We know you love IH, but where do you think we can improve?
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We make what we think is prudent based on past experience. Always have, always will. Predicting demand is one of the hardest things we do.
Unless a retailer is deliberately trying to throttle supply to create hype or whatever, it surely must be (certainly is with us) every retailer's goal to perfectly match supply with demand: No pissed off customers, no money tied up in deadstock, minimal storage requirements, no need to put stuff on sale etc etc.
I really wish we got it right more often than we do. What makes a successful retailer, is not how often they get it right but how infrequently they get it wrong.
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I just checked the store and there is only 1 UHFs in size xxl in any iteration, and its a workshirt. There are a few XS and XXXLs in some, as you'd expect.
I think UHFs have become pretty easy to predict. There aren't really any left, in any sizes, in the store at the moment, whereas I can buy as many denim westerns as I like. I appreciate that UHF iterations vary and are seasonal, but I think that producing and holding 10 or so more through the popular sizings would be a goer.
There are a growing number of forum members adding comments to the product item threads shortly after release highlighting that they missed out. I think it affects UHFs more so than any other product. That said, I'm not the one running a business, so I don't have the data avaible that you and H would to help you make decisions. You appear to have had more retailers come on board too. If I missed something in previous years I could be pretty confident I would find it at Rivet and Hide, my 'local' IH real store retailer. They even sell out within days now too.
I know that some high end brand's business model includes running supply just short of demand to build exclusivity into the brand's identity (Nike do it with some of their preorder Jordan releases). I do trust and believe that this isn't IH's business model, and popular seasonal products have always sold out eventually. They just seem to sell out quicker this last few years as demand has grown.
So, just a handful more produced in popular sizes to give a few more of us a fighting chance? I am really loyal to the IH brand and wear it almost exclusively. I don't really want to be pulled away to the likes of Clutch Cafe or Son of Stag (nothing specifically wrong with those retailers I hasten to add), but if my existing UHFs start becoming threadbare and I need some more, I just hope I can depend on IH.
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We produce more each year. Last year we probably made twice as many UHF'S as we made in 2019, and we thought that was complete and utter absolute irresponsible madness when we made the commitment to Haraki. We'll probably double it again this year (but we nay hit the ceiling on UHF yarn that Haraki has made, so have to cut back). This is not just a case of popping down to the corner store and buying the ready-made fabric off the shelf.
Haraki has to guess what volume of natural Aspero he needs to buy, it then gets spun into yarn. When he gets the orders, he has to initiate the dyeing of the appropriate lengths of yarn into the colors required to weave the fabric, then he needs to get it woven and finally made up into shirts.
The harsh reality is, if we don't shift what we make, Haraki is sitting on expensive yarn that he has had to pay for and we are sitting on expensive shirts that we have paid for and can't sell.
If we are going to get it wrong, then it is better to get it wrong by underestimating demand than overestimating. If we overestimate too often, then you may have to go to Son of a Stag or Clutch Cafe to buy your stuff. Though having said that EI publishing, the parent of Clutch Magazine and Lightning Magazine has just gone into receivership, so Clutch Cafe, may not be an option for long.
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Wow, that's amazing that production doubled in 2019.thats a lot of pressure on those few skilled artisans that manufacture the garments on the shop floor. @Giles I completely understand, from a business perspective I get it. As a customer, my brain isn't as rational. I love everything about IH brand, quality, and exemplary customer service. Its good to know production might increase within limitations. I'll see if I can fit in a toilet break at 3.55 in future (though senior management seem to love arranging meetings at 4pm…it's like they know :D).
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I'm not saying that production doubled, what I meant to say is that IHUK doubled the number of UHF's we ordered for the online shop.
We have recently completed presenting the FW21 collection to retailers. Every single one of the ones we presented too, said completely unprompted, that they did not order enough UHF's in 2020.
Something happened last year, and we do not know what, which increased demand for UHF'S exponentially. The third highest search term that lands people on our website is "UHF".
Feinfracht one of our retailers in Switzerland, sold more UHF's to the USA than they did to Switzerland. American customers who missed out from some of the larger online shops started looking anywhere they could.
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I'm not saying that production doubled, what I meant to say is that IHUK doubled the number of UHF's we ordered for the online shop.
We have recently completed presenting the FW21 collection to retailers. Every single one of the ones we presented too, said completely unprompted, that they did not order enough UHF's in 2020.
Something happened last year, and we do not know what, which increased demand for UHF'S exponentially. The third highest search term that lands people on our website is "UHF".
Feinfracht one of our retailers in Switzerland, sold more UHF's to the USA than they did to Switzerland. American customers who missed out from some of the larger online shops started looking anywhere they could.
It definitely warms my heart to know that IH has a strong market in such crappy times. I am happy in the knowledge that I won't have to defer to wearing Debenham's Blue Harbour shirts… Oh wait...
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@Jett129 and that is why the IH family is so awesome. I'd appreciate that, thank you.
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The more UHF the better!! [emoji4]
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I have four IH pieces with ribbed cuffs and/or ribbed waist;
IHSW-25 (2016) ultra heavy black loopwheeled hooded sweat with off white print
IHW-1O (2016) 26 oz black selvedge Melton wool varsity jacket
IHJ-56 (2017) Supima cotton denim tanker jacket
IHJ-79-BLK (2019) Primaloft Gold quilted rider jacket
and comparing the ribbed material among them I find substantial differences. The ribbed material on the IHSW-25 and IHW-10 is far weaker/thinner than those on the IHJ-79, and somewhat weaker than that on the IHJ-56. To the point where I’m quite certain the ribbed cuffs/waists on the 10 and 25 will give out way before the rest of the garment. In fact the relative thinness and perceived weakness in the ribbed material feels discordant with the strength and sturdiness of the rest of the garment.
There seems to be a positive correlation between earlier items (2016) and weaker cuff/waist compared to more recent ones (2017, 2019).
Curious whether you guys agree with this opinion and are working on bringing the ribbed stuff on par with the sturdiness of the rest of the piece. I’m specifically interested how the ribbed cuff and waist will be on the F/W 21 sweats and hoodies as the burgundy plain hoodie is one of my favorites. I don’t own any more recent hoodies since my 2016 one so I’m not aware whether you’ve made changes to them.
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Would it be a massive pain in the arse to publish and maintain a schedule of anticipated restock dates on the core collection? Might save you guys answering the question a million times for various items on various threads and means we can all be ready with our cash
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Fair nuff! Cheers @Giles
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The IHSH-277 is one of my favorite shirts ever, but the buttons should have been slightly larger or the buttonholes slightly smaller. You feel no resistance buttoning them, which means that they come undone occasionally (at least on mine). I will probably replace the buttons and it will be the perfect shirt.
I only mention this because I know there have been issues on and off with buttons for many years going back to backing buttons quite surprisingly doing the opposite of what they're intended to do on the IHSH-30, and this is a more recent issue.
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The IHSH-277 is one of my favorite shirts ever, but the buttons should have been slightly larger or the buttonholes slightly smaller. You feel no resistance buttoning them, which means that they come undone occasionally (at least on mine). I will probably replace the buttons and it will be the perfect shirt.
I only mention this because I know there have been issues on and off with buttons for many years going back to backing buttons quite surprisingly doing the opposite of what they're intended to do on the IHSH-30, and this is a more recent issue.
Thank you for the input @mclaincausey I'll input to H
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@mclaincausey Mine pops open all the time. I was wearing it the other day and kept being like wtf, I am seriously that bad at buttoning or am I forgetting to button this?? Glad to know it's not just me. LMK what you do to fix the issue, I would love to get it resolved as it's not that wearable the way it is.
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You could add a couple of stitches to reduce the size of the buttonhole slightly. That might work and it's a pretty easy process.
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$0.02: I preferred the older T-shirt fabric, which was heavier and IMO a bit softer than the newer, which to me is harder to distinguish from a plain ole Hanes shirt. Still great, but for me not AS great.
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The fabric was great, but the cut was iffy….....And it is a difficult discussion to have with H because he will take it very personally - "Love the fabric, don't like the cut"
Also, for some reason the variance in sizing in the 7.5's are enormous, we have had to send a load back because they were unwearable for a normal shaped human being.
The 6,5oz came out in a better cut, so that what we decided to back.....
