There are two truly beautiful arcades that link London’s Jermyn Street with Piccadilly, these.are Princes Arcade and Piccadilly Arcade.  They contain some very fine stores, of which more than few contain items of interest for the stylish man.

The Arcades were built in 1909 when England was at the height of its Victorian power.  They were the very last word in exclusive aristocratic shopping and well-to-do English people would come from all over the country to promenade through them and shop.  The arcades arch up two stories and are lit by large chandeliers.  The shops themselves are small, exclusive and glass-fronted.  The mass of glass and the light from the chandeliers gives the shops a slightly glittery effect.  This effect is most pronounced in Piccadilly Arcade which retains some of the original brass pillars which separate one shop from another.

I used to ignore the arcades.  I was always in a rush to get somewhere, until one day I was rushing along Jermyn Street and it started to rain heavily.  I took shelter in Piccadilly Arcade and really saw it for the first time.

Since then I go there a lot, even if I only use it as an elegant cut-through.   The chandeliers that light the arcades have come to remind me of Christmas with their golden glow.  The arcades are elegant and the rest of the world seems to be held at a distance
while I am there.

So here is a very quick sketch of the arcades, starting with Princes Arcade.  Princes Arcade had a major refurbishment a year ago and now looks very pretty indeed.  As a result some very good upscale brands have moved in, to keep the stalwarts company.  Below are all the shops a man need to know in the arcade.

Global Luggage
Starting from the Piccadilly end, we have Global Luggage.  They sell good luggage, including the highly rated Rinowa hard clamshell trolleycases .  They also sell a competitively priced chic travel grip range.  These are unstructured bags, grips, duffels, in choclate-brown marbled calf.  They are in fact very similar to the Mulberry range, though considerably cheaper.  They also sell all those handy travel bags, washbags etc that the discerning
gentleman needs.

Global Luggage
192 Piccadilly
London, W1J 9ET
+44 (0) 20 7287 2700

http://www.globalluggage.co.uk

Davies and Sons

A little way along we have a small branch of Davies and Sons, the classic English-cut Savile Row tailor.  This is a very discreetly placed little shop and it is possible to miss it, odd though that sounds.  The shop only sells Davies cufflinks, but what wonderful cufflinks they are.  There are ranges of cut silver and silver plate cufflinks, some gold and some semi-precious stones.  Lots of classic designs, bars, coins etc.  Awindow-shopping classic.

Davies and Sons
+44 (0) 207 434 3016

www.daviesandson.com

Impero

Impero are new to the arcade and their window is full of original leather coats.  Imperio are that rare and wonderful thing, a team of accomplished leather tailors.  Impero make leather clothes to measure, offering a bespoke service.  Customers can choose from many original designs and leathers, and can redesign features to make the clothes wholly original or simply order a fully bespoke garment.   What is even better is that Impero will make a copy of any leather garment you wish.  We all get older and some of us put on weight.  But maybe you still cherish that leather jacket.  In which case Impero can recreate it for you.

Impero
11 Princes Arcade,
London, SW1Y 6DS
+44 (0) 20 7734 0159

http://www.imperolondon.com 

Jost

Fine bags for both men and women at this superb leather and luggage shop.  Especially good are their beautifully made German briefcases and overnight bags for men.  Trim modern designs around rugged, hardwearing frames.

Jost
13, Princes Arcade,
London SW1Y 6DS
+44 (0) 207 434 3379

http://www.jost-bags.com

Segun Adelaja
This shop is simple elegance made real, the décor alone spells out the quality of the menswear.  Segun is a master tailor who makes beautiful men’s clothes in the finest of fabrics.  His suits are a slim, sexy version of English cut, with a flair and style uniquely their own. His separates are also very stylish, Segun has a great eye for colour and colour combinations.  Dress shirts in the finest white oxford cotton, slim, elegantly cut wool trousers in shades of tan, blue and grey.  Beautiful men’s tailoring, ready-to-wear, made-to-measure and bespoke.

Segun Adelaja

5 Princes Arcade
London, SW1Y 6DS
+44 (0) 20 7287 2626

http://www.segunadelaja.co.uk

Loake

Finally one of the premier English shoe brands has its own shop.  Loake’s shop showcases their best shoes, including their new Italain-influenced stylings.  The shop, in rich dark wood and dark green felt, fits the upscale ambience of the arcade well.  For those men who do not know Loake, here is the perfect introduction to their competitively priced bench-made shoes.

Loake
8-10 Princes Arcade
London, SW1Y 6DS
+44 (0) 20 7734 8643

http://www.loake.co.uk

Andy and Tuly
Dr Who had a time-machine called the TARDIS, it was biggerinside than out.  Andy and Tuly’s shop reminds me of that time machine whenever I go in there. The shop is stuffedwith good things and I can never work out how they pack everything in.  Andy and Tuly sell waistcoats and cufflinks, you might think of them as a wedding style accessories shop.  Their waistcoats, in silk, satin and other materials are designed to provide a little bit of exuberant glamour for any special occasion.  They also specialisein themed cufflinks, everything from pilots (all sorts of aeroplanes) to luck (clover-cufflinks) to mythical beasts.  My friend peter is getting married in April and will be visiting Andy and Tuly for a waistcoat for the occasion.

Andy and Tuly
12 Princes Arcade
London, SW1Y 6DS
+44 (0)20 7494 3259

http://www.andytuly.fsnet.co.uk

Sage Brown
Sage Brown are a very fine leather shop.  They are another ingenious store which holds much more than one might think.  They sell both men’s and women’s leather topcoats, of the softest, high-qualityleather.  I like Sage Brown for their fine English-made leather accessories.   These range from briefcases and portfolio clutches to wallets and coinpurses.  If I wanted to buy an authentic English product as a gift, then I would go here.  Finely stitched accessories in richly dyedleathers, they represent a true English craft tradition.

Sage Brown
17 Princes Arcade
London, SW1Y 6DS
+44 (0)20 7287 5757

http://www.sagebrown.co.uk

Hilditch and Key
One of Hilditch and Key’s two shop on Jermyn Street, this one stands on the corner of Jermyn Street and Princes Arcade.  Hilditch and Key are one of England’s oldest shirtmakers.  For me their oxford cotton shirts are particularly fine, classic and very hard-wearing.  But they also sell good knitwear, ties, jackets and trousers.  Their wonderfully luxurious cotton pyjamas (both men and women) are the thing that sets them apart from the other shirtmakers, nobody quite does pyjamas like Hilditch and Key.

Hilditch and Key
21 Princes Arcade
London, SW1Y 6DS
+44 (0) 20 7930 5336

http://www.hilditchandkey.co.uk

Barkers
Barkers shoes new shop sits on the opposite corner of the Arcade and Jermyn Street.   This is an exciting shop, because Barkers use it to showcase their new designs and leading edge shoes.  So alongside Barkers classic shoes they also have suede monkstraps in pastel shades, Italian-style slip-ons with discreet spiral brogueing and others ophisticated footwear.  This is a one-stop shop for Barker’s seasonal collections.  Also the service here is superb, the staff are extremely helpful and  seem like genuinely nice people.

Barkers
16-18 Princes Arcade
London,
44 (0) 207434 3533</a>

http://www.barkers.co.uk/

So that is my brief tour of Princes Arcade.  Next time you goto Jermyn Street, take the opportunity to tour the Arcade, I promise it will add an extra dimension to your visit.

Our article on Jermyn Street’s other Arcade, Piccadilly Arcade, is here.