[Tommy]

Rhythmn Riot would be the best one for a stall. Rockabilly Rave is a bit more mad. Riot seems to be more laid back and maybe more varied in the band's and DJs. Most importantly the style at the Riot is more likely to broader.

[Edward]

Rhythmn Riot would be the best one for a stall. Rockabilly Rave is a bit more mad. Riot seems to be more laid back and maybe more varied in the band's and DJs. Most importantly the style at the Riot is more likely to broader.

The Rave I've yet to get to, but I do hear that it's more hardcore that way. THe Riot is style as "40s/50s" (though vastly 50s biased, as is the norm with these things), and it does seem to attract a somewhat wider market as you say. There are things I'd take to the Riot that might not sell at the Rave. I remember Chester Cordite having a stall at the Riot in their early days, and they got a fair level of interest. The 40s Hollywood jacket project would go over well at the Riot, ditto the 33, perhaps some of the suits (worksuit I think), also denim, the knit wear... It would have been the ideal market if SJC wanted to revisit the engineer boots. The SJC denims, especially things like the Brakeman and Yardboss, and the Yardboss jackets, would catch attention there as sellers. Caps definitely, ditto bandanas.

The nice thing about doing weekends at different times of year would be having a different season/collection to push.

[Sean Longden]

I would like to see SJC try to break into markets such as this. Given enough time, SJC could have a small range of garments directly targeted at the potential customer group. I think i will talk to Simon about trying something like that ...

[Edward]

I would like to see SJC try to break into markets such as this. Given enough time, SJC could have a small range of garments directly targeted at the potential customer group. I think i will talk to Simon about trying something like that ...

Good idea. In truth, I think it's a good one. Yes, in some ways there is more competition with the 50s stuff, but also there's a bigger market. Beyond that, in truth a lot of the rockabilly stuff I've seen borders on fancy-dress quality,while SJC is head and shoulders above it. (The dreaded footwear, I know, but the SJC engineer boots with the heel-angle sorted would blow out of the water anything I've seen on the stalls at UK events, and they were priced on the one hand cheaper enough than the likes of RedWing to be very attractive without being so much cheaper that they looked like a budget or starter option. Being Horween leather also gave them a certain cachet that is already a known brand).


Really, much of the existing SJC stock could be easily marketed to the rockabilly crowd already, perhaps with just a tweak to the shirt-collar shape if we're talking button-ups, and it would take very little to produce a pegged-version of the existing 40s trouser patterns. I still maintain that if you're targetting beyond the 30s/40s vintage niche, a decent pair of pegs in an early-mid fifties cut makes huge sense (even buy the pattern from Evadress that everyone does, but make them in decent fabric - including washable!). I have a 50s British suit that would be perfect to copy trousers from. Much of the outerwear SJC has already done will appeal to that market - the short jackets, the 33.... in terms of workwear, all the 40sish stuff slips perfectly into the rockabilly niche. Even if you don't want to commit to introducing a 50s jacket, the 40s style Hollywood jacket SJC already has in mind could sell here. It really wouldn't be hard to hit Rhythm Riot with selected pieces from the line already, but especially with just one or two other bits, you could quickly have a solid, rockabilly-saleable capsule wardrobe collection.

It's also a market that could well buy into the printed Tees that Simon tried out a while back but didn't sell to the 'vintage' set.

[Tommy]

Not sure how well Tees would do, but 30s trousers, polos, 'college' style knitwear, workshirts, a Hollywood jacket, 'golf' jackets all have potential on the rockin' scene.

[Edward]

Not sure how well Tees would do, but 30s trousers, polos, 'college' style knitwear, workshirts, a Hollywood jacket, 'golf' jackets all have potential on the rockin' scene.

What do you think about a bowling-style shirt - with pleats for movement - made out of the cellular cotton (entirely, or perhaps the pleats, to act like 'vents') ?

I think that could go down well with hardcore dancers, at least for more casual settings.

[willyto]

Not sure how well Tees would do, but 30s trousers, polos, 'college' style knitwear, workshirts, a Hollywood jacket, 'golf' jackets all have potential on the rockin' scene.

What do you think about a bowling-style shirt - with pleats for movement - made out of the cellular cotton (entirely, or perhaps the pleats, to act like 'vents') ?

I think that could go down well with hardcore dancers, at least for more casual settings.

I don't think the curent cellular cotton shirts need any pleats at all. They have a wide range of movement. If anything I would even make the armhole a bit higher so the top sleeve area isn't as wide but I now some are not a fun of that.

[Tommy]

I don't know about bowling shirts, but maybe a camp or loop collar short version? Not sure how chest pockets would look on the cloth so maybe without?