I frequented the Squire Shop , Village Gate, Thackerays from late '70 through to their demise ('82 ?), never bought anything Ivy in the early 70's, it was the ' Kings Road' Look as Uncle Ian mentioned recently, from memory most of the shirts, & some other items had the label ' Cassidy' in them, it seemed to be exclusive to these shops, (believe me I went into every menswear shop on the KR in the early 70's), does anyone have any background information on Cassidy ?, maybe TRS or RG have some inside info from working with guys who would have worked in these shops,
I have heard John Simons mention Cassidy but can't remember what he said. I'll ask him and report back. A massive break-in at the Edgware Ivy Shop also springs to mind in which all the stock got snaffled up.
There's an Italian made shirt on Ebay at the moment: 'Cassidy'. One wonders.
Not that I normally wander in a football direction, but I've goggled somewhat over the gear being worn by Millwall lads in 1977 (film on YouTube).
Kid in Florence, upon hearing I was English, asked if I knew Harry The Dog.
Quick turnover in the local pubs, then?
As TRS says Ian Strachan owned the Richmond and Windsor shops for a while, then sold Windsor outright and went into partnership with Ian Smith who had Harringtons in Guildford eventually selling it all to him completely when he went to the Forest of Dean.
I think that John owned all the Ivy shops but by then had little interest in the clothes fashion they were selling apart from the knitwear and shoes, he was seldom in any of the shops, he used to phone on a Saturday afternoon to see what the takings were that was about the extent of it.
Ian Strachan was overall manager then each shop had a manager.
Trousers by that time were flares and the shirts were penny collars Michelle Axel was the make I think (apart from a few real old stock) but that was what was selling.
Oh and another couple of names to throw in the hat is Quincy, they had a shop KR and Brewer Street and Thackerays in Ken High Street
Thanks for the detail on the Windsor shop chaps, I’ll check it out next time I’m disporting myself in that royal burgh.
Oh and another couple of names to throw in the hat is Quincy, they had a shop KR and Brewer Street and Thackerays in Ken High Street
With regards to Quincy, it was or still is owned by Stuart Molloy who worked for JS at Squire/Village Gate.
@Woof, I think you may be disappointed with old location of the Ivy Shop Windsor, last visit it was a barricaded façade, no shops where it once stood.
Last edited by Runninggeez (2022-06-08 08:43:06)
HR - I shopped in Quincy in KR & BS, and Thackerays in HS Ken, I bought my wedding suit, shirt & tie from Quincy KR in 1974, Beige suit, flares, wide lapels, I still have the tie, it's in perfect condition, still waiting for ties of that width to come back into fashion !
Some of these shops don't sound hugely different to those that sprang up in Midlands provincial towns. Derby had 'His N'Hers'. John Simons asked me more than once if they were still trading. I'm pretty sure he did their windows at one time. The town also had - although more downmarket - Big Six, Winston and Nixons. In fact, the latter had three shops in the town, selling Levis etc. There was also 'Man To Man'. A lot of these places were frequented by soul fans from the early 60s onwards. Oh, yes, and Harry Fenton had a shop. I bought my first suit from there in 1977. And very nasty it was, too.
Stuart Molloy sadly passed away last month
https://www.drapersonline.com/news/fashion-mourns-indie-pioneer-of-modern-fashion
Sad to hear about Stuart Molloy. He was mentioned to me fairly recently.
Stuart Molloy sadly passed away last month
I didn't realise, sad to hear. I used to shop at Jones in the Kings Rd back in the day.
'Stuart Molloy sadly passed away last month'
That's a shame, I didn't know him well but a real nice guy.
Quincy in Brewer street was run by a black guy called Tony Patterson, I used to see him on Thursday's upstairs in Ronnie Scott's.
Another shop that was trying to be Ivy or Collegiate maybe a bit later was Blazer, they had branches everywhere, some nice stuff and some very average.
@AndyV, nice tribute that in Drapers.
Another shop that was trying to be Ivy or Collegiate maybe a bit later was Blazer, they had branches everywhere, some nice stuff and some very average.
I remember finding one of their stores in Covent Garden whilst visiting Russell St. When they started to expand they opened up one near me in Guildford, nice corduroy trousers and cable knit Shetland knitwear I seem to recall. I think they may have come under Sir Terrance Conran's Storehouse Group.
So who ran/owned the 'Ivy' shop in the Tottenham high road opposite the Tottenham Royal dance hall? I used to pass it on the way to White Hart Lane in the early 70s. Never shopped there as it was usually closed.
And who owned/ran the Bronx shop in Ilford near Ilford Palais? For me, this shop was the best 'ivy' shop I ever visited in the UK. I bought lots of clothes there. Two floors, full of American import clothing. Again early 70s.
And who owned/ran the Bronx shop in Ilford near Ilford Palais? For me, this shop was the best 'ivy' shop I ever visited in the UK. I bought lots of clothes there. Two floors, full of American import clothing. Again early 70s.
My friend and former employer Ian Smith of Harrington. He opened Bronx with his friend and business partner Sid Rudgely.
Quick response from JS regarding Cassidy : "Cassidy was a follow shop to Village Gate which emerged in the 70s selling wide lapel fitted suits more connected to the hairy flairy than the Ivy though there may well have been some crossover".
'Hairy flairy' - as JS phrase I've always cherished.
Runninggeez- I remember two blokes working in the Bronx shop, a few years older than me. Are they still around and into Ivy clothes?
I was once buying shoes in there (first floor) when a girl came in to try on a top. As I sat down to try on the shoes she went into a cubical opposite, leaving the curtain open. As a 17 year old boy i was treated to a view that remains imprinted on my memory.
Airy Fairy was a common expression used in East End parlance in the 60s. My dad used it. I wonder if JS adapted it for the hippies?
I don't remember Cassidy but I did buy a fitted suit from the Village Gate, with wide lapels, for my first office job in Notting Hill Gate.
I remember being dragged (literally and metaphorically) to Jones on the KR as a child, both parents shopping there and elsewhere on the KR. It was usually combined with a haircut at Stephen's (Steven August, Chester Row/Bourne St) before lunching somewhere swish in that general vicinity. Sloane rangers? Probably.
Interested to know the location of an Ivy Shop in Wembley. Harry Fenton in the central square was the main shop I remember and another shop that was on the High Street for a very short while.
Maybe all these Ivy shops were after I had stopped looking. Early 70s I was getting three piece suits in the style Bob from ‘the Likely Lads’ or ‘Doctor in the House’ TV series from a shop called Gladstone in Willesden Green. I think they expanded into places like Ealing..