farrago, welcome back.  The Mercer shirt you bought for me all those years ago is still in good shape.
Be a shame if they've disappeared.

I very much doubt they went under. Far more likely that they are too busy making and selling shirts to have time to invest in a site upgrade.

That shirt, which came to England in a roundabout way, was freshly laundered, ironed and put away only yesterday afternoon.

The McGeorge cashmere also gets frequent outings.

A couple of their shirts are on US Ebay at the moment. 
Jimmy didn't reckon them.  Or so he said.
I still prefer Brooks.

Hill Rise - a welcome voice from the past.

'I still prefer Brooks.'

Mercer are an almost perfect copy of Brooks at its best. And Brooks at its best (Makers) were the greatest shirts ever. Ergo: Mercer are generally not quite good as vintage Makers, but are still one hell of a shirt.

One advantage that Mercer has over vintage Makers, of course, is that you can choose whatever fabric you like (within the extensive range they offer), instead of choosing whether or not to accept whatever the hands of vintage fate have to offer in your size. I bought a Mercer end on end years ago that, as well as being one of the greatest shirts I've ever seen in my life, has proved invaluable whenever I've worn a jacket or suit in the tropics or the British summer. If I'd specifically wanted a Makers end on end in my size I'd probably still be searching today. (Actually I did own a Makers end on end in my size once but it wore out quickly and in all honesty wasn't as nice as the Mercer I later bought.) 

Funnily enough AFS, when you mentioned years ago that you were getting a Mercer I distinctly recall telling you they were almost but not quite as good as Makers.

'Jimmy didn't reckon them.  Or so he said.'

That was his typical tribal bullshit, with no relation to reality whatsoever.

Thanks Yuka .... you're right about the Mercers but sadly Makers are so scarce now and the couple I have are on their last legs. I've heard good reports on the Michael Spencer's but have never tried them, having said that I'm semi retired and working scarcely so don't need the clothes I once did. Probably not what my Mrs would say though.

I didn't find his take on Mercer baffling. Like I say, it was all tribal. Mercer was from the US and, unsurprisingly, had found success with some US ivy fans who preferred other websites to TI. Therefore they were the enemy and he had to disparage anything they liked. Complete BS but very predictable and tedious.

Some people need to have an enemy. In my (limited) experience it turns them delusional and very repetitive. (I know someone from the Latin music scene who is along similar lines.)

Mercers and Jakes cover it all I'd say - they both make versions of old Brooks Makers. JS are offering some quirky and unpredictable offerings under their 'John Simons Ivy Shirt' line. I bought a wool flannel button-down from them today. The collar perhaps a tad too long, but charming, and in great 'colourways'....

No, Yuca, I don’t think that Mercer & Sons was the enemy for Jimmy.

His point was that there was already some sort of “Trad orthodoxy??  on that Ask Andy board that had Mercer, Alden and Bill’s Khakis as the “last bastion?? . Hence he would post about alternatives.

IIRC he was also pretty skinny and Mercer make a very roomy shirt. That was the whole story. The iGents said Mercer make the only shirt you can buy, so he would disagree.

With Alden there was also another point which was about the pie crust stitching on Bass or Sebago loafers. Certainly also the price tag. To Jimmy Ivy wasn’t about luxury products but about humble mass products that would last long and take a beating. Workhorses. All fair points.

TRS - How's the fit on those JS flannel shirts ?

Jim had his good and bad points. There's no point in pretending that the latter didn't exist.