Longtime readers know that we’re big fans of The Armoury. The company was started a little over ten years ago by fellow StyleForum friends Mark Cho and Alan See, who first set up as a small boutique in Hong Kong and have since expanded into multiple locations in New York City. I love the shop partly because they offer classic men’s style in a way that feels relevant to a younger generation without losing the essence of what makes these clothes great. Their in-house Model 3 is one of my go-to recommendations for tailoring because it fits and flatters so many men. Broad across the shoulders and with just a touch of fullness in the chest, it creates the appearance of a slightly more v-shaped silhouette even when the figure underneath doesn’t have one.
There’s one problem with The Armoury: Mark adamantly believes in never holding sales. Although some old-season stock eventually makes it to their sister site Drop93 and the company occasionally holds sample sales in NYC and Hong Kong, it’s mostly full price for the rest of us.
Recently, Matthew Ruiz, founder of LuxeSwap, a sponsor on this site, made a trip to New York City and picked up all the leftovers from an Armoury sample sale. He tells us there are hundreds of items with at least 40 new pieces scheduled to go online each week for the next few months. “Suits, jackets, trousers, shoes, you name it,” he tells us. For those of us who can’t make it to an Armoury sample sale, this is the rare opportunity to get something for less than retail.
This first batch is up now. Included is a bunch of Armoury suits and sport coats, casual outerwear made in collaboration with Ascot Chang, Casentino jackets from the Japanese label Coherence, mid-rise sport chinos from Ring Jacket, fine Scottish knitwear, and some really nice shoes (including The Armoury’s in-house line and special Alden models made exclusively for the store). If you happen to be a size XXL, there’s also this incredible shearling inspired by something Alain Delon wore in the film Once a Thief. Imagine wearing that with a chunky sweater, raw denim jeans, and grained Alden boots.
LuxeSwap is also currently holding their famous after-Thanksgiving event. Every year, after Thanksgiving, they post the best of their annual stock in one giant auction event. This means you get to see the “best of the best” and possibly get some stellar deals.
At their store now, you can find names such as Bryceland’s, O’Connell’s, Stoffa, RRL, Scott & Charters, G. Inglese, Brunello Cucinelli, Vass, Edward Green, Inis Meain, Drake’s, Chimala, De Bonne Facture, and Valstar. Even things that don’t carry the most “in the know” labels are actually hidden gems. This Ralph Lauren field jacket is one of the better versions I’ve seen in its class—more detailing than what you’ll find from smaller brands like Sassafras but without the price tag of Visvim. It has beautiful fading, period-correct detailing, spacious pockets, and a nice, loose silhouette. Ralph offers some version almost every season, but they often include phony RL Army patches. I prefer the plain Jane version.
Combing through LuxeSwap’s innumerable auctions can be a bit of a task. To make things a bit easier, you can do a search for #1 MENSWEAR, which will home-in on the best of their stock (Matthew, a fellow StyleForum user, knows what menswear nerds want and uses the label judiciously). Remember that new 10 day auctions go up every Thursday and end on a Sunday. You can check back tomorrow for more Armoury stock.
