I don't mind golf wear so long as it isn't blindingly obvious that's what it is.  Passed on a nice Peter Scott recently because it had some club logo on the arm. 
It's not a simple bias against golf.  I feel the same about tennis gear.

We must hope that in time, before these independents shut down, the internet will eat itself and that people will rediscover the simple pleasures of shopping and being served by someone who knows what they’re talking about. A vain hope I suspect.

Peoples habits do change, I saw in the last few days that Netflix subscriptions are dropping off and there are signs that the restaurant chain boom may be coming to an end as people fall out of love with eating out. Of course it may just be belt tightening in the face of the return of inflation.

The other day I noticed a branch of ‘Amazon Fresh’ had opened next to Richmond station. So, not content with being 2nd richest man in the world,  Bezos now looks to move into the food industry. Personally I would need to be starving and on the point of collapse with no prospect of obtaining anything to eat within a ten mile radius before I bought anything from one of his shops. 2 or 3 times I have bought things from Amazon mail order but I have a strong aversion to it, I would rather pay extra to get it somewhere else. I used to read about globalisation a few years ago and wonder what it really meant and what was the harm in people getting things more cheaply. I think we’ve all seen where the harm lies recently. Corruption of politics, subversion of democracy, people reduced to serfdom and the gradual unpicking of civilisation.

Just setting the subject of clothing aside for a moment, I often used to hop on a bus (nothing 'Green Initiative', I simply can't drive) and went into shops like HMV.  Taking HMV as a shining example, they once employed an excellent chap called Glyn.  He was well into his music, friendly, entirely independent-minded and willing to put himself out in order to get the customer some rarity (generally on CD by then) from some obscure supplier in Dresden or Dallas (or wherever).  Then Glyn was pushed out, the kids in their Nirvana t-shirts took over and apathy became the order of the day.  'Nah, mate, don't deal wiv 'em.  Fought of trying' Amazon?'  'Yes, I had thought of trying Amazon but took the trouble to come into a shop instead'.  After a while, I began buying CDs (and DVDs) on Amazon, then Ebay, and books on ABE.  I was able to buy books from dealers across the United States, within the UK, sometimes France.  I very often, as I did today, buy a CD from some excellent chaps in Berlin.

I rarely if ever use Amazon, but they get money from me because they own Whole Foods groceries. That's where I do some of my bourgeoisie grocery shopping.

Last edited by oxford cloth button down (2022-05-03 13:49:22)

I've stopped using Amazon. I began to realise that much of what is being sold is Chinese tat at not particularly cheap prices.
I once bought some door hinges from them that were actually made a mile from my flat but the package had travelled half way around the country! Shop local is my new motto. I think the situation is only going to get worse. The independent shops will disappear but that will not concern younger people. We are relics

Spoons I will make an exception for, principles only stretch so far.

@Spendthrift, a couple of reasons why Harrington closed down, was because Gant put a stand alone store in Guildford which was pretty much 60% of Ian's business, and also the "Stuff Shirts" who ran the County Club (which was above Harrington) were the landlords who kept putting up the rent. When you're an independent that can be tough, whereas Loake Shoes who are in there now and can probably off set the cost.

Loake were setting up in Nottingham the last time I wandered round the city centre: a cough and a spit from the old Hector Powe shop where my old Dad used to go from time to time and a current 'vintage' store with about a million Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger shirts in their basement.  'The Hip Store' closed the week after I bought my first pair of Astorflex from them (student discount, would you believe?) - that was round the corner.  But a good deal of effort in Nottingham will get you one or two decent items of clothing (probably from Shaun at 'Wild'), CDs from the Music Inn and French cuisine on King Street.

Rough Trade - yes, indeed - opposite 'Wild' more or less, with Universal Works and the adorable Frankie just up the stairs.

There was a lovely old-fashioned joke shop in one of the arcades in Hull. I read that the footfall is not what it was after big stores in the main street closed down. They still survive though.

Similarly, there is a magic shop on the Clerkenwell Road near Leather Lane. The market on Leather Lane is now almost entirely streetfood which holds no interest for me.

I don’t particularly need a magic shop, or a joke shop but they make me smile and the world is a better place for their existence.

For 20 years next door to J.Simons was Knutz, always staffed by trendy young things who thought the old blokes next door in their tweed jackets were right boring old farts. I recall one young lady with a significant chest reluctantly having to pop into JS for some change only to be confronted with the unsubtle gaze of that old perv Jeffrey Garet.

He loved kids but he loved tits even more.