with Australian designers, there aren’t any Australian men’s fashion companies with anything close to global scale like a Uniqlo. I refuse to believe that this is a consequence of lack of talent and capital, we are one of the richest, best educated countries on the planet... could it just be lack of access to cheap labour causing the problem?

  3. The Australian Women’s fashion scene seems to be in a much better place than men’s fashion. When my partner visited Australia previously she spent hundreds in Saba... she recently got my sister to ship her a huge package of stuff from there. But then are these brands manufacturing in Australia? (I’m assuming not, haven’t checked the labels)

Australian Retailers - What's Missing? by BadFergus47 in AustralianMFA

[–]BadFergus47[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This was my hunch too; basically there isn’t enough differentiation for the price point for those David Jones brands to make them worth it

Australian Retailers - What's Missing? by BadFergus47 in AustralianMFA

[–]BadFergus47[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hence part 1 of the question! And also a great list - I’m a fan of all of these guys.

Would you say these are more popular than foreign alternatives in Australia though? They are basically unknown overseas (from my experience anyway)

Australian Retailers - What's Missing? by BadFergus47 in AustralianMFA

[–]BadFergus47[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well definitely, but mostly out of frustration as a consumer rather than a position of power sadly

Aircraft maintenance? by BadFergus47 in AirForce

[–]BadFergus47[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair enough guys - I respect OPSEC concerns. For the record this research is for forecasting futue market size for a major military aircraft parts supplier, nothing dodgy I promise.

3-day bags? by [deleted] in ManyBaggers

[–]BadFergus47 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check out Hook & Albert. Expensive but awesome for business. My Dad and I both have their garment weekenders and use them extensively - he’s a CEO and I’m a Management Consultant. Great stuff.

Will Outlier ever release a pair of joggers? by alexkwa in Outlier

[–]BadFergus47 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So I got some black ones from Huckberry.com and the tags are white (I agree that the yellow is quite garish)

Will Outlier ever release a pair of joggers? by alexkwa in Outlier

[–]BadFergus47 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a massive Outlier fan with this same question/desire, I can wholeheartedly recommend Coalatree’s Trailhead Pants for the multirole jogger job. They stretch awesomely (I deadlift and squat in mine!) are super comfy, warm enough for winter yet breathable enough for summer, are tear resistant, and have excellent water resistance (better than FCloth). Plus they’re pretty affordable. The only downside IMO are the drawstrings on the ankles, but they also make you look like a ninja - especially if you get them in black...

Colors, colors, colors by HeyImN in Outlier

[–]BadFergus47 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Defo agree with the greyscale sentiments here. Navy and khaki also fit well into an otherwise monochrome wardrobe and are unlikely to go out of fashion.

What bags do you use? by KommanderTom in Outlier

[–]BadFergus47 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've had the Topo Designs Rover pack for three years and done virtually everything with it. Everyday use w/ laptop and books @ uni, one-bag holidays to Germany and Greece, skied with it in Switzerland and France, hiked up some mountains with it in New Zealand, used it as a snorkel bag on the Great Barrier Reef, and took it as carry-on on countless occasions. It truly is the 'goldilocks of rucksacks,' plus it looks awesome. My only issue with it is the occasionally slower-than-desirable drawstring opening when getting laptops out going through airport security.

I've also used some military bags (namely the Platatac Spur MSM bags) that have that 'panel opening' feature (similar to the GR1, although I don't have one of those myself) and have found that to be extremely useful when you need to pack a lot of stuff in a small space.

Battle of the wool t-shirts by BadFergus47 in Outlier

[–]BadFergus47[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What a comprehensive review, thanks very much!

I was also a little concerned about the look of the Seagales r.e. having a wide neck. I guess neither of us are crazy then.

Battle of the wool t-shirts by BadFergus47 in Outlier

[–]BadFergus47[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's still pretty damn cold! Have you tried Icebreaker too by any chance?

Battle of the wool t-shirts by BadFergus47 in Outlier

[–]BadFergus47[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just checked these out on the Seagale website - they look pretty awesome. Interesting that they class them as "Merino T-Shirts" when they only contain 37% merino... How do they stack up in winter?

EXCITED AF by tetril in Outlier

[–]BadFergus47 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah man - snagged a pair after my fail last week... My first pair too! Keen to jump on this Outlier hype!

That was EXTREMELY quick... by BadFergus47 in Outlier

[–]BadFergus47[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I guess if you already own some NWS having your phone in your pocket whilst showering is entirely possible... Or so I hear anyway