Last edited by dempsey (2008-08-02 14:32:13)

There was a link between The Squire Shop, Village Gate and I also believe between Cassidy, Thackery in the late 60s/70s. Quincey was a spin off from the group that eventually became Jones in Covent Garden.

RH

The Squire shop continued with the IL Look longest, but by the early 70s, the group had become "Dandified", wide lapels, flared trousers, etc. Probably 16 shops in London, so they weren't catering for a niche market, they were looking after up market High Street punters (Kings Road, Ken High Street, Oxford Street.)

The group by the 70's was very much "own label". Mid 70s saw interesting imports, especially from Italy, which the group never realy moved into. I was out of the country for several years and when I returned in the late 70s/80s the shops had closed and replaced by Quincey and Woodhouse, who had move with the times and where stocking mid/up market imports.

You mentioned Stanley Adams, a good shop, never IL, but they had a good eye for Italian and French imports and many ex Ivy Leaguers from the 60's used to shop there, especially in the Kingly Street shop in Soho.

PG

Paul Simons has his own thing going on.
Not sure that John Simons is anxious - He was in the Times (I think) saying that he was 'unafraid to be uncertain'.

The chap who runs the Duc des Lombards club in Paris believes in a thing which he calls 'Jazz Management' in business - A basic plan with as much room for improvisation built in as is possible. I think JS works in a similar way.

J.

Depends on your conception of Ivy style?

Pick your era, pick your area, pick your look.

This is where "Trad" falls down: Classic Traditional American style was never, ever set in stone.

Yer average J. Simons customer today uses "The Look" as a style reference. Head-to-Toe Ivy nuts are rare.

I'm not a betting man (I only back certainties so where's the sport in that?) but I'd take a punt that JS sells more Harringtons & Loafers than anything else for people to mix in with their own style.

It's all aspects of Ivy. It's all good.

J.

A lot of younger crowd who were ex skinhead /smooths progressed into the Soulboy ranks.
Which certainly had a whole mixed bag looking back.
Influences of mod, Americana, 50,s rock n roll, Even Gay disco.
Certain groups did mix Ivy styles, The London soul crowd seemed to be very free spirited in there dress, Where as Northern soulers seem to be more uniformed in appearance.

Last edited by dempsey (2008-08-04 17:30:27)

Brideshead, Certainly in the early days there were different regional dress codes.
London  was always the cutting edge, throughout the 60,s and 70,s.
Even at football you could identify the origins of people by their dress code.
Although into the 90,s when individual shops and small fashion outlets started to disapear , and the high streets of Britain seemed to converge into a mass clone of each other standards seem to drop, and regional styling  seemed to be getting less.

And thats probably why we look at the old days with such affection.
Certainly standards in British youths dress sense these days has hit rock bottom for most.

John told me two or three years ago he would like to do things differently.  He seemed to have in mind Ye Olde gentlemans' outfitters, like maybe Brooks, Press and The Andover Shop used to be.  Or maybe the Brewer Street shop.  More to the fore anyway, and better that than the John Pawson touch, if you want my honest opinion.  Burlington Arcade stuff maybe.  Smell of wood and leather.  Pre or post-modernism?  A shop I go into is just right: down a narrow stairway and into a basement with glass cabinets etc.  You get a sense of tradition.  Quality.  Understanding.  These people know Brooks and know it has gone well off the boil.

Another bump now the forum seems to be functioning again.
Does anyone experience pleasant sensations at Chiltern Street?