I recall (rightly or wrongly) a fantastic Tweed Overcoat... That was my first impression (I think).
I was standing outside the Ivy Shop & had been for a while waiting for it to open on my first day on the job (The best train I could get to Richmond got in really early).
Mr. Lally came walking up the hill & you could see he was an Ivy Shop guy as soon as you clocked him from a distance. 'Neat' sums him up very well. Thoughtful, considered, knew his business. We shook hands and I introduced myself & then did as I was told.
Various other random JL memories are of him in a Dark Needlecord button-down (Dark Navy?).
A subdued Paisley tie.
Fantastic Brown/Tan Tweed trousers which I later tried to copy.
Dark Cords.
Loafers.
Those glasses.
Short hair.
And his manner.
He listens, evaluates and then gives a distilled response. I was a 'blurter' back then & still am - If it pops into my head then it usually falls out of my mouth. It's almost a medical condition with me.
JL was... Not reserved, that's the wrong word, but he was... Cool. You were always aware that there was a brain at work behind those glasses when you were talking to him. He had a Hip distance about him. You'd talk to him & he'd pause, weigh it all up, and then respond.
He was witty, jokey and was very kind to a young nebbish (me). Also he had a wonderfully 'young' aspect about him - He never played at being the boss although he was unquestionably my boss there under Ian S.
A nice guy.
Style-wise, clothing-wise, attitude-wise, this is all very appealing. All right, so it's a bit trainspotter-ish on my part, but what the deuce, I want to know.
Mention of that needlecord shirt reminds me of a tan cord button-down I used to own: Pierre Cardin long after they'd gone off the boil, but nice enough.
Interesting stuff, both. A few times recently I've lingered outside the old premises in Richmond longing to see a stiking window display of clothes only to confronted by picture framers material. Wish I'd made it there while the Ivy Shop was in its pomp. And, by the the great power of Ivy synchronicity I'm currently wearing a tan needlecord BD. A German made charity shop bargain.
Staceyboy
Last edited by Russell_Street (2009-12-03 10:54:48)
The Tweed trou. I mention above were probably Parkes - Parkes were in the Ivy then & in Sam Fisher, Covent Garden / American Retro, Old Compton Street also.
A lovely Tan / Brownish, colour-flecked, 'Donegal' style, medium Herringbone Tweed.
John wore his cuffed and without a break above Cordo coloured Sebago Classic Beefrolls.
Dark socks & a dark Crewneck with a plain BD went with the look. The one 'show-off' item were the trou.
A lesser dresser would have added more to the look & ruined it.
JL just wore one 'Stand Out' item & played down all the rest.
Instinct?
Looked great anyway.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/john%20lally%20the%20ivy%20shop/WestLondoner_2007/InsidetheIvyshopRichmond.jpg
John is on the left.
Yes, that's John.
I was 22 and a fool. All I wanted to do was to pick Ian's brain when standing right next to me was an Ivy computer ticking away. I couldn't see it then.
But I know it now.
John Lally intrigues me more and more. Sounds like a style to be explored as I ripen and mellow.
i know several john lallys. one is a retired pipefitter from the south side. the other, a friend of some friends from the northwest side, drank his way out of notre dame and became a cop. i will have to ask them about their Style.
^ Not that it did any good then, but I believe he is to be found at Chiltern Street.
Another bump for this. There's nothing much else going on. Anyway, I like re-reading it.
I saw John not too long ago in JS and he was well and on fine form. He still has great style - An Ivory Linen Slack jacket with White Trou & a dark Beret. And a big smile.
The slack jacket sounds not unlike the one I bundled into the post this morning. Glad to hear he's chipper.
I saw Lally last week, looking great in a 2 button Savile Row jacket with the best shoulders and the softest tailoring I think I've ever seen. He just looks great in all his clothes. He understands fit and colour combinations and he really really loves clothes, which is very sweet and the least ageing thing of all in a man approaching 70. He looks especially cool in his Popeye Doyle porkpie.
GG
Intrigued by the jacket - English, one assumes - good shoulders, soft tailoring. I'd like to think a recently acquired Harris tweed jacket fits the bill. I've not yet had the opportunity to wear it, having opted for a Haggar 'Imperial' over a Shetland sweater when it was a touch chilly recently. It'll take a bit of thinking about.
I've never met the guy but what intrigues me greatly is the look of the guys who worked in Richmond. If I think back to the Eighties, especially mid decade, it was all big and bold - colours, patterns, shoulders. Armani, Hugo Boss and Versace everywhere.
The style of Strachan in '87 and JL sounds so much subtler. Tweed trousers, cord button downs, loafers -elegant and timeless. I imagine also a flash of argyle sock, a simple Burberry fly front raincoat and a quality leather satchel to accompany the style.
JL must love a hat, I once saw him getting off the train at Waterloo sporting a Beret, and there's that picture of a young JL at an Ivy Shop weekend away (I was told it was Butlins) wearing a sombrero.
Each and every year about late August i remember this thread about John Lally´s style. Flat fronted tweed trousers, plain BD, Sebby loafers and a dark crew neck. (The one 'show-off' item were the trou …) Btw. there is also a black & white pic of a young Ralph Lauren to be found on the net him sporting a similiar look consisting of a grey (or brownish?) trousers in herringbone tweed, white BD and a dark (navy?) sweater slung around his neck nonchalantly. What a great look! And each and every year i think about buying a tweed trousers for myself. Cordings maybe? Or invest the money in having one made to my exact specifications? But now celebrating July ... it´s all about linen.
Linen - indeed. I have my newly acquired Brooks Brothers 'Special Order' to look forward to when the dark skies clear... Pale green linen...
I often wish the Gee suit I owned around fifteen years ago had not had that 'Dynasty'-style padding in the shoulders. Ruined it entirely.