I gave up with the Village Gate pretty quickly and likewise shopped locally in the high street. I did manage to buy a Likely Lads suit from the VG which I wore for an interview for a job in Notting Hill Gate. Got the job and wore the suit for work. I did buy one pair of stack heel shoes from the King's Road and likewise didn't take to them.

^

Not even cordovan leather either.

Just surmising, but  I suspect the price is an error.

I like the look of that jacket on the FB page. There doesn't appear to be any details yet on the shop site.

The Autumn Ivy jackets now on the JS website. At £495 I might pass. They are only have 7 in one jacket I like and someone who looks like Woof is modelling it!

‘The Autumn Ivy jackets now on the JS website. At £495 I might pass.‘

Nearly 500 quid for an unlined jacket. Hardy and Johnson were great value but sadly no longer offer Ivy jackets.

There is always eBay for used jackets, though I have not looked on there for a very long time.

The Ivy Jackets do look good, better when they're being worn than just a picture of the jacket, and yes that does look like the Woofster ,if it is him it looks like he's put on a bit timber ! I'll also pass on them as like most here I have enough jackets, I wait in hope that next spring they produce some in a poplin cotton, not seersucker, not linen, but poplin cotton !

Probably comparing apples and pears but Old-Town make similar unlined jackets for under £300. Didn't someone once send them a pattern for ivy jackets but they weren't interested in making them?

Last edited by RobbieB (2022-09-02 11:02:43)

I can relate to what you’re saying Colin, but the stuff seems to fly off their shelves none the less.

It would be a sad day were they to close their doors, I missed the place very much during the hiatus between Russell St closing and Chiltern St opening. For many years it’s been a beacon of Ivy, sustaining interest in the look as well as being something of a gateway to jazz and modernism for many.

Kingston1an.      ‘Discretionary spending will be hugely curtailed.’

Anyone under 40 has grown up during 30 years of pretty much constant prosperity, accustomed to being able to have what they want, when they want. Once the economic problems gather pace, tough decisions will have to be made about new cars, subscription TV services, holidays, restaurant meals and, horror of horrors, new mobile phones. The grumbling murmurs of the ‘hard done by’ generation will reach a crescendo and they will take to the streets to demand justice for their misfortunes, with only an emasculated, woke, decimated police force to face them down. Should be interesting.

People under 35, FlatSixC, have seen pretty much constant economic crisis and instability their entire adult life. Britain has become the most socially and spatially uneven countries in Europe and wages still not back to pre global financial crisis levels.

I appreciate most people on this forum are on the older side and may, possibly, feel more sheltered from things, but pretty much the only way you have proper stability these days is if you receive wealth passed down through the family, to buy a house etc. A generation who will be poorer than the last for the first time in a very long time.

The notion of a 'woke' police force isn't a serious one.

Moving this back on topic - yes, I suspect lots of small shops may start to struggle over the next 6-12 months or so if people do cut out the fancier purchases, but suspect JS should be able to ride it out better than others given the age of much of their customer base. Really like what they're doing with their own brand shirts and jackets, so let's hope that continues!

Thanks FlatSixC - was a bit of a dismissive post from me....dealing with an under the weather baby! I wonder how much the next few months may feel like you've been here before....

As much as I'd like another JS ivy jacket I don't need it by any stretch, do might have a clear out before buying another....maybe!

Some gripping reading on this thread at present and some very well made points.
I think Colin & I must be about the same age. Under 40 at any rate (at least for the next six months in my case..)

Disposable income is not something I’ve truly had since about 2008 - every purchase i make these days is 99% considered heavily and fought for financially, something else somewhere else will have had to give. I can give exact case notes if necessary!

2RS as always makes an excellent point though, his name sake always had something affordable within - and more often than not, if you did buy something with a heftier price tag, you were rewarded with a pair of socks or tie on the house, I doubt that’s current practice at no 46.

I agree that the new jackets are really nice but I also think (and suspect i’m not alone here) that they’re not 500 quid nice, is that the point some of you were trying to get at?

Undoubtedly they’ll sell, because JS have a loyal and deep-pocketed fan base but like more and more of the JS offering, it won’t be to the likes of me.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and risk having my head bitten off but unlike an awful lot of you, i’m not sure i do like the direction JS are taking, it feels like a wishier washier watered down version of what they used to do. More suited for magazine covers and instagram shoots and “our man in..??  articles. That is with good reason of course.
As nice as some of their own-name products are, I remain unconvinced they’re actually worth their heavier price tags, certainly from a quality & fit perspective. It’s not going to stop me buying certain things though - as i said above they’ll just be more weighed and considered purchases in the future.