Dark navy cords on Mr. Strachan.  That;s the kind of look I meant.  Did I read elsewhere they were of French origin?

^Word.

You can see a picture of Harrington's here https://www.hilorecords.co.uk/blogs/new-blog-post/the-style-of-squire-welcome-to-the-latest-squire-fan-club-newsletter

Thanks Lawlib.

It started in the late 70's. Ian Herd Smith the owner worked for JS in the 60's at the Ivy/Squire Shops. That's how he became good friends with Ian Strachan. I started shopping there in 1980 and when I found it, it blew my mind I'd never seen a shop like that before. I mean I'd been to other independents but this shop spoke to me. The shoes, American made loafers, Baracuta, London Fog  La Paz Catalina's, stacks OCBD's, Bell sleeve cardigans by California Boy (which I think JS stocked) Heritage "Green Tiger"(that also made Polo's) and Izod Lacoste. They also sold Chemise Lacoste Polo's in various colours. They did Jackets but I'm not sure if they were Ivy League sacks. Also cords, grey flannels and cotton drill trousers.
If it wasn't for Ian who I also worked part time for (in order to get 40% discount) I probably wouldn't have found JS as it was he who told me about it. He knew I was into the more purist look so he told me about John's store in Russell St.
Mid 80's he started to sell more fashion bit and pieces and I think he was one of the first Independents to stock RL, in fact he had another store on the High St (now Jo Malone) which had three floors and the top floor was an RL showroom. He did try and help out IS when the Ivy Shop was on it's knees but it too little too late. I worked the last day of trading and I did it for nothing because of my love for the shop.
Harrington is sadly no more cost of high rents etc, I went to Guildford on Saturday and was shocked to see the state of the High St.

Great posts on the Harrington shop. It sounds like my kind of place.
My favourite shop was the Bronx shop in Ilford near the Palais. It had more American clothes than the Squire shop and was run by a couple of blokes just a bit older than me. The guys were really clued up but I never found out who they were or where they came from. The shop failed to catch the Ivy wave and didn't last long. Most potential customers 'moved on' and I think they went bust.

Pretty much spot Staxfan. Although I wouldn't of called Ian (Herd Smith) a Mod, his background is very much Jazz although he's also a fan of Georgie Fame and told me recently he'd bought a scooter. My first time there was 1980 and it was pretty much like JS & The Ivy Shop. Plenty of American OCBD's (Norman Shirtmakers, Hathaway, Yorke & Sero to name a few) Weejuns, Cole Haan & Sperry shoes. Lacoste & Heritage Green Tiger Polo's, G9's & London Fog, plenty of Scottish knitwear Braemar of Scotland was one & Alan Paine. You get the gist. Around the mid to late 80's he started getting a bit designer influenced Gant RL like you mentioned. Kevin in the newspaper was Kevin Kavanagh who managed Harrington, the reason he was at the Ivy Shop was that it was loosing money, JS was asked to help out but didn't (not sure if he couldn't afford to or didn't want to) so Ian who was good friends with IS stepped in and put KK in charge but it too little too late, shame really because it would work nowadays. Finding the stock could be an issue though.

Hi Runninggeez , yes I shopped at the IS Windsor, closer to where I lived ( & still live) than either Guildford or Richmond, it closed in 1987, I remember buying very discounted shirts, Atkinson ties & Bass deck shoes in the sale, much more roomier than the Richmond shop, at that time there was a shop 2 minutes away, (opposite corner to the Windsor theatre), that also sold Ivy clothes,( I think they were modelling the shop on the IS), don't think it lasted that long, remember buying a madras 1/2 sleeve, ( possibly Geoffrey Scott), chinos and some black loafers with a fringe on them, ( never really took to them ), but I'm sure they were USA made, the Ivy Shop also had a shop in Putney high street, mid '70's to '80's I'd guess, remember seeing John Lally in there,

This is all very interesting for a Johny come lately like me, as all the shops you’re mentioning are around West London and it’s outskirts. I wish they were still there!

Would you say that interest in the Ivy style was concentrated around that area?

Was ‘Ivy’ spoken about as a term when you went to these shops, or indeed out with your mates?

I left the Windsor area in 81.  A lot of people I knew there were into what I think we would have thought of as American clothes rather than Ivy.  I was in my late teens when I left and had a good few mod or moddish friends but there were also young rockabillies at the time in Windsor.  Slough was a big soul boy town.  Lots of people of all types would go up to Flip at the weekends and there was a lot of loafer wearing going on.  I remember buying a pair in the department store on Peascod Street which I suppose suggests there was a fairly wide market for them beyond the niche places.  I later lived in Surrey and visited Harrington's a few times.  Believe it or not, there was briefly a place on the Queen's Road, Weybridge that sold lots of Ivy/Preppy stuff.  It was run by two American ladies who lived in Burwood Park.  I still have a pair of Sebago beef rolls from there which cost a fortune.  I think the relatively large number of American expats living in Surrey/Berkshire may have helped in the days before you could get RL, Gant etc on every high street - it meant there was a market beyond the local clothes conscious kids for these kind of clothes.  People who could actually afford them!

Great recollections fellas.

When I moved to Middlesex in 2006 there was still a strong US presence in West London and the adjacent counties due to military and diplomatic staff, either based in the area or choosing to live there. American bases and married quarters - all gone and official residences for senior staff much reduced over the last 15 years. There are still schools catering for their children although I expect they have had to widen their catchment after the scaling down of the American input following the end of the Cold War. The Peace Dividend has led to a Natural Shoulder reduction, our clothing predilections impacted by global events. I bet the first Berliner who bashed a brick off the Wall never realised they would bring about a Brooks shortage in Brooklands.

I have discovered the odd cache of American clothing in a charity shop, a bit like finding a fossil on Chesil Beach … but not for a while now.

Peascod Street in Windsor is much reduced but Daniels department store manages to hold on for now, there certainly aren’t any loafer emporiums or mens shops worth a special trip for.

It seems I arrived in the area about 25 years too late!

Carafino seems to be a Harvester pub now. The Running Mare is Cobham is still going. Not pubs I know and I only risked one drink when driving outside zone 6. Usually in old King and Barnes pubs when they still brewed in Horsham.