Why We Wear our Men’s Clothes Before We Sell Them…

Buying new clothes is an exciting thing to do. No, really! Go with it! Clothes shopping is something we feel should be more of an occasion than a chore. When you buy something new, for an occasion or even just for your wardrobe you should enjoy it and get true value from it. 

 

The result of a successful shopping trip is some clothing, shoes, or accessories that wear well, fit great, and feel even better. 

 

There’s a science behind it all and it all starts from us and our knowledge of the industry, the materials, fit, quality, and more. 

 

We don’t just sell clothes; we give you a solid investment. That might sound quite grand, but your clothing changes how you look and feel and we think that’s worth investing in. Your investment will have to pay you back, so we take the sourcing of clothing and everything we offer very seriously. 

 

We’d like to give you a little insight into how the clothing arrives on the peg at Heaphys and why that’s important to you… 

 

There are only two seasons in menswear… 

 

A true independent menswear business has just two seasons, compared to womenswear who have four. These seasons shape the year of stock bought and sold in store. 

 

In menswear it’s about spring/summer and autumn/winter. 

 

Spring/summer: Delivered between March and May. 

 

Autumn/winter: Delivered between August and October. 

 

These two seasons shape the buying and stock we hold, and they create the activity here at Heaphys and at other true, traditional, menswear stores. 

 

What a difference a year makes… 

 

We work a year out from the stock we’ll need in store. Much like anyone in fashion and retail we’re working way ahead of what’s going on at the till and in the windows. 

 

At least 12 months before, clothing makers put collections together for the coming season to offer to independents like us a choice and some inspiration for what we’ll be selling, and what you’ll be wearing, in a year’s time. 

 

Trade show life… 

 

This is mostly done at trade shows during “the buying season” and we’re often out of the store at these exciting events looking for the next year’s new ranges and additions and keeping abreast of what’s going on in the industry. 

 

These tradeshows take place at venues across the UK with some being exclusively for independent menswear businesses like us. For us, they’re really great events to experience and enjoy. 

 

Paul and Kevin attend quite a few of the shows to choose from regular suppliers and some new to decide what clothing that we think our customers will like and want to buy. This is often around eight months before the season starts! 

 

It can sometimes involve watching catwalk shows, seeing clothing modelled, or choosing from coloured cloth swatches. 

 

What are we looking for…? 

 

We find it’s good to choose ‘on trend’ colours and styles that work together, in order to create areas in the shop and shop window that tell a visual story. It helps to inspire our customer we try to build ‘a feast for the eyes’ to draw people in but also to inspire them. 

 

If we feel we need a fresh new brand, then we’ll go to the shows to explore other possibilities. There are always lots to choose from but we find it helps, like with any shopping and research, to have a goal in mind. 

 

And then we wear it first… 

 

With a potential new brand or supplier, they’re very keen to let us ‘road test’ one of their products. We get shirts, suits, and pairs of trousers so we can test the quality in real life. 

 

We’ll wear them before we decide what to buy, and we’re looking specifically at: 

 

· Comfort 

 

· Durability 

 

· Quality 

 

Before we add anything to our store we try it and test it properly. 

 

Paul wore a pair of our Swole Panda Bamboo socks before we said “yes!”. We knew you’d love them, not from the salespeople’s marketing and pitch, but from our own experience. If you’re not sure why you need to know about Bamboo, check out this blog. 

 

We try before you buy… 

 

It’s very important for us to make sure anything we have on our shelves and rails is of the quality reflected in the price. We want products that are made ethically and that are very different from what you’ll find in the usual places on the high street. 

 

We know that our customers come to us for many reasons, but one of the key drivers for them is that they’ll find true quality and clothing that they won’t have seen on the high street. 

 

Heaphys isn’t just about fashion, it’s about quality clothing… 

 

We’re all about supplying you clothing that’s perfect for all occasions. We have every day wear, work wear, ‘something for best’ or a special occasion or night out. 

 

Fashion clearly moves into our territory, like the movement towards wearing brogues or oversized “Peaky Blinder” style tweed caps, but it’s not our end goal with decisions made at the shows. 

 

We want to find high quality clothing that’s going to fit beautifully, last for a long time, and that you can rely on being the best and most unique you can find. 

 

Welcome to Heaphys... 

 

We’re here for men who need a smart or casual outfit with accessories but need advice on what to wear or need a professional alteration service. 

 

But we’re ultimately here for men who want to feel smart and comfortable in equal measure and who care about their style.