Is this a mean trick, intended only to deceive?
I suppose I ought to be careful how I phrase this but simply banging 'England' onto a label means nothing at all, does it? It isn't synonymous with 'Made In England'. Is it?
Go back a great many years on 'Talk Ivy' and Jimmy mentioned a particular Alan Paine sweater favoured by Ian Strachan at The Ivy Shop. 'Pure quality' I think is the way Jimmy put it.
Apparently stacks of it went for export. I've still got a cashmere v-neck that might well be from the 1960s.
So when was the quality allowed to decline?
It's interesting, when scouting on Ebay, to examine their labels.
Not to put too fine a point on it, the new stuff looks to be, plainly and simply, dull.
Is it what's on offer at Chiltern Street?
The AP stuff is good.
They do a lovely silk, cotton, cashmere mix that is very comfortable. Look at the navy long sleeve polo.
Also, in winter there is a heavy wool crew neck. JS stocked it in navy and I can't remember why I didn't buy it.
I'm sure some of the Press knits are made by them.
I might favour a navy (or olive) L/S polo if 100 per cent cotton and definitely made in the UK. Not otherwise.
Remember Alan Paine as well. V-neck esp
I'm wearing a grey Alan Paine cashmere v-neck at this very moment. I bought two on Ebay Com. in 2009 - the other was in navy and is long gone. I guess they were the 'For Export' items that Stax has mentioned. 'Whalings' (of Detroit and Birmingham, Alabama - yes?). It's virtually in tatters, like the L.L.Bean cardigan I finally binned after ten years of regular wear: holed, patched, darned, holed again.
I used to buy Alan Paine jumpers (made in England) from the Squire shop and good quality I seem to remember. 'Alan Paine England' when not made in England winds me up.
It's that accursed 'Heritage' thing: sloppy and insulting.
Probably the best (often most expensive) Paine is found in the USA: the 'vintage' stuff, often with an interesting collegiate label.