Sources: Cable Car Clothiers

I have to admit that I've been conflicted about Cable Car Clothiers for many years, and I've begun several essays about them only to delete them each time before publishing. That's because Cable Car arouses strong emotions in me, both positive and negative. On the one hand, it's got one of the more interesting merchandise offerings of any store in the United States. On the other, its pricing policies are actually pricing atrocities. Everything I've ever price checked there has been at least 30% higher than I could obtain it somewhere else without much trouble.

I mean, how can a retailer expect to sell much when its goods are priced higher than the identical articles on the manufacturers' web sites? Do they think potential customers don't look at the home pages for Kent brushes, George Trumper grooming products and James Lock hats? Even their Atkinson's Irish poplin neckties, which can't be purchased directly, are tagged at $125 each when The Andover Shop and other North American retailers sell the same items for $75!

On the other hand, I walked around the store the other day with a couple of friends and we were impressed with what may be the best selection of tweed suits and odd jackets West of the Appalachians as well as a variety of wool challis neckties like the ones in the photo. And I've been known to pop in there for a package of linen handkerchiefs when I didn't want to wait for UPS to bring them across the country.

So in the end I'm just conflicted. I'd like Cable Car to prosper, but I can't recommend buying anything there unless you are in town and you need it right now. One thing that's certain, if you're a man who loves classic clothing it should be the first place you visit in San Francisco.

Reader Questions

From Chris
"I need a new set of dinner clothes and I've decided to bespeak one. What do I need to ask to ensure that I'm getting true bespoke and not "custom" or made to measure?"

I suggest you focus on the tailor's reputation and whether you like the work rather than the technical details. MTM with a hand sewn collar and shoulders is often a better product than the machine sewn bespoke I see coming out of some small tailor shops in the United States.


From Michael
"Is there a specific type of brush you recommend for suit care?"

In my opinion, the double sided Kent CC20 is the most useful brush for suits. £29.50 (about $60) directly from the maker.

Maintenance: Kent Brushes

Brushmakers G.B. Kent & Sons Plc and its predecessor companies have been royal warrant holders nine times since Queen Victoria and currently hold a warrant from Queen Elizabeth. That usually means that a company is the best of its type in the United Kingdom and Kent has certainly been successful for a long time. It's said that the kit of every English officer in 19th century India held a set of their brushes.

The Kent web site offers a wide range of brushes for grooming, but this essay is principally about clothes care. You need brushes to remove dust and lint from your tailored clothing.

The mainstay of my brush wardrobe is their double-sided (soft bristle for jackets and stiff bristle for trousers) CC20 brush for £29.50. You may wish to complement it with a soft CP6 for cashmere (£20.00), a £13.00 CG1 for travel, and/or an LPC2 brush for removing hair from the other brushes (£2.45). There's also a shoe care set for £26.00.

Ordering from the web site is easy. Kent accepts most major credit cards in dollars or pounds and ships promptly by air mail once an order is complete. Delivery outside the UK takes up to fifteen days.

Brushes are guaranteed against defective materials and workmanship. According to the company, defective items will be repaired or replaced free of charge.