Favourite Brands - and Why?

[little Big feather]

I am one who has little faith...I do know my ROLEX will never fail me.
My CROSS pen(USA Made) is and was better than my three times more expensive Mont Blanc.
I have tried at least a dozen diff. sunglasses but keep coming back to AO(American Optical).
My BOSCA wallet(USA Made) is now 15 years old and still going strong.
Seems to be a pattern that I just noticed.....Except for the ROLEX, these are American things.
Of these USA made....Only AO is still USA made.....

 

[Yanks27]

Allen Edmonds
Apple
Zegna
whole foods
Subaru
Shake Shack
Anything recommended by Jim.

 

[duotone]

Crockett & Jones - Old School English craftsmanship.

Treated myself earlier today to a pair of their Bradford black calf shoe. It's 3 1/2 times more expensive (cost me £335, although the £3 shoe polish was a bargain!) than any other shoes I have previously bought, but I thought my feet were worth it. Since my feet seem to have grown this last year I was fed up with my old ill fitting leather pair of shoes and if you can't treat yourself shortly before your 30th birthday, then when can you?

http://www.crockettandjones.com/Product/Bradford-Black#.UOoRpnwgGSO

Hoping to break these in in the next few months and have a long lasting pair of best friends

 

[Charlie NJ]

Honda, I just bought a 2013 accord, this is my fifth Honda. I've has civics, pilots and accords, put over 100.000 miles on most
cabelas, simply the best outdoor store I've ever delt with, customer service, choices, prices
apple, technology is second to none
mauijim sunglasses great lenses, sent them a pair that broke and they replaced the frames after 10 years of ownership at no charge no shipping. They stand behind there name

 

[duotone]

Think I will be paying a visit to Clarks (it's been a while since I bought any) for a pair of their Wallabee shoes, undecided on colour and whether to get suede or leather but will try a few pairs on and see what feels best http://www.clarks.co.uk/c/originals-mens/wallabees

 

[August West]

Filson
Tilley
Casio(G-shock watch)
LL Bean
Honda Automotive
Apple
Redwing
Levi
Stickley

 

[Toothpick]

Wrangler - Jeans - In my price range plus George Strait wears them. Starched Wranglers
Redwings - Shoes - Best I've owned
Oakley - Sunglasses - Just good glasses
North Face - Winter coat, a few t-shirts - The shirts are shirts but the winter coat is AWESOME
Dockers - Work pants - Comfortable, durable, wash & dry & wear.
GoldToe - Socks - comfortable, hold their color (black), durable.

 

[Larry C in Texas]

Mephisto shoes
Seiko
Honda
Casio
LL Bean
Lacoste polo shirts
Brooks athletic shoes
Apple
Spyderco knives

 

[patten1969]

Edwin Jagger
Kent
Nissan
Maurice Lacroix watches
Cole Haan
Town Fair Tire
Apple
Orient watches
Market Basket (for those of you lucky enough to live in New England!)

These are brands that have consistently performed outstandingly for years and years, and several have involved above-and-beyond customer service.

 

[Folace]

Jeans Tuff’s is the last traditional local brand that has been manufacturing jeans in France since 1892. I guess the higher labor cost in France and the fact that denim is imported from the USA explain why the price is so expensive, but not more than mainstream brands like Levi’s. Until recently there was only one model in original regular fit, until they launched a more modern model.

Fleurs de Bagne has been my favorite cloth line lately, inspired by the traditional tattoo, sailor, penal colonies, etc. cultures. The items are really expensive but they are all made in France with high quality materials, in limited quantities and with unique designs.

Uniqlo: decent prices, designs and quality, perfect for everyday ready-to-wear.

 

[anoop]

I have been let down by almost every brand I have ever cared about, so now, just like some others have mentioned, I don't really care for the most part.

Still, I tend to look for brands that do their manufacturing in house, but those are harder and harder to come by.

I like this thread though.

Some brands are great for a while, then they get acquired and start going downhill rapidly. I heard Arctryx is an example of that after getting acquired by Adidas.

I am still looking for good clothing brands, not ones that are fashionable, as much as making traditional good quality clothing. Those are hard to come by. Shoes are a little easier (e.g. Crockett and Jones), but you really get a feel for what real inflation is like when you look at their prices. Other folks manage the quality out of the product so the product looks the same to the untrained eye, but durability and comfort are gone. As a result of "managing" (usually down) the quality, they are able to hold prices steady and the CPI-U stays low giving the illusion of contained inflation.

 

[mistercitizen]

Hamilton watches
Creed fragrances
Alden shoes/boots
Ford trucks
Red Wing boots

Ben

 

[5Cantonas]

Some dependable things I enjoy using, and rarely veer away from when need replacing.

Nalgene
Keen's hot mustard
Adidas Gazelle sneakers (I've been wearing the particular model for 22 years. No, not the same pair.)
Titliest balls
Len Thompson spoons
Rizla

 

[daveinsweethome]

Murad cosmetics razor rescue.

 

[StillShaving]

I have been let down by almost every brand I have ever cared about, so now, just like some others have mentioned, I don't really care for the most part.

Still, I tend to look for brands that do their manufacturing in house, but those are harder and harder to come by.

I like this thread though.

Some brands are great for a while, then they get acquired and start going downhill rapidly. I heard Arctryx is an example of that after getting acquired by Adidas.

I am still looking for good clothing brands, not ones that are fashionable, as much as making traditional good quality clothing. Those are hard to come by. Shoes are a little easier (e.g. Crockett and Jones), but you really get a feel for what real inflation is like when you look at their prices. Other folks manage the quality out of the product so the product looks the same to the untrained eye, but durability and comfort are gone. As a result of "managing" (usually down) the quality, they are able to hold prices steady and the CPI-U stays low giving the illusion of contained inflation.

Interesting observation about CPI and its inverse relationship to the quality of the good being indexed. I think there is some truth in that.

Regarding individual consumer brands, I feel (correctly or not) they have been bought and sold to the extent that I don't give too much weight to any of them, even if I had a positive experience with one 5-10 years ago. To pick out one example, I doubt many consumers know about the VF Corporation, but they have a big brand portfolio, some of which I enjoy but it is hard to give any of them special loyalty....Though perhaps a large corporation can provide more stable quality?

 

[anoop]

Interesting observation about CPI and its inverse relationship to the quality of the good being indexed. I think there is some truth in that.

Regarding individual consumer brands, I feel (correctly or not) they have been bought and sold to the extent that I don't give too much weight to any of them, even if I had a positive experience with one 5-10 years ago. To pick out one example, I doubt many consumers know about the VF Corporation, but they have a big brand portfolio, some of which I enjoy but it is hard to give any of them special loyalty....Though perhaps a large corporation can provide more stable quality?

I recently became aware of VFC, and no, it absolutely does not help with providing stable quality. I have first hand experience with two of their brands.

I have been wearing Timberland polos almost exclusively for the last 2-3 years and each time they come out with a new style it is made in a different place -- India, Egypt, China, Vietnam -- and each time it has a different fit...too slim, too wide, just right, etc. And the fitting information they provide on their website never changes. Sometimes they shrink after the first wash, sometimes they don't. You never know what you have got until you receive it and put it through its first wash. Basically they produce them so cheap, that they can afford to screw it up and replace them under warranty and still make money...that's the business model they work with (or at least that's what I'm assuming).

Same with The North Face. I have worn their Windwall 1 jacket for the last several years. I am on my 3rd or 4th. In the last iteration, I returned it immediately after ordering because it fit like a garbage bag and they changed what I regarded was a perfect design of the cuffs. This year, they are no longer offering the Windwall 1. Here too the country of production changed.

I hate shopping for stuff these days because I expect quality issues with everything.

I owned a BMW 3 series of MY2003 which I regarded as a great car. I recently got a new one from MY2014 and you can tell there's cost cutting at work everywhere...interior trim, exterior materials, etc. Several members on the BMW forums have complained of issues with rust, trim/paint scratches, etc., rattles, and the increase in the % of content of the vehicle that is sourced from outside Germany. something as simple as the gauges are now more prone to scratching. Additionally, the car simply does not have the road feel and handling of the last car (it is still better than most of the competition but the gap has significantly narrowed). There was period around MY2009 when folks actually got BMW to buy the car back because of sneaky/silent de-contenting (they were silently changing the specs of what was standard equipment rapidly -- e.g. changing the stereo system from 12 speakers to 6, removing the hood pad, removing the nets from behind the seat backs, no rechargeable flashlight, etc. (about 10 or 12 things in all) -- all without any indication of that on their website).

I refer to this phenomenon as Brand Porn. Marketers stick a logo on the product, come up with a creative advertising campaign, and spend all their money on loyalty programs and special rebates while ignoring the quality of the product. Then when it doesn't sell, you have a political event at the company where some folks get ousted and another clueless bunch take over. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I have read of companies that acquire dead brands and revive them with absolutely no connection in terms of quality, production methods, etc. to the original brand.

 

[Doc4]

Obenauf's leather treatments
Saphir shoe polishes
Brooks Brothers Peel & Co shoes (not anything else from BB, though!!)
Sam Hober ties
Le Noued Papillon bow ties
North Sea Clothing sweaters
Equus Leather belts
Albert Thurston braces

Those are a few which spring to mind readily.

 

[anoop]

Obenauf's leather treatments
Saphir shoe polishes
Brooks Brothers Peel & Co shoes (not anything else from BB, though!!)
Sam Hober ties
Le Noued Papillon bow ties
North Sea Clothing sweaters
Equus Leather belts
Albert Thurston braces

Those are a few which spring to mind readily.

Classic case of a dead brand that was acquired and is now used for marketing.
http://dieworkwear.com/post/55006250495/the-real-peal

 

[August West]

Obenauf's leather treatments
Saphir shoe polishes
Brooks Brothers Peel & Co shoes (not anything else from BB, though!!)
Sam Hober ties
Le Noued Papillon bow ties
North Sea Clothing sweaters
Equus Leather belts
Albert Thurston braces

Those are a few which spring to mind readily.

The North Sea Submariner (ecru) will be my Christmas present to myself this year.

 

[Doc4]

Brooks Brothers Peel & Co shoes (not anything else from BB, though!!)

Classic case of a dead brand that was acquired and is now used for marketing.
http://dieworkwear.com/post/55006250495/the-real-peal

Certainly BB bought P&Co for the prestige of the name ... now the shoes are made by various English makers (mostly if not all by C&J and Alfred Sargent) and the quality is good ... perhaps not "great" as in glory days of yore, but if it were ... the cost would be such that I couldn't afford the shoes.