It's our great pleasure to announce the winners of the Browncoat Fan Art Contest! In partnership with the fine folks at the Bring Back Firefly Facebook Page, we asked Firefly fans to create their own original Browncoat character who is living life on the "raggedy edge" like Malcolm Reynolds in the Serenity 'Verse. This was no easy task and each entry took a lot of creativity and guts!
All the entries were fantastic (and all were posted to the "Photos" section of the Bring Back Firefly Facebook Page) but three pieces of art stood out above the rest in terms of both creativity and skill. Here they are in order, folks, the shiniest of the shiny (click the images below for larger versions).
1) "The Raven" by William Frank
William created a gorgeous piece of art using acrylic and marker on paper, showing a new Browncoat Captain along with his ship and crew engaged in a fierce battle that would make Jayne Cobb jealous! For his efforts, William takes the top prize and earned himself a gift certificate for $150 off a new Malcolm Reynolds Browncoat from AbbyShot Clothiers.
2) "Independent Woman" by Kyle Burles
Kyle's entry was ridiculously creative, as he created, in his own words: "a Victorian era / 'Verse hybrid advertisement for a woman's fashionista style browncoat." Nicely done Kyle! Your 2nd place prize is having your artwork as the profile pic for Bring Back Firefly for 30 days.
3) "Reaver Huntin'" by Karen Barbour
Karen created a page from her own original Browncoat graphic novel, starring a tough female Captain who's itching for a "fair fight" with a few Reavers! That is some true bravery right there, can we see what happens next? ;) Third prize is honorable mention and (of course) the adoration of thousands of Firefly fans!
Thanks so much to our winners (we'll be in touch!) and to everyone who participated! We had a blast reviewing your entries and, we must say, your creativity truly astounded us!
Keep flyin' Browncoats,
The AbbyShot and Bring Back Firefly Teams
We are always up for sharing information about our products here at the AbbyShot Fashion Institute, but there is nothing quite like hearing the facts right from a customer's mouth. You may have recently seen the video we posted of a proud AbbyShot customer's Caramelldansen; well now he has another video showing all the facts and features of the Enigma trench coat.
Check out the video for yourself!
As proud as he is of owning his new Enigma trench coat, we are even more proud to have such a loyal and enthusiastic customer. Thanks a lot to Sile for the cool video!
So AbbyShot has left me like a hen on a hot rock, waiting for the sure-to-be-juicy June Newsletter. The good news is that Thursday is the final day of June so they pretty much HAVE to get the Newsletter out on June 30th! Unless they've managed to build that TARDIS they keep talking about...
Basically, if you're not on the Newsletter Subscriber List yet then you really should be. Details have been scarce, but I have dug up the fact that there are actually TWO official announcements in this Newsletter (whereas last week I learned there was one).
All I could find regarding this 2nd announcement was this digital colour sample. Does this look familiar? This June Newsletter can't get to my inbox fast enough!
As AbbyShot fans anxiously await the return of the Tenth Doctor's Coat, we can't help but ponder: Is there a possibility for a return of the Tenth Doctor himself to Doctor Who?
First of all - the latest news on thecoat. We were hoping and trying with all our might to ship out the new Tenth Doctor's Coats before the end of this week (the end of June). Unfortunately the ship-out date has had to be pushed back to next week (the first week of July). We are so sorry for this unexpected delay, and for all those who have pre-ordered, we thank you for your patience - the wait is almost over!
Now as for the return of the Tenth Doctor to our TV screens, we're leaning towards: Likely! There has already been speculation as to what is going to occur for the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who in 2013. We've heard that there will be a partial series in 2012 with cryptic hints from Steven Moffat himself about further plans for "cool stuff". We are definitely thinking that previous Doctor(s) will return in a special alongside Matt Smith in 2013.
Doctor Who tradition seems to dictate that anniversaries mean multiple Doctors working together. The 10th anniversary serial that ended in 1973 was entitled The Three Doctors and featured Doctors 1-3 fighting a common foe. In 1983, there was a similar concept entitled, aptly enough, The Five Doctors. The 50th anniversary is a huge event, so would Moffat really want to break with time-honoured tradition? Let's just say that he has no problem setting up a meeting between different incarnations of the Doctor...
We never get tired of watching that mini-episode, it's absolutely delightful :)
So do you think Steven Moffat has a plan to unite Eleven Doctors? Or does he have something even trickier in mind? It seems that Christopher Eccleston is not interested in returning as the Ninth Doctor, but would he change his mind if the story was good enough? We're thinking David Tennant would be up for another quick spin as the Tenth Doctor though!
What do you a) think will happen, or b) want to happen for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who? Speculate away in the Comments!
You never know what you're going to find in the AbbyShot Inbox!
Last week we received a heads-up email from a US customer named "Sile" about a certain YouTube link. He recently received his Kingdom Hearts inspired Enigma trench coat and sent in a few gothic-looking photos (that will be appearing on the blog soon enough)... but the video link he sent us was something else altogether!
Inspired by the (in)famous Caramelldansen Internet meme, Sile (rocking in his Enigma) plus his equally brave friends decided to take on the whole song and dance (danse?) routine... including some funky Organization 13 wig changes. Like many videos we receive here at AbbyShot, this has to be seen to be believed!
Big thanks to Sile and his friends!
Time to start practicing our moves... ;)
-The AbbyShot Dansen Team
Being a Doctor Who fan is an experience.
Wearing AbbyShot clothing is an experience.
But a Doctor Who fan wearing her AbbyShot jacket TO the Doctor Who Experience... well that's just mind-blowing!
Customer Gobelinette (a native of France) was sporting her Martha Jones Companion Jacket in London recently, and she sent in some absolutely amazing photos that would make the Doctor proud! This is a leather jacket that is ready for any adventure, and Gobelinette here is living proof!
Here's what she wrote in the initial email along with her photos (be sure to click any of the photos for much larger versions):
Hello, I have the pleasure of sending you a few photos taken at both the Doctor Who Exhibition and at The Who Shop in London. Thank you again for making fantastic clothing, All the best to you, Gobelinette
Why the pleasure is all ours, mademoiselle! These photos couldn't get any better: Outside the iconic "Blue Box", in front of the intimidating Pandorica, and... best of all... inside the Tenth Doctor's TARDIS!
Awe-inspiring (and jealousy-inducing) photos indeed! When we asked Gobelinette if we could publish her photos, she responded:
"You may certainly use the photos, I hope that they will inspire others to pick up this magnificient jacket."
What a class act. A worthy companion to the Doctor for sure ;)
Gobelinette was not the only AbbyShot customer to visit the Doctor Who Experience in style, however! Regular Blog readers may remember that UK customer James (a.k.a. Jamibu) tweeted us a link to a whole host of photos from his time at the Experience wearing his Tenth Doctor's Coat.
Jamibu sent in the photo on the left through Facebook; one of his first test-runs in his Tenth Doctor's Coat. Wow, that coat does look good with black gloves...
Huge thanks this month to both Gobelinette and Jamibu for the great Doctor Who themed photos! We hear that the Doctor Who Experience is going to end up in Cardiff so you've proved to us that we need to make the trek!
We'll be back next month with another Customer E-mails Blog Post, so be sure to email us your photos ('info[at]abbyshot.com') and you may see yourself here soon!
In last week's edition of the AbbyShot Fashion Institute we dipped our (proverbial) toes into the history of cyberpunk, and of course the landmark film in that genre that we couldn't HELP but discuss is the one and only Blade Runner. That film's effect on the evolution of cyberpunk is undeniable, though it was also one of the inspiring forces behind another intriguing subgenre: Future Noir.
Future Noir is an uber-stylish subgenre of sci-fi, also known as Tech Noir (stemming from a nightclub name in James Cameron's original Terminator). It seamlessly melds the thematic elements and visual cues from classic Film Noir along with the technology and storylines of sci-fi. Recent examples of Future Noir include the wildly popular Inception and the not-so-well-received Repo Men. But Future Noir has a long and storied history between landmarks like Blade Runner and Inception, boasting many standout films and styles that have appealed to AbbyShot. Here are just three of our top Future Noir films and their fashion highlights...
1) Brazil (1985)
"Don't fight it son. Confess quickly! If you hold out too long you could jeopardize your credit rating."
Terry Gilliam, famed animator from Monty Python's Flying Circus, created a version of George Orwell's bleak novel Nineteen Eighty-Four that combined film noir fashion with Gilliam's black humour and stunning visual style.
The totalitarian future world that Gilliam creates is a world of government-endorsed fear, lonely grey hallways, and overpowering duct-work, populated entirely by characters wearing clothing that would be right at home in a Humphrey Bogart picture from the 1940's. And this style is just fine by us. There's something timeless about classic suits and ties that perfectly matches the timeless theme of this film: Keep fighting for individuality, no matter how long the odds may be.
2) Dark City (1998)
"When was the last time you remember doing something during the day?"
Released the year before The Matrix, Dark City is a Future Noir mood piece that shared many of the same themes as that more well-known film featuring Neo and Trinity. In it, a man with amnesia wakes up to a city where no one seems to remember the daylight and strange beings control the populace and shift the surroundings every night. Directed by Alex Proyas, most famous for The Crow, this is another film that uses Film Noir wardrobe to create a compelling look and feel, as well as touchstones such as the smoky nightclub where Jennifer Connelly's character is a popular singer. The classic suits and dark overcoats serve to ground the film even when it goes into fairly wild sci-fi territory in its second half.
3) Minority Report (2002)
"Sometimes, in order to see the light, you have to risk the dark."
Our final film for this post is even newer still: Stephen Spielberg's take on Future Noir, Minority Report. All the Film Noir elements are here: a down-on-his-luck detective, a crooked police force, a framed man, a woman in trouble... and they all take place in a future world that looks uncomfortably like our own. Only Colin Farrell sports the classic suit-and-tie look, though the simplicity of all the costumes in this film harken back to the enduring visual style of Film Noir. Tom Cruise's main character, for example, wears a sleek black leather jacket that would fit into any time period. If you haven't seen this one yet, the scene with the heat-detecting spider robots and the bathtub full of ice is worth the price of admission alone.
We hope you enjoyed this quick tour of a few non-Blade Runner Future Noir classics! What's your favourite? Feel free to let us know in the Comments below!
Ah, some call it perseverance, some call it tenacity. Call it what you wish, but it pays off when sleuthing around AbbyShot. I kept my ear close to the ground and I can tell you with a fair amount of certainty that AbbyShot is going to be making a big announcement in this month's newsletter.
I had hoped to be able to scoop them here, but they have the materials locked down under guard (dang that Abby-Bot anyway). My usual tactics of getting around it no longer work so they must have reprogrammed it. I do know, though, that there is a lot of buzz around this announcement so it must be big. While trying to draw the guard's attention away from the treasure on one hand, my other hand snapped this bit of a picture. I apologize for its quality, but it was the best I could manage. Sleuthing continues. I will see you here next week at our usual time and place. In the meantime, if you have other ideas as to what YOU would like to see happening, slip me a line here on the Blog, on Twitter or on the AbbyShot Facebook Page.
Three years ago today, on June 21st, 2008, the Doctor Who episode "Turn Left" first aired. It was an episode from the Tenth Doctor's run, though it barely featured the Doctor himself.
Instead, this unique episode presented an alternate history where companion Donna Noble did NOT meet the Doctor. This seemingly minor change led to the Doctor dying during the confrontation with the Racnoss seen in "The Runaway Bride" (as well as leading to the sad out-of-commission TARDIS in the photo on the left). As fans will remember from this episode, the world without the Doctor is not a pretty place!
It would be comparable to, say... life without the Tenth Doctor's Coat!
"There is some magical aura that you get when you throw on the coat, like you know you’re off on an adventure."
That statement is so true; the feeling of wearing this coat is something that can only be experienced first-hand! Luckily, you're closer than ever to owning your own Tenth Doctor's Coat. Due to high demand, the coats have been out of stock for a few months now... but that's due to change very soon! We're expecting new Tenth Doctor's Coats back in stock to start shipping out around the end of next week for those wise (and molto bene) folks who already have their pre-orders in. Life without the Tenth Doctor's Coat will be "a thing of the past" for you folks soon!
Haven't placed your Tenth Doctor's Coat pre-order yet? Now is the perfect time: Our Shipping Department will be sending out coats on a first-come-first-serve basis so the quicker you get your order in, the quicker you'll be able to throw on your own Tenth Doctor's Coat! The other reason to get your pre-order in ASAP: These are always popular coats and, from experience, the moment coats are in stock certain sizes start getting low very quickly. Don't take the chance on your size running out! And of course Contact Us if you have ANY sizing questions at all, we're always happy to help.
It's time to let this Doctor Who coat into your life:
Malcolm Reynolds is a manly guy trying to make ends meet. He works hard while keeping his rowdy crew in line (despite many a family squabble!). Does this remind you of anyone you know?
To celebrate hard-working men everywhere (like your nearest and dearest Dad or Dad-to-be), AbbyShot Clothiers has put the Malcolm Reynolds Browncoat on sale for Father's Day weekend only! The Browncoat price is now 20% off, making the Father's Day sale price $294.00 CAD (versus the regular retail price of $366.00 CAD). We've even kept the free shipping in effect for you fine folks!
The sale just started this morning (June 17th) and ends this Sunday night, June 19th. There's barely a need to tell you: This is a VERY limited-time sale and will be over before you know it! Get the Browncoat you've been dreaming of now, there's no better time!
The E3 video game expo last week gave us many sneak peeks into the future of gaming, including a fantastic trailer for the return of cyberpunk epic Deus Ex (see the end of this article for the video!). For this edition of the AbbyShot Fashion Institute we thought it was the perfect time to explore the cyberpunk genre and its many influences on AbbyShot designs.
The term "cyberpunk" originated from the literary field (a word combining cybernetics and punk) and was first coined back in 1983 by author Bruce Bethke in his short story (appropriately) titled "Cyberpunk". Other writers were simultaneously jumping into this budding genre, including now household-names William Gibson and Neal Stephenson. Cyberpunk stories are usually set in a near-future world where new technology has unintended consequences and feature anti-hero protagonists (normally hackers) who fight against the established social and technological order of their world.
It didn't take long for these ambitious stories to capture the imagination of filmmakers, and in fact many pre-1983 films are considered cyberpunk classics today, with one big example being Ridley Scott's futuristic film noirBlade Runner (1982). It's said that William Gibson was nearly scared off of finishing his now classic cyberpunk novel Neuromancer because he thought readers would assume he copied the visual texture of Blade Runner for his book. Luckily the cyberpunk genre turned out to be a huge "playground" for writers and filmmakers with many distinctive stories soon added into the mix. The film noir influences seen in Blade Runner remain a staple of many cyberpunk tales, with Rick Deckard's futuristic detective's trench coat influencing later cyberpunk fashion (and of course, AbbyShot!).
Japanese manga and anime, for example, produced many cyberpunk tales including the 1980's anime heavyweight Akira as well as popular anime series Ghost in the Shell. The young biker protagonist in Akira, Kaneda, wore a red jacket with the pill on the back, which has become an iconic image recognized worldwide by genre fans. Ghost in the Shell, meanwhile, has a protagonist, Major Motoko Kusanagi, who is part-woman, part-cyborg (another common theme in cyberpunk) and who wears distinctive clothing that combines military stylings and dark leathers along with Japanese and futuristic elements. One unique clothing item from the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series inspired AbbyShot to create the GIG Shrug, a ladies' leather cyberpunk shrug unlike any other.
And let's not forget the 1999 film that brought cyberpunk to new heights: The Matrix. This ground-breaking and mind-bending film followed a computer hacker who became all-powerful in a computer-generated world that just happens to be... our reality. The clothing in this film took many fashion elements that were already brewing in the cyberpunk genre and pushed them to the attention of the mainstream. The flowing black trench coats, the gloves, the sunglasses, the leather boots... all these elements combine to form an iconic look. There's a reason why AbbyShot's Matrix style coat, the Lobby Trench, is still going strong after all these years!
The Matrix then went on to greatly influence the newest wave of entertainment, video games, with one of the most prominent examples being the Deus Ex series. This recent E3 trailer we referred to in our intro proudly displays many of the cyberpunk themes discussed in this article along with, of course, some very cool clothing...
We hope you enjoyed this quick overview of the world of cyberpunk and we'll see you next Thursday for a new edition of the AbbyShot Fashion Institute!
I think a few people might have been spot on last week (thanks joshspiderman23 and Anonymous), and while I have not been able to garner any further information as to whether it's a mere thought or into full-swing production, you can rest assured that I will continue to probe and pry to find out more details for you.
AbbyShot team in a secretive huddle.
It has been a most frustrating week for me, I must admit. Search as I might, I have not come across one fabric sample or notion left lying about which will give me a hint as to what the ever-so-secretive Design Team is working on.
Clearly there is something brewing, since the air around HQ is palpable with excitement... whistling, whispering and singing going on all around me. To be honest, it's quite disgusting. Even the dang AbbyBot is buzzing about to its own rhythm.
One thing I CAN tell you at this stage: There WILL be some sort of announcement this Friday through AbbyShot's Social Media accounts. This one may or may not be new product related, but from what I've gathered it seems like some sort of exciting news for the weekend. Certainly check back here on the Blog this Friday afternoon.
I will keep everything monitored closely and will let you know where my sleuthing takes me next week.
If you have any ideas as to what might be coming down the tubes, please feel free to write to me here on the Blog, on Twitter or on the AbbyShot Facebook Page.
It's going to be a LONG wait until September! The latest episode of Doctor Who was a fast-paced and utterly thrilling mid-season finale that left us so very hungry for more.
Steven Moffat has become the master (no pun intended!) of the epic Doctor Who story as the first part of this episode effortlessly spans many centuries and planets to bring together a diverse cast of characters on both sides of the Doctor's "war". The ending does indeed bring a promised game-changing plot twist that leaves a wealth of possibilities open for the second half of Series 6 in the Fall.
"A Good Man Goes to War" was an exciting hour of television though we dare not give away too much detail here in the intro due to one of River Song's favourite words: Spoilers! There are indeed major spoilers below so read on only if you've seen this latest episode. If so... let's jump right in!
How time flies! You may have noticed a change to the AbbyShot website, specifically to the pages for our popular Malcolm Reynolds Browncoat. It turns out that the countdown is ON - there's under three months left for you to order your very own limited edition Browncoat from AbbyShot.com!
The image above is what you would have seen this morning on the Browncoat landing page, but of course as each second goes by that countdown gets lower and lower!
August 29, 2011 is the final day that the Browncoat will be listed on AbbyShot.com, but we highly recommend that you don't wait until the last minute to order yours. There is a limited inventory of Browncoats remaining which means that certain sizes WILL sell out sooner than others. And once they're gone 'into the black'... they're really gone!
If you have some mad artistic skills, there's even a Browncoat Fan Art Contest you can take part in! You may have seen this on the blog earlier this week, it's being hosted by the Bring Back Firefly Facebook Page and can net you $150.00 off a new Browncoat! The submission deadline is June 16.
Don't miss out on this precious cargo: Order the coat fans are calling "one of the shiniest coats in all of the 'verse" before your size runs out!
A lot of our customers who buy our coats to wear for cosplay also like to make some of their own clothing and accessories. We here in the AbbyShot Production Department thought we would share some little tips with our customers that will maybe help them along a bit.
One question people have asked us is how to top stitch pleather on a domestic sewing machine. This can be tricky because the fabric has a tenancy to stick to the foot. What some places do is use thin tissue paper on top of the fabric and then rip off the paper later. Our sewers here at AbbyShot recommend you use lip gloss on the bottom of the foot to help the pleather slide through. Then just wipe off the lip gloss after!
If you are using a pattern to make your own costume, make sure you follow the grain of the fabric. There are lines on the pattern to show which way to lay it. Do not ignore these, they will make all the difference when it comes to how your clothing fits and hangs.
We have a division of our company Joos For Life that specializes in sewing stretchwear. If you are sewing a stretchy fabric, it is best to use a serger, but if you do not have a serger, use a straight stitch machine on a small stitch length.
Sewing on a button may seem simple to a lot of people, but there are a lot out there that would never attempt it (one AbbyShot employee in particular, but we won't mention any names!). Check out our video tutorial of how to sew on a button, the AbbyShot way!
We love to help people create the perfect costumes! If you have any questions for our production department or any suggestions for future Fashion Institute articles, please let us know!
So, I came across this photo on one of the production desks. It seems like an old photo for there is very little colour and it's almost a sepia overtone. I figure it's circa 1930's. I haven't figured out yet what it means exactly, but obviously someone has some ideas at AbbyShot's HQ. Yet why is there not more to the picture? It is almost as if someone stepped out of the shot. Most depressing. Anyhow, I will follow up on this and post any other information that comes across their desks and report back with more news next week.
In the meantime, if you have any thoughts or views you would like to share, please feel free to write to me here on the Blog, on Twitter or on the AbbyShot Facebook Page.
The gangers are back, and this time... they've called a Doctor!
The latest episode of Doctor Who, the excellent conclusion of a two-parter that began two weeks ago, gave us a delightful double-dose of the Doctor (alliteration anyone?) as the shape-shifting Flesh made a copy of the Eleventh Doctor himself. And a fine copy it was! After enduring some "dealing with previous regenerations" jitters at the start of the episode, the 'doppelganger Doctor' was on his game and indistinguishable from the 'real thing'. Which, of course, caused much consternation for Ms. Amy Pond. Which turned out to be more than a little ironic... but more on that later!
As always, if you haven't seen this new episode of Doctor Who then there are indeed spoilers below!
Let's jump right in for our thoughts on Series 6 Episode 6: "The Almost People"...
First off: The episode's title. We're of two minds about it. It describes the episode fairly well but it doesn't really have a Doctor Who ring to it. It sounds like an '80s glam-rock band. It's a minor quibble to be sure... and they certainly could have gone cheesier with the title (Doppelgang-up? Double Trouble? Ok, we'll stop now!)
Everyone knows that Malcolm Reynolds is a Browncoat, a war veteran on the side of the Independents who survived many hard-fought battles against the Alliance. Ever since the war, he lives life on the 'raggedy edge' - but still dons his fine brown coat as a daily reminder of his wartime past and an outward sign of his rebellious spirit.
It was a big war though with many fine soldiers fighting alongside Mal (including Zoe, just to name one!), so we're wondering:
If you could design your own Browncoat character, what would he or she look like?
We want your fan art and in exchange, you can win a great prize!
Think about what kind of Browncoats would be needed for the war effort: Would you put yourself in the Serenity 'Verse as an original Independent soldier? Create an original Browncoat with a steampunk edge? Maybe put your Browncoat on a war-time propaganda-style poster? Create a new Browncoat with a different take on the "Wild West" style of Firefly?
Upload your fan art submission as a photo through the Bring Back Firefly Facebook page. Submissions can be hand-drawn, painted, photographed, computer-generated, it's totally up to you! The only rule is that it must be an original Browncoat character and it must be PG. So let your creativity soar!
The contest winner will receive a Gift Certificate from AbbyShot Clothiers for $150.00 off a new Malcolm Reynolds Browncoat!
Keep flyin' and we look forward to your entry!
First Place: $150 off a NEW Malcolm Reynolds Limited Addition Browncoat from AbbyShot Clothiers Second Place: Your artwork as the profile pic for Bring Back Firefly for at least 30 days Third Place: Honorable mention and the adoration of thousands of Firefly fans
Official Rules:
1. Photos/artwork submitted become property of Bring Back Firefly and/or AbbyShot Clothiers
2. Fans will vote on the best submissions for the top 10. Bring Back Firefly and AbbyShot Clothiers will then select the top three.
3. Winner will be notified via Facebook announcement on this page on 30 JUN 2011. It will be winners responsibility to reply within 7 days of notification to arrange delivery of prize.
4. Submissions must be posted on the Bring Back Firefly fan page no later than 16 JUN 2011. Voting for the top 10 will close on 23 JUN 2011. Top three will be announced on 30 JUN 2011.
5. FULL DISCLOSURE! First prize is a $150 gift certificate to be used on a Malcolm Reynolds Limited Edition Browncoat from AbbyShot Clothiers. These coats are to be discontinued after 31 AUG 2011. So this gift certificate will expire after 31 JUL 2011 to insure you can get the size you want!
6. Bring Back Firefly reserves the right to make final interpretation of these rules.
This is always a sad time for AbbyShot: Saying goodbye to one of our products. As Newsletter subscribers may have already heard, AbbyShot is retiring the Squall Jacket. This Final Fantasy VIII inspired leather jacket was launched way back in 2007 and has been a fan-favourite ever since. Taking the unique look of Squall Leonhart and transforming that into a high-quality jacket you can actually wear on a daily basis? It's something you can only get from AbbyShot and fans responded in kind with glowing reviews. Now, four years later, it's time to bid the Squall Jacket a fond farewell.
So why has AbbyShot decided to retire the Squall Jacket?
One of the main selling points of this jacket is its high-quality and screen-accurate faux-fur that looks and moves just like what you see in the original game. Unfortunately this unique fur is no longer available to us, after trying all avenues, so this had to signify the end of the Squall Jacket design.
I've been saving up, can I still buy a Squall Jacket?
You can as of the date of today's blog post, but only for a VERY limited time! We have enough fur supply remaining to make a small number of jackets in either set-size or custom, so if you're interested in getting one of the final AbbyShot Squall Jackets, be sure to book yours ASAP!
You need only visit one of the Squall product pages to order your own:
Each day our email inbox is flooded with emails from customers all over
the world giving us suggestions and inquiring about our products. For all of you wondering fans, we thought we would answer some 'frequently asked questions'.
You may wonder if, when you suggest a product, do we actually take it into account? We do for sure! We keep track of every suggestion that comes in. The ones that we see a lot, we add to a separate list and if we think they have potential, we will then move forward with it. That is why sometimes you will see us asking in our blogs about what you, the fans, think of an idea.
Sometimes people ask if we can bring back a previous design. If enough people ask, we will consider it, but sometimes it is not possible. It is not as simple as just starting to make them again. We would have to find or make the fabrics and other accessories again. In regards to buckles, buttons or patches, for example, they might not be available anymore. A lot of customers ask if we can make just one for them. Unless we are going to bring back a product for a full run, it is not normally feasible to do that. The amount of work that would go in to bringing back just one would not be cost effective for us or the customer. Also, that would not be fair to the other customers who request "just one" of something else!
Customers often ask if we will make a one-of-a-kind design for them. We stopped doing this a couple of years ago as it would be very expensive for the customer and also, our design and production teams are always very busy working on new product ideas. There are always at least a couple of new garments in the works, so that is what we focus the majority of our 'design time' on.
Probably the most common thing we are asked is how to know which size coat or jacket to order. Each item has its own size chart tab on its product page. When you hover your mouse over each section of the chart, there is than an image that appears to the right showing you how to properly measure. We are always here for assistance with measurements, of course, through our Contact Page. The most important thing to remember is that the measurements listed on the sizing chart are of the wearer, not of the garments themselves. We build in a certain amount of 'ease of wear', so you just have to worry about your measurements.
Hopefully this answers a lot of your questions! But, of course, we are always here to answer any questions you may have if you contact us!
I thank Derek, Cédric,and Andrew for their astute suggestions as to the possible identity of the fabric photo in question last week. I'll keep you posted on what else I find out about this mystery photo.
In the meantime, I was most upset to see that AbbyShot beat me to the punch this week! I see that yesterday they posted the same photo that I have here in their May Newsletter. I thought for sure I could surprise you with the new snap for the Dante coat, but I was thwarted! I wonder if that dang AbbyBot has been secretly reporting me back to HQ.
Well, I know that in the near future they plan on having the four new styles of Dante coats in stock, so I will be sure to grab some pictures of those and get them out to you as quickly as possible. This much-anticipated coat is so very cool. You will want to check out the intimate details in person, I know. As Dante would say, "Okay, are
you ready? C'mon babes, LETS ROCK!!"
I would love to hear your thoughts on the Dante snap, so please feel free to write to me here on the Blog, on Twitter or on the AbbyShot Facebook Page. Hopefully it won't be long before I have more to share with you.
