I first came across
Quba Sails in Cowes and was impressed with the quality of their products. Unfortunately, the prices matched, and I didn't purchase anything.
The company is based in Salcombe, Devon and, as the name suggests, is inspired by the area's nautical heritage. They do a fine line in exclusive (and expensive) sailing jackets, bean bags, cushions and sofas made from old sails.
I was browsing the January sales online and came across their excellent offering with lots of clothing up to half price. After far too long browsing and adding items to my basket, I whittled them down to £139 worth of products and discovered a free delivery code (AW268) on their
Twitter feed. It always really bothers me when shops whack on a delivery charge for standard items and I've abandoned purchases several times because of it.
As a size 12 in tops and a size 10 in trousers, I finally settled on:
| Code | Item | Size | Colour | Price | Quantity | Total |
| W0 16 34 L/560/3 | Azov Stripe Shirt | Medium (Size 2) | Baby Pink Stripe | £29.00 | 1 | £29.00 |
| W0 30 37 A/599/15 | Fairisle Long Sock | N/A | Grey Marl | £5.00 | 1 | £5.00 |
| W0 11 02 L/532/3 | Biscay Basic Cable V | Medium (Size 2) | Dark Grey Marl | £29.00 | 1 | £29.00 |
| W0 30 15 A/470/15 | Ladies Striped Beach Bag | N/A | Navy/White | £29.00 | 1 | £29.00 |
| W0 30 38 A/557/15 | Jumbo Stripe Sock | N/A | Grey Marl | £4.00 | 1 | £4.00 |
| W0 17 61 L/565/2 | Cranberry check lounge pant | Small (Size 1) | Cranberry | £29.00 | 1 | £29.00 |
| W0 15 32 L/547/3 | Namtso S/S Tee | Medium (Size 2) | Berry | £14.00 | 1 | £14.00 |
I was beginning to wonder where my order was when I received an email telling me the socks were taking time to come from another warehouse and did I want my other items separately. I said yes, and am still not sure why they emailed to ask me that. It's pretty normal to receive web orders in several batches and, provided they don't charge me more, I just want each item as quickly as possible.
Everything bar the two pairs of socks has now arrived, so I can offer some initial thoughts.
The Azov Stripe Shirt in baby pink (down from £45 to £29) is a Quba Sails size 2, which is the equivalent of a 12. I always have to order 12s because I have pretty large shoulders and arms and struggle to get into 10s if the material isn't stretchy. This resulted in a familiar problem with this shirt: the shoulders fit fine, but the rest of the shirt is excessively baggy. I appreciate that I have quite broad shoulders, but I don't know anyone who is a size 12 and fat so I can never understand why the belly and back on shirts tends to be cut in order to accommodate a cushion as well as my stomach. Ignoring this standard problem, the shirt appears excellent. It's just the right length that it can be worn tucked in or untucked and feels very good quality. It will be great for work and socialising.
The Biscay Basic Cable V in dark grey marl (down from £59 to £29) is also a size 2. It's very stretchy so I would recommend ordering a size down. The jumper is beautifully soft and comfortable and has detailing in the form of buttons down the left shoulder. The V is much deeper than it appears in the photo so you'll probably want to take that into account when deciding what to wear under it. The arms are very long so most will want extensive turn-ups.
The Striped Beach Bag (down from £55 to £29) really exceeded my expectations. The heavyweight cotton and handles made of rope give it a real feeling of quality and at 60cm x 38cm x 28cm it is the perfect size for its advertised used - a day at the beach. At the moment it's holding my considerable collection of board shorts, swimming costumes, bikinis and rash vests and I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can empty them out, stick in a towel and some warm clothes and head up to the north coast for some bodyboarding followed by a barbecue and camp fire.
Until now I confess I've always worn pretty cheap, poor quality pyjamas. The Cranberry Check Lounge Pants (down from £45 to £29) gave me the perfect opportunity to try something different and I highly recommend them. I went for size 1 (10) and they are an excellent fit. They are very thick and, as with every other item, the quality is excellent. The only downsides are that the distance between the crotch and waistband is small, meaning they have to be worn low, and they are very long, which isn't really a problem if you've just using them to lounge around in or sleep in.
I don't buy many tshirts, but the Namtso Tee (down from £29 to £14) really grabbed me. It's a wonderfully rich purple offset with white stencil branding - perfect to layer in the winter or wear to the beach in summer. The size 12 is a good fit - not too tight and not too baggy - and it's nice and long as you can tell from the photo. The cotton is unfortunately rather thin so you'll probably want to be careful about what you wear underneath it unless you want the world to see your bra.
I obviously ordered at the right time. Inspired to make the most of the sale by the high quality of what I had received, I went back to the website to pick up some more pieces. Unfortunately much is now only available in extra large, but I did manage to order two more tshirts and a pair of boot socks.
You can shop online at
www.quba.com or instore in Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Chichester, Cowes, Fowey, Gloucester, Lymington, Padstow, Portsmouth, Rock, Salcombe or Whitstable. I recommend sending off for the catalogue; it's got some great photography and lifestyle pieces.
