Pieces on discount? Yes, please!

Disclaimer: I was approached by The Rake to help announce their latest venture.  They do not have control over the content and there are no affiliate links.  I received a a subscription in exchange for this post. 

I remember when I was first introduced to the Rake. It was the first time the magazine appeared in bookstores rather than being an online subscription.  The magazine, started by Wei Koh (who had a great Blamo! interview) was really a bit different for it’s time, standing apart from GQ and Esquire. By that I meant that it really focused on the classic menswear I was interested in, which included some beautiful photography that I felt was missing in the world.

Nowadays, I don’t really rely on magazines (or other blogs) unless there is something specific that I’m looking for.  The Rake is interesting in that it has an online platform as well as print, frequently doing pieces on some of my own inspirations; the one on Ethan Newton is a particularly great one.

One point of interest is that they have e-commerce as apart of their brand.  It makes sense; why not be able to offer the pieces that you write about in your magazine? Or why not curate pieces that fit along with what your brand believes in?  It’s definitely a great move for them that I know a couple of my friends have bought from (the Drake’s collaborations being the most popular for them). Obviously it’s not cheap, but that’s where the Rake Values comes in.

It’s a curated collection that are either from previous seasons or were simply unsold, which is now being offered at a steep discount (50% off original price) for us poor boys.   Obviously it helps them unload unsold inventory (it is a business after all), but it does allow us a chance to try out some of these brands for ourselves.

I’ve always called myself a “menswear enthusiast”, but I never thought to actually define what my group is called.  In the introduction essay, Koh calls us the “Emerging Traditionalist”.  We want to express style with a conservative budget, as he states. That’s definitely me for sure, despite some overspending in a few places.  And I know that a lot of you guys work on an “upward curve” (gradually upgrading your older Uniqlo/vintage pieces) based on many conversations I’ve had with the wonderful guys I’ve met through this blog.

So perhaps there is value (haha I’m funny) in the Rake’s new endeavour, which is why I accepted their invitation to share it with you guys.

There’s quite a bit of goodies in the Values page, especially if you’re more inclined to have a modern look.   Sizes are on the bigger end, which is great for you and bad for me (but perhaps it’s good, so I save money).

Looking through the current collection, it’s clear that the Drake’s pieces call out to me most, with this paisley tie and airplane motif pocket square being my favorites. Lardini jacketing is the next best thing to look at, as Will from NYC can tell you. Unfortunately, this isn’t in my size, but it’s damn good; you know how I love my brown checked jackets. Apart from that, the swimming trunks are great (maybe I need to start shopping for the summer) and the different Rubinacci shirts (this one!) are worth a look.

Above all you guys should check this out! I don’t use affiliate links, so feel free to buy what you can or consider it for a future purchase.  They’re also going to be adding more pieces as time goes on, so it’s worth a bookmark and should fit in nicely with Die, Workwear’s occasional sale updates and PTO’s weekly eBay roundups.

I haven’t really seen these pieces go for these low prices outside of Grailed or eBay but these are new so that makes it that much more enticing.   Obviously these skew a bit more modern than most things on the blog, but there’s nothing wrong with that!

Also, you can use code Rakevalues5 for an extra 5% off, if you decide to buy from the Rake’s Values.

Always a pleasure,

@ethanmwong

Street x Sprezza