I see more golfer cabbie than Ivy cabbie. They can always get on courses during the week when trade is slack.

Cannot say I have spotted the look much in cabbie caffs like Muratori in Mount Pleasant or the Piccolo Bar at the end of Gresham Street.

These are the guys coming up to retirement now, they were too young to be modernists, but were the original mods who got out before it all went to seed. Mostly originally working class, they held down London-centric jobs. There were a few black cabbies, but just as likley to have been Fleet Street printers, office workers or decorators. They shopped in Shaftesbury Avenue back then, later in Richmond and Brewer Street.

These days they take their ivy where they find it, it could be Gant in John Lewis or even Blue Harbour at M&S, often at Brooks Brothers, Bass or RL in the outlet malls while on vacation in the US. One or two have even mastered the interweb to the extent of ordering from Orvis or LL Bean.

Quite honestly, these guys are more worried about how they are going to maintain their living standards on whats left of their pensions than the right labels in their khakis.

Last edited by Chris_H (2009-04-13 04:16:26)

Chris is touching on a subject here that is certain to be relevant to many of us: cost.  Most of what I buy is charity shop (not often) or Ebay.  I can buy two B.D. Baggies from the States for £25, including postage.  It can cost me the best part of £160 for a day-trip to London.  A visit to John, onto Rays, a coffee in Soho, dinner at an Italian resturant off Camden High Street, you're talking several hundred quid.  No wonder the cabbies are doing it the way Chris reckons.  Sussed!

Michael Muster - are you out there?

Stoke Newington based cabbie - and an Ivy freak who drives around in J.Simons tweed three piece Ivy suit and Oxford cotton University stripe shirts. If any one you are lucky enough to get into his cab not only will you be able to talk about clothes minutiae but you will encounter that rare creature - an open-minded cabbie who isn't racist and doesn't detest Ken Livingstone!

GG

You do meet the odd 'geezer' up north: long leather coat, talks out the side of his mouth, drinks lager so cold it'd make your balls freeze, smokes Lambert and Butler. 
I jest. 
Instead you meet the male counterpart of the yummy mummy, who's deeply into 'Get Carter' and likes to say "You were only supposed to blow the bloody door off!" as his party piece.  Very keen on Guy Madonna of course, Scorcese, Tarantino and vegetarian sausages.  Still does a little dope.  'Nuts' reader on the QT, rather than being an honest pervert like Jim and me...