You should get lucky with them remembering the last few sales,

I seem to remember that JS used to send out sale preview invitations to customers on the mailing list, before the riff-raff were allowed to shop. I went once or twice. Can't remember what I bought.

I still have 1 or 2 of the flyers. I also have some JS receipts from the late 80's early 90's plus an old JS bag, I tend to keep junk like that, I don't know why.

I have a note somewhere from JS which accompanied a pair of Florsheim desert boots.  Being a man of few words the note says, simply, 'Florsheim desert boots...  very nice...'

As John Simons now has a stronger focus on smaller runs of their own label I've found recent sales to be a disappointment in comparison to what I used to buy.Typically they haven't got anything left in my size.

I actually find this reassuring as I would rather that they flourish and do well at full price. This hopefully serves to keep the shop going into the next season - and let's face it there will always be something tempting coming along from them.

It's funny that at the end of each season I always think that I genuinely don't need anything else and then bang they come up with the goods again.

I always remember that in Summer '20 just after the UK lockdown had been lifted my first visit to any retailer was JS. Even though they had endured the uncertainty of when the business would re-open I was blown away by the what they had created. It was like an Ivy capsule collection. Vetra blazers in linen and cotton, beautifully bright Madras shirts, Sebago loafers, Paraboot deck shoe/loafer hybrids. It left a lasting impression.

If they should start carrying Tabio, BTW, check them out.

I noticed some new poplin shirts on their fb page and website, look ok to me and a good price at 75 quid, not for me really as I have a problem with the cheap looking buttons they use, interesting thing to me was there were only a few sizes in each of the 3 (?) different shirts, full range of sizes in the new madras,

In the meanwhile, short term/long term, some of us look for a slightly different direction in which to move.  For 'modernist', read 'hipster'.  For 'discerning', read 'lacking in imagination, intelligence and, most of all, self-confidence'.  'I'm in with the in-crowd...'  same old, same old. 
Still, as AUS has said elsewhere, our generation is passing.  Now, where's that freshly laundered M&M button-down?

I exclude the new Paul Weller jumpers. Not for me

I don't really understand what you're driving at there AFS. In particular ' 'lacking in imagination, intelligence and, most of all, self-confidence' ... what is that all about?

2RS may be able to assist but I don't believe there was ever a time when John Simons was stocked with wall to wall American clothing. Items have always been drawn from a wide range of sources, appealing to a wide range of tastes rather than being solely focused on Ivy. Vis a vis the JS quote  ‘We’re not trying to create little Americans, you can mix and match with other styles. We’re just trying to distil the best from the various American traditions.’

If Japanese denim or workwear is the best current representation of those traditions then so be it.

At present they cash in on the patronage of Paul Weller and others because it appeals to a sector of their client base and why wouldn't they? Despite that, I don't consider the shop to be overtly Mod when I go in there. Their own-label goods make up largest part of their stock now and that is almost exclusively Ivy/American styled, their shirts, jackets and trousers are very creditable iterations of what used to be mass produced and available on Main St USA, (but no more). Their stuff is realistically priced given the individual styling and quality that goes into it, yes one of their overcoats is more expensive than some hit and miss buy on eBay, but then they've always catered for the customer who doesn't mind spending a few bob.

All things considered, I would say that for a small business like JS to invest in designing, producing and retailing its own line of clothing and have it sell like hot cakes, actually calls for a lot of imagination, intelligence and self confidence.

I've said this before on an older thread, but I'm really not sure that JS sell an awful lot that appeal to mods - as opposed to modernists.

Weller collaborations will always be of interest. Loafers. BD's maybe. Overcoats.

The difference in price points between JS and other mod shops (Jump The Gun, Modfather Clothing, that dodgy Carnaby Street one - there's plenty of others) is huge. They've got Adam of London and Mendoza, and a plethora of on line only shops that cater much more directly  to their tastes. As well as the ubiquitous Ben Sherman, Fred Perry etc.

Mods visiting the area are always going to drop in for a look. Doesn't mean they're buying.

For me, it's a bit odd to see JS coming more into line with my personal tastes than they seem to have been before. Still, I've never been to Chiltern Street, so what do I know?

Edit to add to above; mods have always been massive consumers of clothing. They're not looking so much for 'lifetime' quality from something like a jumper, as in the back of their minds they know they wont be wearing it in a few months time. Unless they're doing very well for themselves, there's no real need for them to pay JS prices (which although also out of my price range, I think is fair enough for what they do and offer)

Last edited by Spendthrift (2022-02-28 03:33:41)

Yuca might well have something to say on the subject of 'Ivy Style'.  I don't think I've bothered looking at it since some time last year.  But, on this very forum a few years ago, I'm sure someone or other was trying to throw cowboy boots into the mix.  Heaven alone knows what else.