New Wedding Suit Design - The Richmond - Part One

It is 2012! And it is time to preview the newest and most exclusive Jack Bunney design. This new design is the very latest in formal wear fashion.

This new design has been named 'The Richmond'

It is 100% exclusive to Jack Bunney Ltd. and as such cannot be purchased anywhere else.

The design is a simple tailored, slim fitting ceremony suit.

This is 'The Richmond' in Mohair.

The Fabric is Made from the Finest Italian Mohair produced in Italy by Vitale Barberis Canonico

For more information on these suits and to find out how and where you can purchase them please view our website. Click.

Limited Availability Warning for 2012 - FULLY BOOKED DATES

Our Wedding Suit hire service is proving exceptionally popular for 2012. We have an unprecedented amount of bookings. Therefor some weekends are now FULLY BOOKED or very close to being fully booked for our 2012 wedding suit hire service.

The following dates are either Fully Booked* or VERY Limited Availability**

7th - 8th of April 2012 - VERY Limited Availability**

20th - 21st of April 2012 - VERY Limited Availability**

5th - 6th of May 2012 - VERY Limited Availability**

12th - 13th of May 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

2nd - 3rd of June 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

9th - 10th of June 2012 - VERY Limited Availability**

All other weekends from January until June 2012 are now also LIMITED AVAILABILITY***

*Fully Booked - This weekend and the dates surrounding this weekend are now unavailable for our hire service. Retail & Made to Measure are unaffected.

**VERY Limited Availability - This weekend and the dates surrounding this weekend are within one or two bookings from becoming fully booked*. Retail & Made to Measure are unaffected.

***Limited Availability - These dates may have ranges which are unavailable to hire.

Please telephone for further information: 020 8594 1654

Or email marc@jackbunneys.co.uk

Please be advised that a "Quote" does not confirm your booking. If you have a quote and would like to make a booking please telephone ASAP.

Thank You

Marc

Limited Availability for 2012

At present we are exceptionally busy for our wedding hire service.

So we are taking the unusual step of issuing an early LIMITED AVAILABILITY WARNING for 2012.

The following dates* are now very close to being fully booked and not all ranges are available.

31st of March 2012

7th of April 2012

21st of April 2012

28th of April 2012

5th of May 2012

12th of May 2012

2nd of June 2012

16th of June 2012

23rd of June 2012

7th of July 2012

11th of August 2012

25th of August 2012

If you are getting married on any of these dates* and would like to use Jack Bunney's wedding hire service then please arrange an appointment ASAP.

Telephone: 02085941654 or 02085951654

*These dates are an indication of the weekend as a whole and include the days around these dates.

Christmas Opening Times

Our normal operating hours are:

Monday 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Tuesday 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Wednesday 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Thursday 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Friday 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Saturday 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Sunday CLOSED

Christmas Operating Hours:

Friday 23rd of December 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Saturday 24th of December 9.00am until 12.oopm By Appointment Only

Sunday 25th of December CLOSED

Monday 26th of December CLOSED

Tuesday 27th of December CLOSED

Wednesday 28th of December 9.00am until 12.oopm By Appointment Only

Thursday 29th of December 9.00am until 12.oopm By Appointment Only

Friday 30th of December 9.00am until 12.oopm By Appointment Only

Saturday 31st December 9.00am until 12.oopm By Appointment Only

Sunday 1st of January CLOSED

Monday 2nd of January CLOSED

Tuesday 3rd of January 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

2012 - BOOK EARLY!!

Well 2012 is nearly here. We have barely got our new product ranges in for 2012, we haven't even had our 2012 photo shoot yet, never mind and the images to the new website but already we are inundated!

It is going to be the busiest year we have ever had. We have paid for bookings all the way up until the end of 2012. We also have some weekends which are becoming close to being fully booked. There are certainly a lot of weekends which will have limited availability very soon.

Our appointments diary is very full and we are booking weekend appointments a couple of weekends in advance, just like we do in spring time. This level of enquiry for November & December is unheard of for us.

I am not posting this just to blow our own trumpet by the way, the point is, it is going to be busier than we have anticipated. If you would like us to supply your wedding suits for 2012, please, please book early. We will be fully booking weekends very soon.

If you have any questions you are welcome to email me or call.

marc@jackbunneys.co.uk or call 02085941654

Thank You

&

Kind Regards

Marc

Woollens & What you should but didn't know. Part 1

What Tailors Should Know About Woollens - Part One

'The term "Woollen" as understood by the tailor, is a very general description of the numerous and varied classes of fabrics which , by reason of the aforesaid term, are presumed to be made of wool, or of which wool, in some form or other, forms the major part.

Fabrics comprising these classes are described as, and sold under names which indicate broadly (1)The quality of the wool fiber ; (2) the basis of the thread structure; (3) the pattern, or "weave" ; and (4) the style of finish. These terms, however , indicate group or general distinctions only, and obviously, therefore, can give no idea of the relative values of different fabrics belonging to one class.

Relative values are dependent largely upon differences in the quality of material, the character and size of the threads used in weaving, and the number of thread units in a given space, because these are factors which affect the appearence of the face of the cloth. In comparing cloths, presumably of the quality and contruction, differences in these factors are, with practice, comparatively easily discernable by sight and touch. Greater difficulties in appraising values arise when other materials of less value are incorporated in the structure in such a manner that they are not readily detected without an analysis of the fabric..

But to analyse a fabric requires a knowledge of quality and structure, which is obviously out of the tailors province ; and this lack of knowledge, therefore, leaves him largely dependent on the vendor of cloth, on whom he has to rely for for obtaining a sufficient value for his outlay. For his own protection, therefore, and for that of his client, to whom he stands in the position of sartorial trustee, it is very desirable that he should possess a reasonable knowledge of the medium in which he works. This knowledge should enable him to recognise different classes of fabrics ; to identify the materials from which they are made ; to understand something of their structure ; and above all, to differentiate between fabrics of the same class with regard to quality of fibre and possible structural differences.

2012 Sneaky Peak Part One. New Suit Range. 'The Richmond'

Here we go. This is the very first peak of the new EXCLUSIVE JB suit range for 2012. Apologies for the not so good photography. I am certainly no photographer. Professional pics will be taken once the whole range has arrived.

This new range will be called 'The Richmond"

This Range will be available to buy only for £750.00 as a 3.piece suit.

This new range will be available in 3 colours: Silver, Royal Blue & Black.

The Fabric is made in Italy by Vitale Barberis Canonico. And is 16% Kid Mohair and 84% Superfine Super 100's Wool.

2012 is really kicking off!

Allo.

2011 has been an excellent year for us here at JB. We have surpassed our own expectations and things have been going rather well.

Well 2012 is going to be Ma-Hoosive (<---real word) !!!

The bookings for 2012 are already piling up, with more and more being booked every day!

If you would like to use Jack Bunneys for your 2012 wedding, then please book early. We will be fully booking weekends very early in 2012.

Also, it has become quite challenging to get an appointment at Jack Bunneys at the moment. We are currently booking Saturday appointments a few weeks in advance.

I look forward to meeting you all and look forward to an incredible and exciting 2012.

Marc

What's the difference??

Jack Bunneys is a funny little place. We have customers from all over the U.K. who travel to our shop to hire suits. And customers come from all over the world to buy suits here.

But what is the difference between Jack Bunneys and our competitors? Why do our customers drive past hundreds of other menswear shops to get to us here, in the not so desirable part of East London/Essex ?

Well to be honest I am not always 100% sure. I am confident in what we do and how we do it. But I am not always certain as to why some couples choose our shop forsaking all others.

I can only assume there are a variety of different reasons, I like to think that each customer we have the privilege to deal with has his own particular reason for choosing our shop, their reasoning being as unique as they are, and as unique as their weddings should be.

I do however get asked quite a bit, why are Jack Bunneys different? Why do people travel such long distances to visit, what was once a very local, family business? My only real response to these questions (apart from "I dunno") is to explain what we do and how we do it. To explain just how hard we all work here, and then hope that this demonstrates why are services have become desirable.

So this is what we do, and how we do it and this is the real difference between Jack Bunneys and other businesses :

Staff:

Jack Bunneys has 3 full time members of staff. All three are company directors, all three perform every single role in the business. This includes making bespoke suits, designing and purchasing hire suits, preparing the hire orders, serving the customers and every other aspect of running a successful family business. We also have a couple of part-time staff, who work at weekends and on the odd occasion in the week too. Both of our part-time staff are extremely intelligent and educated to a high level (they are both students), they have also been trained to a high standard, both have completed the construction of at least one bespoke suit, by hand.

Stock:

Our 'Hire' wear is made in Germany by Wilvorst. We do not hire our suits in, each and every suit we have, we own. (this may seem a peculiar statement but you would be surprised how many so-called formal wear experts use a trade hire service) Each one of our suits is custom made exclusively for Jack Bunneys. This allows us to choose the correct fabric for the correct style. Each one of our suits has been designed by ourselves here to our standards. We are always designing our suits with quality and fit in mind. Only experienced tailors (or designers) can offer this level of design. Our stock is held here on the premises (so each customer can try-on the actual suit they will receive) we use a European size scale which gives greater scope for 'in between' sizes. This allows us to get a better 'fit' when suiting our customers.

Service:

Our service, I believe is unique. I have worked for some of the biggest names in Men's formal wear and I have never come across another business which shows such attention to detail when preparing each and every hire suit:

• Research and Design (We are constantly monitoring fashions and attending shows and fairs for inspiration)

• Purchasing and Manufacturing (Putting our ideas into production. We source quality factories to make to the highest standard or make our own products. Actually purchasing our products so they are all in store to try.)

• Advice on Fit, Style and Design. (A consultation with an experienced member of staff)

• A Correct Suit Fitting. (to try on the suit you will receive before booking)

• A Fitting for each member of the party. (Each member of the party will receive a correct fitting, where they can try-on the garments they will receive on the day.

• Refitting (any member of the party can request a refit at any time)

• Preparation of orders 1. Making cravats and Handkerchiefs. (we make our own cravats and ties in up to 250 shades of pure silk)

• Preparation of orders 2. Alteration. Yes a hire suit can be altered. (We carry out alterations to our hire suits ourselves on the premises, by hand, NO GLUE!)

• Preparation of orders 3. Pressing. This is the MOST important part of the preparation. (We hand press each garment before it leaves. Including, jacket, waistcoat, trouser, shirt and neckwear.)

• Preparation of orders 4. Bagging and Tagging. (Each piece is put together and bagged individually for each customer. Each bag is named individually.)

• Cleaning and Pressing on Return. (every garment is dry-cleaned and hand pressed on return)

That is a breakdown of the practical things that you will receive with our service. However there are also the other unquantifiable benefits, such as the polite and professional service, the relaxed family atmosphere, the skill and knowledge of bespoke tailors and the experience of wedding professionals.

I would like to think we are unique. I would like to think there is no-one out there quite like us. I am sure that is true. There is no-one quite like us. But there are quite a few other fine establishments, who have some wonderful designs and offer an excellent service. Sometimes services which we do not even offer.

But I think our customers choose to come here because they like us! (as well as our suits and service). I know this sounds conceited but that is not how it is intended, I simply believe that the customers who choose our shop and simply must come here (despite distance, logistical issues etc.) are coming because they agree with our ethos and somehow 'get' what Jack Bunneys is all about. These wonderful people are visiting our shop because they feel comfortable that our philosophies are in alignment and we will provide the service they require for their big day.

2011 Wedding Season - Pretty good i'd say.

Hi Guys,

We are nearly at the end of our 'Wedding Season' , although we still have plenty of weddings going on throughout the winter, the vast majority of weddings booked for 2011 have now come and gone.

Time for a little analysis of how our wedding season fared in these turbulent times.

I have done all of the sums (these are a comparison of Jan 2010-Oct 2010 and Jan 2011-Oct 2011) and what I have found is reasonably interesting (well at least to me)

The Wedding Hire Service grew in total by 32% in turnover.

The total turnover of the hire service increased considerably. This is due to a number of factors such as the V.A.T. increase, an increase in our hire prices and the popularity of more expensive ranges such as the "Oxford Premium, The Harrogate and The Kensington"

The total quantity of weddings increased by over 100%

The actual number of weddings booked was over double. This was because the average group size was far smaller. The popularity of "The Harrogate" range lead to quite a few individual "Groom" orders which reduced the average size of an order considerably. It also increased the quantity of weddings considerably.

The quantity of individual wedding suits hired increased by 25%

25% is still quite an increase in overall suits hired for 2011. Although not as impressive a figure as 100% in total weddings booked. This is because of the popularity of individual suit ranges such as "The Harrogate" & "The Kensington"

Obviously the average size of a wedding party has decreased significantly. (average size last year was 6.5 suits per wedding, this year it has dropped 4.3 suits per wedding).

The average size of a group has been decresed because of the popularity of individual wedding suit hires. Ranges such as the "The Harrogate" & "The Kensington" are being hired just by the groom alone.

The most popular colour in 2011 has been BLUE. 45% of all hired suits BLUE in 2011.

The Blue Worcester & Harrogate ranges have been the most popular, followed by the Oxford Premium blue and the Kensington blue. This is the first year that Blue has been the most popular colour for Jack Bunneys.

The second most popular colour in 2011 was GREY. 30% of all suits we GREY in 2011.

Grey was the most popular colour in 2010 (by just a small margin) but this year this was the surprise colour. With the Grey Oxford Premium proving very popular. This was not expected or anticipated.

The third and fourth place colours were BLACK and BROWN. They made up 20% of the total hire suits.

The Brown suit popularity has declined quite considerably in 2011, this was anticipated but still being booked quite regularly. Black wedding suits are never the most popular but are always the most consistent. Black wedding suits are used every year regardless of changes in fashion or style.

The most popular hire suit style for the second year running was 'The Worcester"

Once again the most popular wedding suit was the Worcester range. Although the most talked about range was the Harrogate. We had more interest in the Harrogate range than any other new range we have had before. The only reason the Harrogate was not booked more was the 'Very Slim Fitting' nature of the suit. In honesty the suit just did not fit all shapes and sizes.

The second most popular hire suit was the new "Harrogate" range.

This suit was the most talked about and most popular, in terms of inquiries. It would have proven to be the most popular suit for actual bookings if it were not a very slim fitting suit. But then it would not look the way it does if it were not.

The third most popular hire suit was the "Oxford Premium" style.

A classic tail suit. But in a better quality than the stores and high street brands. It seems that the public do not always want something 'different' but they really do want something that is 'better'

3.Piece suits (with matching waistcoats) made up nearly 60% of all wedding hire suits this year.

More couples than ever have chosen the matching waistcoat to the suit for the guys waistcoats, rather than the usual fancy waistcoat designs. In fact the couples I have spoken to this year have not really been big fans of wedding waistcoats. A matching waistcoat also looks very cool with the jacket off, which I think is another reason for its popularity this year.

Wedding (fancy) waistcoats were used with less than 50% of all wedding hire suits this year.

Although we are still using wedding waistcoats, it seems that their popularity is still in decline. 2011 is the first year that the figure has dropped below 50%

Cravats were used with less than 30% of our wedding suits in 2011.

As with the wedding waistcoats, it is with the cravats. More and more couples preferring the simple tie. This is because of the popularity of 3.piece suits and matching waistcoats.

Ties were used with over 70% of all wedding suits in 2011.

This is quite an incredible statistic. I would bet (not actual money of course) that Jack Bunneys is the only men's formal hire shop where this is the case.

80% of all wedding suits hired had a top pocket handkerchief.

Another addition for 2011. Top pocket handkerchiefs were rarely used in 2009/2010, now they are virtually standard.

40% of all hire suits had a pair of braces included!

This is because of Jack Bunneys obsession with getting suits to fit correctly!

We hired less than 50% of all hire suits WITHOUT shirts in 2011. This is a drastic reduction 2010.

We have been actively advising our customers to purchase shirts rather than hire. This is to ensure that each shirt is fitted correctly to each individual. This is essential when wearing slim fitting suits.

We sold nearly double the amount of wedding suits in 2011, than we did in 2010.

This was a combination of made-to-measure, bespoke, made-to-order and ready-to-wear.

May, June and July were all up on wedding suit hires for 2011.

Whilst August and September were both slightly down for the quantity of hire suits for 2011.

October is also up on the quantity of wedding suit hires for 2011 and November and December also have a larger quantity of bookings than in comparison to 2010.

So what does all this mean?

Well it means that Jack Bunneys are becoming more and more popular with each year. It also means that even our 'hire' customers are looking for something that is 'different'.

For me these statistics prove that Jack Bunneys can provide a service that is both traditional and contemporary with one not necessarily impairing the other. Traditional modes of dress will always exist and there is a customer which demands this from a traditional shop such as ours, but there is also another customer who wants something more unusual for his wedding, that does not want an 'industry standard' and this is the customer which we always consider when designing new ranges.

But more than this my conclusion is simple: The vast majority fit somewhere in between the two, finding their own place, without being pigeon holed, standing alone as unique individuals, as we all should.

Marc

Testimonials

So I received a lovely email last week, thanking Jack Bunneys for supplying wedding suits for their special day. This was incredible and all of us here at Jack Bunneys are eternally grateful for it. These sort of messages really do make our hard work worthwhile.

Anyway .... I decided to have a look to see if we have received any other messages of thanks, and I was shocked. We have lots of them. So here are just a few of those messages:

Hi Marc,

Firstly, I'd like to thank you and ALL the staff at Jack Bunny's who looked after myself and my groomsmen throughout the period (1 year+) we came to measure and fit our suits. I have to say

we all used to look forward to the experience on each and every occasion when we came to the shop, the way you all paid such great attention to our requirements with patience. We thank you again.

Lastly, it was a great pleasure to be fitted out in a 'Jack Bunny' suit for my wedding day and will surely recommend not only for wedding attire, but suits in general.

Keep doing what your doing guys........it's tremendous. Thanks again.

Most Sincerely

D

Dear Everyone at Jack Bunneys!

Thank you so much for all your help in choosing our wedding suits. The service you provided was first class and we have recommended you to anyone and everyone.

Thank you also for your help in returning some money left in one of the suits. True Honesty!

Thanks Again

T & J

The Jack Bunneys Team,

Thank you so much for all your help with our wedding suits. You guys really are a professional outfit! Here's a picture of the full colour scheme all pulled together!

Thanks again

The Chandlers

To all at Jack Bunneys

Thank you for all your time and hard work organising our wedding suits. Everyone looked amazing and we had a day we will never forget.

Tony and Jemma

All members of Staff at Jack Bunneys,

My son and I would like to express our appreciation for the way you all were so kind and helpful.

You were all part of making my sons experience something he will always remember.

It is very rare to find such quality of service in this modern time.

Thank You

HBCC

Thank you for the hire of these suits. Everyone commented at how fabulous they looked!

A & S

Hi There,

We just wanted to drop you a note to express our thanks for all the help you gave us in providing our wedding suits. They were absolutely PERFECT. Despite everybody being different sizes and shapes, the suits worked brilliantly on everyone. We had so many compliments on the day from our guests and all the men felt great wearing them.

They were so good in fact that our friend has just booked the same suits for his wedding.

Thanks Again & Best Regards

L.Belcher

To all at Jack Bunneys

Just a few words to say thank you so much for all your hard work and time in sorting out Gary, our dads, best man & 3 ushers for our wedding day.

They all looked fantastic & Gary loved his new suit.

Thanks again, we'll be recommending you in the future.

V & G

Dear all at Jack Bunneys

Just a little note to say thank you for the wonderful service and the superb suits we hired from you for our wedding.

Best Wishes

P & K

Hi Rob,

Just want to say thank you for making me look my best on our special day. Your enthusiasm and professionalism knows no bounds.

Thanks again

R.C.

Dear Peter & All of the Jack Bunneys Team,

Back in September we had the most amazing wedding day. The weather was beautiful, everything happened according to plan and the people were joyful. And one piece in this big puzzle was the wedding suit was just perfect.

We wanted to take this opportunity to say a big THANK YOU!

Best Regards

J & S

To Everyone at Jack Bunneys,

Thank you so much for all your hard work on making all the men look so smart! Lots of guests said they were the best-fitted suits they had ever seen! We have already referred some guests to you!

Wish you all the best for the future

C & S

To All at Jack Bunneys,

We just want to take the time to let you know how thankful we are that we found such a helpful, professional and friendly formal hire specialist. From the moment we stepped foot into Jack Bunneys you greeted and treated us with such caring-ness. You helped N and all the men find the perfect suit, they all looked and fitted fabulous on the day.

Thank you again for everything you did to help our dream wedding come true.

With all our thanks and appreciation

C & N

All at Jack Bunneys

Thank you for your excellent personal service & your attention to detail, our suits looked amazing on the day!

And our wedding was perfect!

Thanks Again

N & N

To All at Jack Bunneys

Thank you so much for all your hard work and making that part of the planning so relaxed. The men looked exceptional and N is still a little smug after putting his foot down "I don't just want a brown suit, I want the one i've seen online!!" and yes he was right. They looked fantastic!

Thanks again

Kindest Regards

S & N

I am sorry that I cannot put them all in this one post together (there are far too many!). If you sent a message of thanks and i haven't featured it here, I will attempt to do a few more over the coming weeks.

A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO YOU ALL!!

A heartfelt thank you to all of you. It is these kind words that inspire and drive us.

From everyone here at Jack Bunneys. Thank you.

Mens Formal Wear My thoughts about the future of our industry

Having some discussions with the Brides and Grooms, who have been coming to collect their wedding suits today for their weddings at the weekend, has got me thinking about our little business here in Essex. It seems most of these couples have traveled huge distances (by U.K. standards) to come here and hire or buy suits, in my rather naive attempts to understand this phenomenon, I simply asked "why?"

Why come to our shop when they must have driven past a 100 other menswear shops to get to us? They quite happily replied that no-one else does what we do, no-one else has our designs, our quality and our quality of customer service.

This is obviously a good thing for our business but quite sad for the industry as a whole. The Formal Menswear business by its very nature has always been quite stagnant, never as fluid or organic as the fashion industry. The hire sector has always been the most rigid of this already stagnant industry because they are expected to be worn numerous times, the designs, styles and fabrics are slow to change. But do things really have to be this way?

When I first started in retail, I remember going to a college one day a week to pass my NVQ in retail. The training was incredibly old fashioned, even by the standards of the early 90's. We were shown videos (VHS not Betamax, i'm not that old) narrated by a gentleman in a 3.piece suit who kindly explained the difference between Menswear and the Fashion industry. The fashion industry was for women but menswear was a separate industry which was not influenced by the catwalks of Milan or Paris but rather more influenced by how chilly (or warm) a gentleman might feel on his way home from a hard days work. At the time I found these things old fashioned, sexist and unrealistic. I was a teenager and I knew how much we (my friends and I) would spend on our clothing when we went out for the night. I knew that certain shops would fall in and out of vogue with our group of friends depending on the look we were trying to achieve. Anyway within a few years a whole new sector, Men's Fashion not only emerged (it had already existed for everyone but the establishment) it has now become the standard. Men are not becoming more fashion conscious, they have been fully conscious for some years. Men are as susceptible to all the marketing and subconscious desires as women and why should they not be? After all the digital revolution has allowed us all to become acutely aware of our personal images and even manage it, to a certain extent if we wish to. We do this everyday without even considering it.

My point is this. If men are no different to women (when it comes to fashion, image and self awareness) why do we have an industry that refuses to evolve? why do we accept men's fashion everyday in our lives (consciously or subconsciously) but when it comes to wearing a suit for the most important day of our lives do we consider something out of touch with fashion and reality?

Here at Jack Bunneys we are carefully evolving our designs each wedding season. We are always eyeing the fashion industry and attempting to stretch this stagnant industry towards that end goal of having new designs each season which are unique for that time.

This is our dream and our future.

Real Customers - Real Wedding Suits - The proof is in the pudding

The proof is indeed in the pudding.

It is not easy deciding which suppliers should be trusted for what many consider the most important day of your life. And it is very difficult to know how any particular supplier will perform on the actual day itself, that is why it is vitally important to rely on recommendation from friends or family.

But what if no one that you know has been married recently? Then you are reliant on your communication with the companies involved, if the communication is excellent it does not necessarily guarantee that that the service will be, so what then?

Well you need to do your research; look online for recommendations, for positive or negative reviews but most importantly of all, look at actual weddings that they have been involved with. Look online for real pictures, from real peoples weddings. Search blogs and Facebook pages to find actual wedding pictures and then you can make a truly informed decision on quality and service.

How many Men's Clothing Shops who offer a hire service, a made-to-measure service and a Bespoke Service have albums of actual weddings they have been involved with?

Here at Jack Bunneys we think sharing other couples experiences is vitally important to every new Bride & Groom we meet. So here are a couple of Links to Facebook, where you can view some real weddings and real wedding suits.

Link One - Real Weddings 2011

Link Two - A selection of Real Weddings from over the last 3 years.

New News. Bunney Brand - Shirts

Us Bunneys have been working hard designing new ranges for 2012, we have come up with some really interesting and 100% exclusive ranges which are totally unique.

The first of these new ranges will start arriving soon.

The very first thing to arrive will be our new shirt ranges. These are made from 100% Fine Luxury Cotton. They are hand-made in France to our exact specification (and our specification is rather specific). These are just some of the features of these Bunney Branded shirts:

• 100% Finest Luxury Cotton.
• Pure White Colour Only
• Hand Made in Europe.
• Unique Collar Shapes*
• A revolutionary style of Cuff**
• Slim Fitting***
• Concealed Buttons (fly fronted)
• Real Mother of Pearl Buttons

* Collar Shapes. 1. The first collar shape can only be described as a 'Rounded Collar'. It has to be seen to be truly appreciated and as yet I have no images to share with you.

2. The second collar shape is the same as the one pictured (pictured here in pink). And includes the genuine vintage collar clip.

Both collar shapes are specifically designed to be worn with slim or skinny ties.

** This new style of cuff has been designed to be worn with the slimmest wedding suit but also look like a formal double cuff. Wearing a double cuff shirt with a slim wedding suit does not always work. As the sleeves and jacket cuffs are quite narrow a wide shirt cuff prevents the jacket sleeve from falling correctly. Our new cuff design looks like a double cuff but is in fact a button cuff which fits tight to the wrist. (Cuff is pictured here in Pink)

*** We have completely designed the pattern of this shirt to fit our precise measurements. This body fitted shirt will fit slim figures perfectly, as well as allowing for movement and comfort. The shape of these shirts is what really makes these shirts unique, there really is no other shirt like them.

These new shirts will be in store soon. They are a very limited edition and cannot be purchased any where else. They will retail at £100.00 and £120.00. If you would like to make an appointment to view these shirts please call: 02085941654 in a few weeks when they arrive.

Thank You

Marc

2012 . More new newsy news

The new website is really on its way this time!! Yay! Our website has been our portal to the world for so long, it has become an extension to the shop itself but it has grown tired. It is in desperate need over a major update. If for no other reason than my own sanity. The new site is currently in design and is only a matter of weeks away.

The newly designed Jack Bunney ranges however are a little delayed, this is because of difficulties with European fabric mills, these difficulties will be resolved in the next day or so, but could lead to delays in having the new designs in the shop and will certainly lead to delays in getting the new photo-shoot done and the new images on the website. I am afraid this is sometimes the price we pay to have our suits made from the best fabrics in Europe.

The new designs however will start to trickle into the shop as of the beginning of November. We are well aware of what they are and what they look like and I can reassure you all they will be worth the wait.

One more thing, just as a quick word of warning, we are currently getting a massive amount of inquiries and bookings for 2012. If you are thinking of using our services in 2012, please be aware you are going to have to book early, maybe even earlier than the 6 months we are recommending right now. I will keep you updated with the situation but it is something to consider.

I think this is all for now.

Thanks

Marc

My Wedding & Recommended Suppliers.

So I went and got married. I know some of you asked to see the wedding pics, so here is the link to the pro pics. :

Click Click.

Pics are courtesy of Lisa Devlin Photography.

And here are my name & praises, for some of the best wedding suppliers we can personally recommend at Jack Bunneys.

Photographer : Lisa Devlin Photography, AKA DevlinPhotos. 100% awesome. Professional, communicative, speedy, efficient, value for money and an incredible photographer. Even better than my pictures show* Just look at her site and blog Clicky

I have been looking at her blog and site for over a year and I honestly believe she is one of, if not the best wedding photographer I have seen. And I researched loads!
*I was pleased with my pics, they were exactly what I asked for, which was quite limited and curtailed her normal creativity.

Caterer: Bonne Cuisine. Stephanie was recommended to me and I was so pleased that I met her. She was more excited about our wedding plans than I think we were. She was very nearly our wedding planner too, she was incredibly helpful. And great food, home made, organic and most of it grown at home (including the eggs which came from her hens). She also made the cheese tower and supplied the crockery (& tea cozies) Clicky.

The Band: The band made the whole thing for me. I love live music, any genre any type. I love live bands at weddings as people feel obliged to dance and it get's everyone up and going. This big band came with 12 musicians and 2 singers (and they weren't that expensive considering). They played some incredible music from 40's through to 50's, and even some more modern swing music. They looked and played so professionaly they exceeded my expectation by some way. Also excellent communication via email. Conchord Big Band , Click.

Car: Cool Classic Cars in Essex, are a fantastic company. Wonderful communication, wonderful people & incredible cars. Which are 100% perfect. If you are looking for big beautiful vintage American cars (& VW campers too) , this is your place. Click.

Chair Cover hire. I had a last minute panic and decided that chair covers were essential, despite discounting them in the wedding planning. I contacted Lacey's Event hire late in the day and they were fantastic. Thank You Josie. They were great value for money, did exactly what we wanted and were very efficient. Click.

Silhouette Artist, I saw Alison Russell's work on a vintage wedding blog and was immediately intrigued. We wanted something to entertain our guests whilst enjoying a cream tea, but nothing seemed to fit, jugglers?, magicians? caricatures? until we found Alison. Her work seemed to fit our wedding perfectly. She is an incredibly talented artist, who surpassed my expectations. Everyone had a beautiful keepsake for the day, which I am sure will be treasured. Click for Alison's site.

Thank you to everyone who has wished us well. It really is appreciated. :)

& Thank you to all of you wedding professionals who made our day perfect. THANK YOU!

Marc

2012 - What's Happening?

We here at Jack Bunneys do not really believe in standing still. We prefer to always look forward whilst never forgeting where we come from.

Over the past few weeks Jack Bunneys has been discussing the future and which direction we want to take for 2012.

Well some decisions have been made.

• In 2012 our most popular hire suit, the slim-fit 'Harrogate' will be available to BUY or HIRE in BLACK.




• In 2012 we will be selling a new range of suits exclusive to Jack Bunneys. This range is based upon the 'Harrogate'. It is made from the same Barberis mohair fabric. But this will be ULTRA SLIM FIT. This new range we are currently nicknaming the HARROGATE-EXTREME.

• In 2012 we will be selling a new range of suits exclusive to Jack Bunneys. This range is a combination of two of our most popular hire suits. The fabric is 40% silk and 60% lightweight wool. It will be available in Black and Blue. The style is the same as the Harrogate range (maybe not quite as slim). We have combined the fabric from the KENSINGTON RANGE with the style and fit of the HARROGATE RANGE. We have nick named this suit the KENSOGATE.



• In 2012 we will be selling a new range (exclusive to Jack Bunneys) of U-Shape waistcoats, with matching slim ties. These waistcoats will be ivory cerenomy waistcoats and will be suitable for the Harrogate and the new ranges.



• In 2012 we will be selling a new range of Shirts (exclusive to Jack Bunneys). These white shirts will be made specifically to be worn with the new KENSOGATE, HARROGATE-EXTREME and HARROGATE ranges. In slim and Ultra Slim fits. These shirts will be completely unique, with nothing quite like them anywhere in the world.



• In 2012 we will be replacing our stock of the GREY OXFORD PREMIUM. Unlike other hire shops, we like to replace the whole range when the range is looking old or tired.



• In 2012 our popular WEBSITE will be recieving a new look.

• In 2012 we will unveil our new DVD brochure and latest images from the winter 2011 photoshoot.

So these are our plans so far. I am sure there will be more plans unveiled before the end of 2011.

I will keep you up to date.

Marc

Real Customers 2011. The Blue Harrogate Suits

Congratulations Ashleigh!!! On behalf of everyone here at Jack Bunneys we would like to thank you for your custom and wish you and your new Bride many years of happiness. It was our pleasure to deal with such a wonderful couple. Thank You.

Ashleigh chose the ultra-modern Blue Harrogate Slim Fitting Hire suits for him and his Grooms party.

Thank You Ashleigh, Congratulations!!

Real Customers 2011. A 1940's Made To Measure Wedding Suit from Jack Bunneys

Congratulations Mark!! Both you and your Bride look fantastic on your wedding day. On behalf of everyone at Jack Bunneys we wish you all the best for the future. It was our pleasure.

Mark had a 1940's themed wedding suit and at Jack Bunneys we relished the challenge of making this vintage made-to-measure outfit.

Wedding Suits - The One

We are all aware that when a Bride-to-be goes shopping for her dress, she is looking for 'The One'.

That magical dress that will fulfill every childhood fantasy, bring a tear to her mothers eye and make her Groom-to-be gasp as she walks up the aisle.

For men, we have no childhood dream of what our wedding suit may or may not look like, we have no real desire to bring a gasp from the congregation, we just simply want to look 'smart' on our day.

Or .... do we?

I am not sure that guys should not have 'The One', why should the man miss out on the opportunity to purchase an item of clothing for the biggest day of our lives, that feel us with confidence, makes us stand tall and gives us a sense of self worth. Why should men not feel special on their wedding day?

Over the last 4 years, I have met hundreds of Grooms-to-be and the vast majority are not looking for that special suit that will make them feel like a million dollars, most Grooms-to-be are searching for a suit that fits the requirements on their own personal check list. This check list can vary a great deal, but a generalisation would be:

1. A suit that matches with the colour scheme

2. A suit that will fit

3. A suit that won't make them look silly,stupid, like a muppet/penguin

4. A suit that has a cravat/waistcoat etc. that matches with bridesmaids/flowers/tablecloths etc.

If these criteria are filled the majority of men are happy.

But I don't think that is enough.

Now although the majority simply check their criteria list, there is also a minority that are looking for 'The One' These guys have an idea, which they are trying to articulate, they have given their suit choice some serious thought. They consider the details and not just the colour scheme but also the design, the fabric, the cut and all of the details in between.

Theses guys are becoming their own fashion designer and using their own imagination to push the boundaries of what a 'Wedding Suit' actually is. Is a wedding suit a tail suit with a top hat? Well it can be but it doesn't have to be. Does a wedding suit have to have a cravat and fancy waistcoat? No, not if you don't want it to.

Jack Bunneys has always encouraged our customers to think outside the box, to consider alternatives. There is always another way!

Selecting your wedding suit does not have to be as simple as checking a list, not if you don't want it to. You can create your own wedding suit, you can feel as special as you want to. If you wear nice clothing on a day to day basis, why would you want anything other than nicer clothing for the most special day of your life.

It is time for the men of the U.K. to start considering what they actually want from a wedding suit, do you want a suit which will cover your body for the day and look 'smart' or ..

Do you want 'The One' ?

More News for 2012, product design continues.

Whilst we are feverishly preparing orders for this extremely busy 2011 wedding season, we are also looking forward to 2012 and making decisions in regards to the new products and designs.

We announced on this blog recently that the Harrogate range will be available in Black from 2012. We are hoping we will have the initial samples with us in October 2011.

As yet no other decisions have been reached in regards to future wedding suits to Hire.

But there is some exciting news! We are currently working on a range of unique, exclusively designed white formal shirts to buy for weddings. This new 'Jack Bunney' range of formal shirts will be 'hand-made' in France to our exact specification.
They will use the finest white 100% pure cotton. They will have our customary Jack Bunney design features, which make them completely unique in the market. I can guarantee you have never seen formal wedding shirts quite like these!

The fit will be exceptionally tailored and slim. The collars shapes will be for use with a slim tie, exclusively. The cuffs will be unusual but for use with a slim suit. The whole design ethos surrounding this new range, is about a shirt which looks fantastic with a slim fitting wedding suit. Slim yoke, slim sleeves, narrow cuff, darted and waisted.

We are very excited about these new shirts, they will be of supreme quality and design.

Prices will start from £110.00 inc VAT.

I will post pictures as soon as they arrive.

What does fully booked mean? and why are we fully booked?

Our little shop here in Barking is unusual. I think we have always been a little different to every other shop but recently (over the last 3 years) we have become increasingly estranged to our peers in the same profession.

We offer a 'Wedding Suit Hire' just as many other menswear/tailoring businesses do, we just try our utmost to not be the same as these other businesses. We try to not hire the same suits as everyone else, we try to not hire out sub-standard products, we try to offer the latest designs we can imagine and hire them in the best possible condition, with the best possible fit. I guess this makes us different.

We are very lucky because it seems the general public of the U.K. agree with our ethos and we are busier than ever. But this success coupled with this ethos means that not everyone can hire a suit from Jack Bunneys, for this I apologise but I am afraid this is just the way it is.

To continue to offer the same quality of service, we have to personally oversee every single hire suit which leaves our shop. We have to alter each suit by hand and hand press each one. We have to custom make each silk cravat, tie and handkerchief ourselves.
We also have to have each suit custom made for us in top European factories. This of course means we cannot exceed our stock levels without having more suits made, which can take up to 14 weeks in the summer (European factories shut down over August). We do have plentiful stock of course and we try to plan for each and every eventuality. If a suit gets stolen, lost, damaged or simply over booked (maybe an unusual size has been booked numerous times for the same date) then we do have contingencies. These contingencies however are not limitless. There comes a point when we have to look at a particular date in the diary and say 'we simply cannot prepare any more orders this week'

We could of course book more if we wanted to, we do turn away a considerable amount of business. But this would go against our principles. If we were to book more we would no longer have our contingency plans to fall back on. What would we then do if something did go wrong? This would also allow less time to be spent on each suit, less time to do alterations, less time for pressing and less time dealing with our wonderful clients in the first place. For us the quality of what we produce is paramount.

Jack Bunneys is also a working tailors where we make suits on the premises. This work still has to be completed to our usual impeccable standards regardless of our hire department. We also have a corporate clientele, which requires our attention and a regular retail trade to boot! All of these other aspects (although not a priority for couples getting married) are still very important to us personally and we simply cannot neglect this portion of our business.

We would rather never become millionaires but sleep well at night knowing it was a job well done.

Marc

Jack Bunneys - Changing the world of Formal Wear

Hi All,

Over the last few years we at JB have tried to change the world of Formal Wear and now it seems that (at last) our efforts are starting to have an effect on the industry as a whole.

Our commitment to no longer using the same old products that have always been used. Has really paid off for the whole industry. Groom's are reading our website/blog/FB page and are becoming more demanding with their hire choices and now hire services across the U.K. are being led by a more informed choice. This means that in 2012 you should expect to no longer receive the types of things which I have listed below.

• Heavy fabrics.


• Shapeless jackets.


• Cheap plastic shoes.


• Standard Edward Jackets (in 100 colours).


• Back-less waistcoats.


• Black-backed waistcoats (unless it is a black waistcoat).


• White suits (unless you are Liverpool FC in the FA cup final)

Not everyone would agree that the above list is of a bunch of outdated products which have no place in the current wedding suit industry but if you agree, then I suggest you find one of the U.K.'s leaders in wedding suit design (not one of the followers).

Marc

2012 - What's the plan?

Hi All,

I have been neglecting my duties as chief Bunney Blogger recently. I am sorry for not posting very often but I will attempt over the next few weeks to put things right and post regular updates about our little family business here in East London (Essex).

First things first, this wedding season has been extraordinary! We have fully booked the three months of July, August and September for wedding suit hire. We have nearly fully booked some weekends in October too. We have also sold more wedding suits than usual. Mostly made-to-order and made-to-measure suits. The most popular colour this year being blue and the most popular design being our Harrogate range.

I am very proud of all of the Bunneys! It is due to their hard work that we have enjoyed more success than ever. The commitment of the Bunney boys to incredible customer service and their pursuit of perfection is an inspiration to me. The last two weeks has seen Jack Bunneys have the best ever two week period in the 53 year history of Jack Bunneys.

So.....what does the future hold? Well we are always looking for the next design. We are always considering new and interesting ways to supply the very latest in wedding suit design. We haven't confirmed any new designs as yet. But we are considering at least one interesting and maybe even a revolutionary step forward in U.K. wedding suits.

I can announce at least one piece of news for 2012. The Harrogate range will be available in a BLACK colour as of January 2012. The fabric will be the same Barberis Lightweight Mohair fabric as the Blue and Silver. The style will be identical, including the 3.piece suit and the u-shape waistcoat.

We are working hard on new developments for 2012 and have 100's of new ideas. We will narrow this down to only a handful of new ideas, some of these new ideas will be for our Hire department however I believe most of our new product designs will be to buy only.

I am hoping that Jack Bunneys can continue to be a leader in the design revolution of men's wedding suits in the U.K.

I will be posting again soon,

Marc

WEDDING SUIT HIRE AVAILABILITY 2011

We have had an incredible start to the 2011 wedding season.

In fact our 'wedding suit hire' service has been overwhelmed. We have seen an unprecedented amount of bookings for 'suit hire'

All of JULY , AUGUST & SEPTEMBER is now FULLY BOOKED* for Wedding Suit Hire.

The first two weeks of OCTOBER now have very LIMITED AVAILABILITY** for Wedding Suit Hire.

**Limited Availability - Suits are available to hire. But not all ranges are available. Please telephone 02085941654 to find out if the range you would like is available.

*Fully Booked - All hire ranges are now un-available. I am afraid that this weekend (and the 2 working days either side of this weekend) are now unavailable for hire.


18th of June 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

25th of June 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

2nd of July 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

9th of July 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

16th of July 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

23rd of July 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

29th of July 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

6th of August 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

13th of August 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

20th of August 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

27th of August 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

3rd of September 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

10th of September 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

17th of September 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

24th of September 2011 - FULLY BOOKED

2nd of October 2011 - Very Limited Availability

8th of October 2011 - Very Limited Availability


Any weekends which are not mentioned in the above list are unaffected. Whilst the 'Wedding Suits' are fully booked or limited we normally have a 'Dinner Suit Hire' service available.
And the 'School Prom Hire' service remains unaffected.

We always have 'Wedding Suits' available in our shop to buy; ready-to-wear, made-to-order or made-to-measure. please be advised that this list was created on the 21st of JUNE 2011 at 11.05am availability is subject to change.