On one of my recent clear out binges I rediscovered a navy M&S lambswool v neck and two M&S ocbd’s. I must have bought and put them away some time in the early 90’s. All three are great quality and don’t seem to have suffered by being slung in a bin bag at the back of a garage for all that time. The shirts are quality cloth and have decent three finger rolls and sleeve pleats. Maybe something to do with M&S/Brooks around that time? Maybe not? All three happily reinstated.

Alan Paine and their outlet is only a fifteen minute drive from me but I’ve never been. I think sometimes when it’s on your doorstep you tend to ignore it. I know I’ve heard similar things from people who live(d) near Fred Perry, Smedley or Clarks

Woof - Yes I was. Closed three years ago? Blimey I’m out of touch. Bummer.

At least I’ve got my first visit to The Ivy Shop in Richmond to look forward to.

^^^
Yes, but that DW thread comes at a price. If you google anything about knitwear that thread comes up more than anything else, and consequently many people are reading it. Since that thread has gone global the ebay prices for vintage cashmere made-in-Scotland jumpers has quadrupled in price on average. Ballantyne could once be picked up for $50.00, but now they are $200.00 - 280.00. Pringle etc are all expensive on ebay now for vintage. The most pricey jumpers are cashmere shawl cardigans, anything sold from Japan and naturally Hermes' made-in-Scotland.

Got my Ballantyne 1980's cashmere intarsia on tonight. A true collectors item.

Last edited by The_Shooman (2022-05-13 19:30:25)

Pringle, like Lyle and Scott, could be picked up relatively cheaply about eighteen or so years ago (can't be more precise).  I used to buy up bundles of Ben Sherman shirts and trade them with a couple of rather nervous kids for sweaters.  Skatewear type shops filled up with them, as in York around that time.  I bought one in cobalt blue from a hospice a few weeks ago, decided I didn't much fancy it and quickly passed it onto another cancer (breast, hereditary) charity: so at least two shops benefited. 
I can't get too excited about Alan Paine now (geelong etc.), and I think they have largely fallen out of favour on here.  I've kept back a couple of slipovers but passed three sweaters on to charity a few weeks ago.  Also some John Smedley.  Can't get excited about that nowadays either. 
Obscure Scottish names would seem to be the way to go: probably ruling out Drumohr (for instance) entirely.  Pitlochry I like.  The Odie for JS needs repairing but is a nice item otherwise.

In spite of Shooey's dire warnings over the effect on prices of the knitwear thread on DW, decent Scottish and Irish sweaters and cardigans are still cropping up on Ebay at bargain prices. 
Having said that, I've become exceptionally fond of my USA-made McLochland cardigan with its football buttons.  So square it's, well, square.  Wally Cox might have been caught outdoors in such a garment. 
But, like Jimmy, I'm looking for obscure names no-one has ever heard of.