It’s confusing to watch some legacy clothing giants from Ralph Lauren to Macy’s stumble when it comes to this thing called the internet, the thing that completely changed the way people want to shop and the thing that younger and more innovative entrepreneurs seem to manipulate with more agility. It’s almost as if the thinkers behind these old brands borrow from the too-big-to-fail music industry playbook, ultimately falling behind. With staggering hubris, they expand and expand over and over with more and more new stores in cities across the globe, then ultimately pull back and close those stores because the anticipated sales weren’t there. (Google the story of Tower Records.) In the wake of disappointing sales and closing stores, the spokespeople from these companies almost invariably tell the press some version of “We’re going to start paying more attention to our online presence.” Gee, ya think?

Yours truly wearing the Cole Bomber Jacket in navy suede
Yours truly wearing the Cole Bomber Jacket in navy suede

As I’ve written before, it’s exciting to see young brands take a good idea, run with it, and execute it well with a worthwhile product, especially when the product is handsome, well-made, affordable, and workable. One such recent entry is Beckett Simonon.

Co-founded in 2012 by Andrés Niño and Nicholas Hurtado from Bogotá, Colombia, Beckett Simonon offers limited micro collections of great-looking goods, using the direct-to-consumer model with the added twist of made-to-order. They retain no inventory but instead build the goods as they are ordered. There aren’t shelves of shoes and racks of jackets and pants in a warehouse somewhere. Each item is made when it purchased from their online store. As with other brands working on a similar model, this makes things much more cost-effective, enabling the company to pass the savings along to the customer.

The current collection includes great “Gallagher” boots in Italian calfskin for $219, classic casual Italian calfskin wingtips for $189, and a very handsome suede bomber jacket in a choice of three colors for $295.

Given that Beckett Simonon is a made-to-order business, the next obvious question is How long will it take to receive my order? From the point of purchase to delivery, expect about 6-8 weeks, which is more than reasonable considering that the goal is to provide a quality product at such an affordable price point. In this more/cheaper/faster age, men who complain about the 4-6 week turnaround for online made-to-measure $500 suits are being ridiculous. If a t-shirt costs $5, it’s a safe bet that someone’s getting hurt. Quality goods take more than a few minutes to craft. So let’s not be brats about it.

Another interesting twist with some of the new brands that (I think) gives them an edge over the behemoths is transparency about their production chain. Beckett Simonon’s goods are ethically crafted by hand in small artisanal factories in Colombia and Portugal. Their full-grain vegetable-tanned leathers come from a small tannery in Italy. In fact, during the 6-8 weeks while you’re waiting for your goods, they send you photos of different parts of the process so you can see everything about how your goods are being crafted. I’d like to think men are becoming savvier and more conscious about what they buy, looking for things that don’t support an exploitative slave labor system for the sake of cheaper stuff (which is why you’ll never see me in a fast-fashion store).

If, for whatever reason, you’re not happy with your purchase from Beckett Simonon, you get a 120% refund, which means 100% of purchase and a gift card for 20% off your next purchase. Nice.

All told, it looks like Becket Simonon is onto something good.

Check out their October 2016 collection now. www.beckettsimonon.com

Use the code GEORGEHAHN10 to get 10% off any order!

12 Comments

  1. Barry Rahmy

    Worn any further the shoes yet? How do they stack up to your footwear standards?

    • George

      Haven’t worn. They look well made, and the price is quite reasonable.

  2. The shoes look impressive and well crafted – keep us informed. Prefer if the jackets – since they are borderline “bespoke” came in more exacting sizes than the usual S, M, X, XL, etc. Build the clothes to fit the wearer, not the other way around. Thanks for the post.

    • George

      The jackets are not “bespoke” or made-to-measure. They are “made-to-order,” which means they are not made until they are ordered, enabling the brand to not sit on a pile of unsold inventory. “Made-to-order” has nothing to do with custom. (Made-to-measure is a very different thing.)

  3. Hi George,

    Really got impressed to see the wonderful boots. They are stylish in look along with comes with trendy design. These are all unique and better from one another. I much appreciate you for the great find of boots and Jackets. I became fan of visiting Beckettsimonon which is the perfect destination of getting new trendy fashion wear such as boots and jackets. I got surprised to see the latest and designer jackets there.

    The good thing is all comes with an affordable rather than other brand. I must recommend this look for young boys and gents who love to wear stylish fashion wear. The black jacket which you wore here is perfectly suiting on you.

    Glad to know the refund and gift card process, shopping from Beckettsimonon.

    Thanks for introducing and making aware about Beckettsimonon.
    – Ravi.

  4. I just saw your comments about how some of the biggest clothing lines struggle with how to interact online. You could teach them a think or two about using this “internet” thing better. Honestly, have you approached any of these companies?

    • George

      I have. Unfortunately, many are among the legions of businesses that believe that digital = free (or almost free… or should be next to free).

  5. Forrest Howe

    How does this product sync with your comments regarding the use of animal products. This is not meant to be a snarky question.

    • Excellent question. My approach to animal products is not an across-the-board/all-or-nothing approach. I don’t think it’s realistic to expect such from anyone who is even on the fence about it. While I never wear fur or down, I certainly wear leather, but I don’t celebrate it. I keep it to a minimum, with mostly shoes, boots and the three belts I own, all of which were bought over a year ago. It’s like cutting sugar. It’s nearly impossible to cut it completely, so you cut it where you can. Think more like reducing and using less as opposed to absolute elimination. Ten years ago, I would have easily and eagerly bought a leather jacket. Today, I don’t think so. It’s about progress, not perfection, and about making choices consciously.

  6. Forrest L Howe

    Thanks for your response. I have similar feelings. We probably are in the “same church but different pews.” I have a leather jacket that is 25 years old. Great patina, and I had it relined. Won’t buy anymore leather for dressing. I only eat eggs from hens humanely raised. As for meat I still eat it, but sparingly. Every time I go by that feeder lot on I-5 in Central CA, (The fart f arm as my sons call it.) I vow to eat even less beef.

    I am new to your blog and I find myself in agreement on the general principles. We might disagree on specifics. If I agreed with you on everything, we would both be wrong. 😎