Blacktie to go into Liquidation: End of an Era

JupiterKid

Blacktie men's formal dress hire appears to be the latest casualty of the recession. For many guys, including myself, a trip to Blacktie to get kitted out for the debs and other formal occasions was a rite of passage.

Niall O'Farrell of Blacktie (and RTE's Dragons Den) announced that the company is to go into liquidation on February 1st.

Link here:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0123/364127-blacktie-formalwear-to-go-into-liquidation/


Any thoughts Boardsies? Will it be missed?

Praetorian Saighdiuir

The first suit that I puked on came from there

But I hate yer man O'Farrell, so

oppenheimer1

I never used their services because renting a suit or a tux is a waste of money. Renting one 3 or 4 times will cost the same as buying one outright.

Have to say I did admire Niall O'Farrell original marketing strategy, it was very clever to be fair. Businesses such as his though were always going to struggle in an era of falling disposable incomes. It failed to adapt, and thus it failed.

efb

How man Dragons have gone bust now?

tonycascarino

3 now I think, and these were the people telling you whether your business idea was a good one or not.

squod

I'll be sorry to see it go. I'd say the cleaning company it used will be happy about it.

Lone Stone

i remember renting my debs suit from there ah well !

admiralofthefleet

my brother is renting the suits from them for his wedding next month. :eek:

miller50841

Whatever way you look at it it's sad to see companies going bang and terrible for the staff.

gustafo

efb wrote: »

How man Dragons have gone bust now?

i doubt any of them are on the breadline anyway.

StinkyMunkey

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

my brother is renting the suits from them for his wedding next month. :eek:

M&S for a very decent tux for about 200, got mine for my wedding last November there. I sure did look daper.

ToddyDoody

No more "lets go to blacktie and fart in the suits". Shame. Sympathies to everyone effected.

ArtyM

Its a shame to see any business close, I take no pleasure from it..
However, those people did let me rent a white tux for one of the debs I attended.
A white f**kin tux!
I was 17, I didnt know any better.
Seriously, a white tux!
B**tards.

miller50841

ArtyM wrote: »

Its a shame to see any business close, I take no pleasure from it..
However, those people did let me rent a white tux for one of the debs I attended.
A white f**kin tux!
I was 17, I didnt know any better.
Seriously, a white tux!
B**tards.

Who was wearing the pink or blue one:D

Big Nasty

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

my brother is renting the suits from them for his wedding next month. :eek:

Tell him to go to M&S.

I had to attend a Black Tie gig a few times a year in work. Used to rent a scruffy ill fitting suit from them for cq. €70 a turn. Bought a suit, shirt and bow tie for €120 in M&S last year and billed it to the company.

They were happy out as it saved them €90 in one year, got a nice fresh suit and got to keep it when I left the company late last year.

WoollyRedHat

Some of the prices they charged were crazy...

admiralofthefleet

StinkyMunkey wrote: »

M&S for a very decent tux for about 200, got mine for my wedding last November there. I sure did look daper.

thanks but he should have taken the advice from me and the other brother as we went with tango's in temple bar for our weddings

anncoates

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

my brother is renting the suits from them for his wedding next month. :eek:

Pick them up now and don't give them back.

Gummy Panda

Sad for people to lose their jobs but last time i used them for a work event they gave me a ill fitting suit then shrugged their shoulders. The shirt seemed like it had the wrong size cuffs sowed on.

Fox_In_Socks

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Sad for people to lose their jobs but last time i used them for a work event they gave me a ill fitting suit then shrugged their shoulders. The shirt seemed like it had the wrong size cuffs sowed on.

But Panda, you are well dressed all the time? I mean you have a furry tux on 24/7?

kfallon

Fox_In_Socks wrote: »

But Panda, you are well dressed all the time? I mean you have a furry tux on 24/7?

He was only in for a dickie bow

Smidge

Anyone have an idea how many are employed with blacktie?

Ihatecuddles-old

ArtyM wrote: »

Its a shame to see any business close, I take no pleasure from it..
However, those people did let me rent a white tux for one of the debs I attended.
A white f**kin tux!
I was 17, I didnt know any better.
Seriously, a white tux!
B**tards.

Black shows up stains, they saved you the awkward drop off in the cleaners :P

WindSock

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Sad for people to lose their jobs but last time i used them for a work event they gave me a ill fitting suit then shrugged their shoulders. The shirt seemed like it had the wrong size cuffs sowed on.

Did you make an off the cuff remark about this incident at the time?

road_high

Bit like renting movies to be honest. Can buy a suit/tux these days for not a fierce lot more and have them to wear again and again. Renting would want to be dirt cheap to work but the opposite would be the case. Except amybe for formal wedding gear anything else, more sensible to buy.

WindSock

WindSock wrote: »

Did you make an off the cuff remark about this incident at the time?

He should have made a formal complaint.

Hooked

WindSock wrote: »

Did you make an off the cuff remark about this incident at the time?

Stop! You'll have him tied up in knots!!!

Praetorian Saighdiuir

These tasteless pun's don't suit this thread at all!

Ihatecuddles-old

mfitzy wrote: »

Bit like renting movies to be honest. Can buy a suit/tux these days for not a fierce lot more and have them to wear again and again. Renting would want to be dirt cheap to work but the opposite would be the case. Except amybe for formal wedding gear anything else, more sensible to buy.

You wouldn't steal a suit!

jd007

Ihatecuddles wrote: »

You wouldn't steal a suit!

the_syco

Ihatecuddles wrote: »

You wouldn't steal a suit!

It wouldn't suit you to steal it, though.

=-=

admiralofthefleet; usually only a deposit is paid beforehand, but if it's paid by creditcard, do a chargeback.

I can see this fcuking up a few weddings!

orestes

Ihatecuddles wrote: »

You wouldn't steal a suit!

I'm from Tallaght, damn right I would! How else am I supposed to get one for the hearing for all those illegal downloading charges?

Ihatecuddles-old

orestes wrote: »

I'm from Tallaght, damn right I would! How else am I supposed to get one for the hearing for all those illegal downloading charges?

Tallaght? Steal the suit and the till :P

Lyaiera

They should have moved into the couture dress rental business. I saw a site renting dresses that would have been part of designers' Oscars and Golden Globes lines for the low-low price of only €400, including delivery and collection.

Although that might not be such a good plan when a dressmaker could probably knock you up an equivalent dress you could keep for the same price. (So long as you don't mind fake pearls as opposed to the real pearls on the dress.)

doughef

sad for all concerend.. but i rented my groomsmens suits for my wedding from there (bought my own elsewhere)..

they were beyond brutal.. kept giving wrong sizes after more than 2 fittings,..lost our order blah blah blah..they didnt give a shi*

usual story.. we left it too late to go elsewhere but no wonder they are gone bust

Poster Boy

Lyaiera wrote: »

They should have moved into the couture dress rental business. I saw a site renting dresses that would have been part of designers' Oscars and Golden Globes lines for the low-low price of only €400, including delivery and collection.

Although that might not be such a good plan when a dressmaker could probably knock you up an equivalent dress you could keep for the same price. (So long as you don't mind fake pearls as opposed to the real pearls on the dress.)

That's a really good angle - I hope one of their people sees this thread, and sure who knows...

Separately I see The Savoy Cinema is now under threat of closure also
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/courts/workers-at-two-famous-dublin-cinemas-appeal-over-winding-up-hearing-3363203.html

When is all this awful woe going to end?

Faith+1

Poster Boy wrote: »

That's a really good angle - I hope one of their people sees this thread, and sure who knows...

Separately I see The Savoy Cinema is now under threat of closure also
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/courts/workers-at-two-famous-dublin-cinemas-appeal-over-winding-up-hearing-3363203.html

When is all this awful woe going to end?

WTF! This is getting outa hand ffs :mad:

iamstop

Never liked them. Glad they are finally gone.

iamstop

iamstop wrote: »

Never liked them. Glad they are finally gone.

And glad that their staff may find themselves jobless and the number of people in our live register will rise?

But you never liked them, so that's ok then.

Pottler

Hi, My Names Pottler.(insert condescending, knowing smile) Niall, well, what can I say, it's just not for me, I don't see it being a long term viable business, and for that reason, I'm Out.

Sky King

Hi, My Names Pottler.(insert condescending, knowing smile) Niall, well, what can I say, it's just not for me, I don't see it being a long term viable business, and for that reason, I'm Out.

Schadenfreude much?

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Sad for people to lose their jobs but last time i used them for a work event they gave me a ill fitting suit then shrugged their shoulders. The shirt seemed like it had the wrong size cuffs sowed on.

I'd say they were double cuffs - you are asposed to fold them back.

Or leave them unfolded and put the shirt on a gorilla.

shalalala

Trust me. Staff have known they were on a sinking ship for a long time.

corkgsxr

They were much dearer than morleys. Who also had a better selection.

I went to black tie for wedding suits 20 mins later I still couldn't get prices

No wonder there gone

MurdyWurdy

Sad for the staff, but the place has a terrible reputation especially for people getting suits for weddings. It is well known for providing ill-fitting and dirty suits. I was warned off them by a friend for our wedding. We ended up paying more to go elsewhere (to somewhere that was recommended on boards actually) but couldn't have been happier with the service - it was worth it.

iamstop

Deleted User wrote: »

And glad that their staff may find themselves jobless and the number of people in our live register will rise?

But you never liked them, so that's ok then.

It leaves the suit hiring market wide open for more competent and better serviced places

hames

Lyaiera wrote: »

They should have moved into the couture dress rental business. I saw a site renting dresses that would have been part of designers' Oscars and Golden Globes lines for the low-low price of only €400, including delivery and collection.

A man can wear the same, standard evening suit 50 times and nobody will notice. Or if they do, they might even commend him on his frugality!

If a woman wears the same ball gown twice, she is liable to be reminded of that fact!

Bad investment choice Niall. I, also, am out.

Lyaiera

hames wrote: »

A man can wear the same, standard evening suit 50 times and nobody will notice. Or if they do, they might even commend him on his frugality!

If a woman wears the same ball gown twice, she is liable to be reminded of that fact!

Bad investment choice Niall. I, also, am out.

I don't think you understand the concept of renting.

hames

Of course I do.

But the available evidence would suggest that most men don't agree that there is any benefit in continuously renting different suits, which, for many of us, represents a false economy.

Lyaiera

hames wrote: »

Of course I do.

But the available evidence would suggest that most men don't agree with the concept of continuously renting different suits, which, for many of us, represents a false economy.

If you're talking about renting men's suits why did you quote me talking about renting women's dresses?

hames

Lyaiera wrote: »

If you're talking about renting men's suits why did you quote me talking about renting women's dresses?

Because this thread is about men's suits.

And for that reason, among others which perusers will recognize, I presumed you were speaking of dress suits.

I have no idea why a men's dress suit retail outlet would see it as viable to automatically move into the gown rental business; they have very little in common, aside from being vaguely related to fabrics.

Lyaiera

hames wrote: »

Because this thread is about men's suits.

And for that reason, among others which perusers will recognize, I presumed you were speaking of dress suits.

I have no idea why a men's dress suit retail outlet would see it as viable to automatically move into the gown rental business; they have very little in common, aside from being vaguely related to fabrics.

I said "couture dress" that can only refer to women's dresses. The generic term is couture clothing, or simply couture. If you were thinking men's dress suits what business did you think Black Tie were in already? Black tie rented out dress suits. How could I suggest moving into an area they were already in?

And the clothing rental business has a lot of similarity no matter what clothing you rent. I doubt you know much about it because you think Black Tie were in some industry other than "dress suit rental."