Saks has announced that the new Kiton range of suits  list at $7,000.  The “special order” version is priced at $20,000.  They say it takes them 25 hours to make a jacket. ( Our bespoke jackets take about 40 hours to make.)  Compared to Brioni’s $43,000 suit it sounds like the bargain of the century .  And I thought $6 for a coke at Westminster was outrageous.  I am obviously behind the times.

My two days at The Westminster Kennel Club show - February 9 & 10 - were a happy change of pace from my usual days at 11 East 44th Street.  The show, which is the best run dog show on the planet, had a few less dogs and a smaller gate; but those who did attend , both breeders and observers, were smiling for two days. Even in the informal setting of the Madison Square Garden “benching” area, I was aware of what people were wearing.  Not many men were wearing jackets and ties.  This came as no surprise- one can stand on 5th Avenue in mid-town  Manhattan and the well dressed man is the exception. We still sold a lot of ties .  And although few men wear felt hats, we soldsusex a fair number of baseball caps with one’s favorite breed embroidered on the front. This year’s winner was a Sussex Spaniel.  Alas, we do not offer the breed on our ties or caps. Wait till next year !

Prominently woven into the Chipp2 mission are the products we make that feature dog breeds. Those products are neckties, suspenders, cosmetic bags, belts and pillows that feature 90 different breeds, and wristwatches and fob watches that feature 200 breeds.  We also make custom watch products where we put an individuals own dog’s image onto a watch face.  My two favorite days of the year for our “dog” business are spent at annual Westminster Kennel Club Show.  The show, which is held at Madison Square Garden,  will be celebrated this year on February 9 and 10. It is truly the Super Bowl of dog shows, attracting competitors and visitors from the far reaches of the planet. We have a booth- actually 6 feet of space- located in the hallowed “benching” area. We don’t get to see the show.  We do get to see the dogs and sell lots of our ” People Stuff for Dog Lovers”.   I am always amused by the breeders who ,when  “judging” the ties, tell us we have done a superb job in executing every breed except their breed.  Weaving a breed, every breed, is impressionistic- not photograhic reproduction.      ( The watch products are photographic reproductions.) I always agree with them.  If they don’t understand the difference between a living dog and a woven piece of cloth, what can I say?