Peckham Rye, Carnaby Street, London

Peckham Rye; from the cockney rhyming slang Peckham Rye = Tie.

I had seen Peckham Rye’s ties in the Selfridges tie bar and liked their verve and extravagance.  However I had never been to the shop before.

If you can get there I urge you to go.  The founders of Peckham Rye are the sixth generation of a London tailoring family and the shop celebrates that tradition wonderfully with well-made menswear.  

The shop is a kind of menswear Tardis.  It is small but packed with wonderful clothes.  The shop sells Peckham Rye’s shirts, ties, scarves and other accessories.  The measure of a good menswear shop for me is how much I want to buy.  And here, I would have happily bought the entire collection. 

Everything in Peckham Rye’s collection is made in England, they are rightly proud of both the design flair and quality of their clothes.  Their shirts are a great example, clearly good quality but vibrant with style and classy colour.  They are like a kind of Thomas Pink shirt, with added pizzazz.

Other great buys include their classic fringed silk scarves, in solid colours with a pin-dot pattern.  These are simply downright beautiful. 

And the shop is great fun, they have the most amazing photographs of fifities South London, showing stylish men wearing those classic English-cut suits that little tailors used to turn out in those days.  Run by the co-owners, David and Martin, this is really is an original and interesting menswear shop.   

Yellow pin-dot silk square, Peckham Rye

I bought this classic silk square.  Though it is an old-school classic I wanted it for the hand-finished stitching, which you can see in the photograph below.  It is tactile and real.  The best thing I have bought for weeks.

Yellow pin-dot silk square, stitch detail

The shop is on Newburgh Street, just off Carnaby Street.  Go see these guys, they have beautiful menswear at good prices.  Just go, this is how menswear is supposed to be made.

Details:

Peckham Rye

11 Newburgh Street,

Off Carnaby Street,

London, W1F 7RW

Tel: 0207 734 5181                 

www.peckhamrye.com

I found the documentary to be fascinating, it really revealed how Tom Ford works, following him during his work.  The overarching storyline is the lead-up to the launch of Tom Ford’s first womenswear collection, which was about a year ago.  So even though neither his menswear or his men’s fragrances were included it was a very interesting documentary.

Looking at it a second time, I think that what makes it so interesting is Tom Ford’s willingness to reveal himself and his unique view of how style works.  I really felt I learnt something in watching this video.  I think that Tom Ford is the most interesting designer working at the moment, with Ralph Lauren coming a distant second.

See what you think, the documentary is here.     

We wrote about Tom Ford’s style evolution and menswear here

Sunspel 

The new Sunspel store in Old Compton Street, London

This is the new Sunspel store in London’s Old Compton Street Soho, which opened in early November 2011.  Sunspel are an English brand with a very good history.  As a brand they are known for making fine cottons, including underwear, and good knitwear.  Previously they sold their clothes through department stores and concessions but now they are selling through this their own (very nicely designed) shop. 

There are some good bargains in this store, especially a range of fine wool sweaters at around 40% discount.   

 Sunspel

40 Old Compton Street, London W1

T: 0207 7344 491

CP / Stone Island 

CP / Stone Island flaagship store, Beak Street, London

 

Aqua 

Aqua, Beak Street, London

A new store and a new brand(around 18 months old, very cult, very hip right now.  And a really good collection.   Things to buy here are their beautiful skinny jeans, (up to 50% off) designed to perfection.  However the top buy has to be their quilted black jackets.  These are a re-designed version of an English quilted jacket, but cropped off short and cut tight and slim.  Superb, stylish and sexy, in the sale.  A must-buy.

Aqua,
35 Beak Street, London, W1F 9SX
44 (0) 20 7287 1200

Liberty

Liberty, Soho, London

From the new and the cult to the very big.  The Liberty sale is always a very good one, because they sell so many cutting edge menswear brands.  I browsed this sale and there are great discounts on edgy brands such as Kris Van Asche, Dries Van Noten, DSquared, Paul Smith and others.  As you will see from the picture below there is a huge amount in the sale with some substantial discounts.

Liberty of London,
Fenton House,, 55-57 Great Marlborough Street, London, W1F 7JX
+44 (0)20 7573 9848

Nico Didonna

Nico Didonna, Soho, London

New designer with some really interesting ideas.  Each collection here is very individual, with some great original menswear ideas.  A couple of seasons ago they had a modern club take on John Wayne cowboy shirts, which were trulydifferent, clever and stylish.  This is a good sale, but the menswear collection is small, so go to this one  as a priority.

Nico Didonna,
16A D’Arblay Street, London, W1F v8EA
+44 (0) 20 728 0207

Fred Perry

Polo shirts, sale rail, Fred Perry, Covent Garden

Fred Perry,
14 The Piazza, London, WC2E 8HD
+44 (0)20 7836 3327

Pretty Green

Pretty Green storefront

 

I am always amazed at the ego involved in Pretty Green stores.  They are temples to Liam Gallagher, with gigantic photos of Liam wherever you look.  Having said that, his clothes are a really good take on brit-pop style, fun, inventive and well-made.  I do not know who Pretty Green’s designer is but they have done a superb job.  Very stylish for what is essentially a mass-market brand.  The picture below gives you an idea of the scale of Liam-worship in the store.

Liam worship, Pretty Green, Piazza, Covent Garden

 

Pretty Green,
57 Carnaby Street, London, W1F 9QF
+44 (0) 20 7287 3122

Ben Sherman

Good sale.  Currently on a roll with some clever shirt designs.  Also a really good range of shoes and man-bags.  The man-bags are really stylish and much cheaper than comparable ranges.  A good sale to put on your priority list.

Ben Sherman, Covent Garden London

Ben Sherman,
49 Long Acre, London, WC2E 9LN
44 (0) 20 7 8366196

Adolfo Dominguez

Adolfo Dominguez sale, Covent Garden

 

One of my favourite stores, we wrote about them here.  As always this is a great sale for classy casualwear.  Knitwear is original in its look, finely made and has a slightly aristocratic edge.  Jackets are slim, well-cut and well made.  For me the jeans, chinos and casual trousers always stand out at Dominguez and this year is no exception, the quality is really obvious.  Awesome sale and in keeping with our Dominguez tradition, here is a picture of their luxurious scarves (in the sale too).  The staff are just lovely here, a great place to shop.

Scarves, glorous scarves, at Adolfo Dominguez

Adolfo Dominguez,
15 Endell Street, London, WC2H 9BJ
+44 (0) 20 7836 5013

The Natural Shoe Store

I am finding that London shoe store sales are much less generous this year, in terms of ranges that are discounted in the sales.  The Natural Shoe Store is in this group, in that they only have a small selection of men’s shoes on sale.  However what they do have is good, including Fry boots and some very stylish suede and leather casual shoes from those cool designers at Folk. 

Natural Shoe Store, Neal Street, Covent Garden, London

Natural Shoe Store,
9-15 Neal Street, London, WC2H 9PU
+44 (0)20 7836 5254

Baracuta

These guys have seen a serious rise in their style credibility over the last couple of years.  So many stylish men seem to be wearing their classic casualwear.  This sale is a must-buy (there was a name TV actor buying when I was scoping out the sale).  As the picture says it’s a 50% sale, with savings on wonderful original Barracuta Harrington windcheaters, classic chinos and other really good stuff. 

Baracuta, Covent Garden, London

Baracuta,
9 Shorts Gardens, Seven Dials, London, WC2H 9AT
+44 (0) 20 7836 2678

Massimo Dutti

With their winter collections, Dutti seem to have been carving out a place in the Timberland outdoorwear territory.  So this sale is good for knitwear, shirts and casual trousers.  However the pick here must be the leather long-cut jackets.  Prices on these (in the sale) are excellent.

Massimo Dutti, casual jacket

Massimo Dutti,
125-126 Long Acre, London, WC2E 9PE
+44 (0)20 7395 0250

Moss Bros

Moss storefront, Covent Garden, London

Big reductions on their suit ranges, Boss, Cerruti and own brand Savoy Tailors Guild (biggest discounts are on the own brand).  Their leisurewear range is Gant, high quality preppy style and this range is in the sale too.

Moss,
27 King Street, London, WC2E 8JD
+44 (0)20 7632 9701

Nicole Farhi

Nicole Farhi storefront

 

Stylish suits, knitwear and jeans for the more mature man.  A good range, dark colours, flair and style.  Great discounts, up to 60% off.

 Nicole Farhi

11 Floral Street, London, WC2E 9HD

+44 (0) 20 7497 8713

Nigel Hall,

English classic menswear, redesigned with a twist.  Knitwear in unusual and striking colours, a Nigel Hall version of the classic pin-stripe, redesigned as a cool clubbing suit.  Lots more, and a big selection in the sale.  This sale is generous and interesting.  Think a younger, cheaper Paul Smith style.

Nigel Hall storefront, Neal Street, Covent Garden, London

Nigel Hall,
18 Floral Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DS
+44 (0)20 7379 3600

Agnes B

Ending on a high note, this is an excellent sale.  Agnes B have been a creative roll with their menswear over the last few seasons.  Superbly tailored classic casualwear, elegant, slim, sophisticated.  I have friends who swear by Agnes B.  When a piece wears out, they have them repaired, they like those clothes so much.  Superb shirts here, in the sale.  Upscale casual, beautifully tailored, for the stylish creative 30 and up man.

Agnes B

Agnes B,
35/36 Floral Street, London, WC2E 9DJ
+44 (0)20 7379 1992

That wraps this article up.  More to come soon, including Jermyn Street.

To read our Bond Street sales reports go here and here.

 The Italians

All the high-end italian menswear brands seem to be doing the same thing. They have a discreet notice in the window advertising their sale but none of their pieces are marked up. Basically everything (except their made-to-measure services) is at a considerable discount.

Corneliani

Corneliani, New Bond Street, London

 

Some of the best menswear ever made. Picks in this sale have to be the shirts and the suits. In shirts, particularly the Corneliani ID range (their younger menswear range) are very fine this season, relaxed casual style with the beautiful fabrics and tailoring that Corneliaini excel in. The suits are even better. Corneliani are currently working a late 40′s Milan/Rome look, with wide lapels, a soft but noticeable curve on the shoulder and a number of three-piece suits in sumptuous fabrics. Suits are around £1,500.00 non-sale, so 30% off that will work out to be quite a saving.

Corneliani,
131-132 New Bond Street, London, W1S 2TB
+44 (0)20 7493 7921

Canali

 Some very good bargains in the new Canali flagship store. Some very fine jackets in wool and silk, and their beautifully made suits. Topcoats here are interesting and different, including Canali’s Italian take on duffel-coats, in both wool and synthetics. Canali also now have a made-to-measure service, with prices starting at around £1,500.00 (depending on fabric and requirmenets). A good sale, the suits and topcoats have to the pick here.

Canali London, suits in the January sale

Canali,
126-127 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1DT
+44 (0)20 7290 3500 

Eterno

One of my favourite shirt shops in London, the Salerno-based Eterno.  Eterno are about to undertake a major refurbishment of their store in Conduit Street, off Bond Street, so are having a refurbishment sale.  In terms of discounts this is the best sale I have found yet.  Their beautiful and flamboyant shirts, in wonderful Italian fabrics, are selling for £60.00 (2/3 off).  Their hand-finished Italian shoes are selling at £90.00.  Do not miss this sale, they are pretty much giving it away.

Eterno, Conduit Street, refurbishment sale

 

Eterno,
19 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2BH
+44 (0) 20 7493 5603

Victorinox

Just across the border in Switzerland, Victorinox have moved from knoves and watches into being a vertically integrated Swiss lifestyle brand.  Their sale includes their casual range, including their shiny, military-influenced parkas, as well as their knitwear and polo shirts.

Victorinox, knitwear in the sale

 

Victorinox,
95-96 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1DB
+44 (0) 20 7647 9070

Tateossian

Npw we are really moving further afield.  Tateossian (I think they are Armenian originally?) are having a sale.  Apologies for the poor quality of the photograph but it was a reminder that they have discounts on their very manly, chunky cufflinks.  This shop is in Conduit Street like Eterno.  So you can get your shirts and cufflinks in one easy stroll.

Tateossian sale, Conduit Street, London

 

 Tateossian

27 Conduit St
London W1S 2XZ
Tel: +44 20 7499 9924

That’s our second report concluded. 

Fot the first part of this article on Bond Street sales go here

For Covent Garden menwear sales go here

Daks Storefront

We have to start with one of my personal favourites, Daks in Old Bond Street.  Daks continue to produce upscale menswear that draws on classic British traditions.  However their menswear has modern flair and a crisp, nicely detailed edge to it.  At the moment , no one is doing the young Englishman style as originally as Daks.  Discreet and edgy?  I think they are carrying it off.

Picks of this sale have to be the dress shirts, especially the slightly more formal ones.  Autumn colours, with fine geometric prints, like Liberty prints for the grown-up.  Also, like many upscale labels, Daks is fielding a heavy knitwear collection this year, including pieceas like ribbed cable-stitch sweaters with an overstitched pattern.

I liked this suit, which steals more than a touch from Tom Ford.  This is a Prince of Wales check with a pale blue in-line under-pattern.  Good to see doubled-breasted suits back in the market.

A good sale, up to 50% off.

Daks

 10 Old Bond Street, London, W1S 4PL
+44 (0)20 7409 4000

DKNY

Always some interesting casual wear here.  As yet there is not a lot in this sale, mainly some interesting shirts and knitwear.

Joseph

Joseph sale, Old Bond Street

Joseph has some real bargains.  Particularly the long topcoats, as seen in the picture below.  This one is of marbled leather with a white shearing collar.  There are others, in different styles, including some beautiful smooth leather topcoats with unfinished seams.  These topcoats are so stylish, gallic cool, sexy style.   Also good in this sale are the Joseph jeans.  Sale prices are between 30 and 40% off.  I always find that the larger sizes sell out quickly in the Joseph sale so if you are a big guy I would hit this one first.  

Joseph

Always a really good sale.  I particularly liked the fact that RL casualwear, especially their really soft knitwear, is on sale at 30% off.  Lots of winter gear, scarves, hats, etc are on sale at 40% off.  Go for the casualwwear.

Ralph Lauren knitwear

One of those sales that has not yet hit its peak, there will be further discounts I am sure.  Also, interestingly, they are discounting some of their very expensive style and photography books.      

 Ralph Lauren

 1 New Bond Street, London, W1S 3RL
+44 (0)20 7535 4600

Churchs Shoes

Church Store, Old Bond Street, London

 

Church’s was a bit of a scrum.  Like many other upscale menswear shops, Churches was full of Indian and Chinese buyers, buying quality at good prices.  Sale discounts only on selected items only here but discounting of around 25-30%.  Some very nice black and chestnut-brown monkstraps in this sale.

Church Shoes

TEL +44 207 493 1474 

Grosvenor Shirts

Grosvenor, ready-to-wear and made-to-measure shirts

 

Sale prices for Grosvenor’s quality English shirts are excellent, with some ready-to-wear shirts at 50% off (some shirts were selling at under £50.00).  Grovenor also has one of the best made-to-measure shirt services in London, with prices starting at around £100.00.  The sale discount on made-to-measure is 25%.  One to visit early, Grosvenor sales are always well-attended by discerning men looking for a bargain and good shirts go fast. 

Grosvenor Shirts

 4 Grosvenor Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 4PX
+44 (0)20 7629 2782

Boss Jacket

The Boss sale has started.  However I did not have time to visit this one, so was not able to review their sale stock.  However I did see this rather fine quilted jacket (Daks are doing something similar, in a check wool worsted) with a (fake) fur collar.

Fenwicks

I have written before about the surpisingly good menswear section at Fenwicks of Bond Street.  Menswear is tucked away on the lower ground floor (basement) of this department store, so it is not immediately apparent that they have menswear.  However, there are some interest brands, and in this sale, some deep discounts.  They have the current John Smedley knitwear range at 30%, including a couple of pieces which have sold out elsewhere.  The John Smedley flagship store has not yet started a sale and the John Smedley sale in Slefridges tell me that they are not going to have one, so this may be one to plunder.

Menswear Display, Fenwick, New Bond Street, London

Fenwicks have even larger discounts (50%) on young brands, including Theory, Filippa K and Surface-to-Air.  Defintely worth a visit.  Staff are helpful here.

Fenwicks

 63 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1RJ
+44 (0)20 7629 9161

Aspinall

Upscale accessories store Aspinall are having a sale (up to 50%) in their flagship store, just off Bond Street.  Picks here have to be the fine hipflasks, cufflinks and leatherware.

Aspinall, Brook Street, just off New Bond Street, London

Aspinall

25 Brook Street, London, W1K 4HB
+44 (0) 20 7493 9509 

Crombie

English classics from this traditional menswear company.  Their new(ish) flagship store in Conduit Street is very fine, stylish in an old-school way and their staff really know their stuff. 

Crombie store, Conduit Street, off Bond Street, London

Picks here have to be their classic Crombie wool overcoats, reduced to £495.oo and their superb crewneck cablestitch sweaters, reduced to £85.00   If you buy nothing else, go for the sweaters, they are of magnificent quality and beautifully made.

Crombie,
48 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2YR
+44 (0)20 7434 2886

R M Williams

Australian outdoor casualwear of very high quality.  There is a limited amount in the sale, maybe they will add more.  Currently they have a very good deal on their moleskins (2 for 1).  Also I was really surprised by the quality of their knitwear (some in sale) which is really well-tailored, in good quality yarns.  I know a lot of readers eagerly await this sale and I am beginning to understand why.  Sale now on.

For Part 2, covering the Italian stores in Bond Street., go here

For Covent Garden menswear sales, go here 

All the upscale London sales, here on What Makes a Man.  Bond Street, Jermyn Street, Soho independents and lots more.  First posts from tomorrow.

If there is a brand you are interested in hearing, about send us a mail.  We are sure to review them.

Lutwyche Bespoke, Clifford Street, off Savile Row, sale now on.

The Bastards!

They have been eating my knitwear!

So winter is late in London this year and I had not had the urge to wear knitwear.  Then the weather changed last week and I decided I was going to wear sweaters. 

I was feeling really good about knitwear.  Over the last three years I had built up what I felt was a really good collection of knitwear, perfectly suited for my lifestyle.  Even better, ladies of taste and style had been complimenting me on my sweaters.

A few days ago I opened the wardrobe I keep my knitwear in.  And was amazed, not to mention furious.  Moths had eaten holes in almost all of it!

I immediately turned into Vizzini, the self-described criminal genius in The Princess Bride.  Whenever he was frustrated or angry his curse was “Inconceivable!”.  That was me.  “Moths! Inconceivable!”. 

It was all the more irritating because I was so smug about moths, it was only a couple of months ago I was in Pokit, the Englisher designer store in Soho, talking about moths.  (Pokit are here)

The guys in Pokit was telling me how to handle moths because moths were an increasing problem.  My strategy was to use cedar to repel them.  I bought sixty (60) cedar balls, each the size of a big marble and folded them amongst the sweaters.  Sixty large cedar balls for twelve sweaters, that had to be the answer, right?  I put them in place four years ago.  So I was feeling pretty smug when I talked to the guys at Pokit.

Cedarwood balls

They were right and I was wrong.  Inconceivable!

Here is what I learnt this week.

Moths are drawn to sweat.  So if you put knitwear away in the spring without washing it, all of it, the moths will be drawn to it.

If your knitwear is stored in a wardrobe where the air is damp, moths will be drawn to it.   Is there anywhere in England where the air is not damp?  So pretty much every man (in England) is exposed to the problem.

Cedar is only fully effective for a year.  After that the scent (which repels the moths) diminishes.  So my four-year old Cedar was now useless.  I did not know this.  Cedar needs to be sanded down in order to release its scent anew.  It looks like I am going to have to shave my balls…..

Moths want an easy life.  Once they have found your knitwear they go for the finest knitwear you own.  So my Sea island Cotton John Smedleys?  Swiss Cheese.  My Cashmere?  Well, luxury rags for shoe polishing I think.

So here is what I did:

I washed all of my sweaters that were undamaged (four out of twelve).  I dried them carefully and ironed them equally carefully. 

A friend recommended Caraselle, a British company who specialise in innovative products to deal with Moths.  Caraselle are here.

So I rang Caraselle and they were incredibly helpful. 

I bought these sweater protection bags from Caraselle, who specialise in protection against moths.  The bags are well designed and wide and deep enough to take two sweaters folded, side by side.

Caraselle Sweater Bag

I bought these Orphea paper strips from Caraselle, which protect against moths, like cedar, the smell repels them. 

Orphea strips from Caraselle

The Orphea strips have a fresh herby smell, with a slight aroma of Alpine flowers.  I layered the wardrobe with them. 

Orphea Strips - note the perforation for attaching them to clothes hangers

Orphea strips last for twelve weeks so I have a note in my calendar to buy some more in three months.  That’s easy, they were competitively priced.  

I sanded down the Cedar balls with fine sandpaper.  I wiped them of with a damp cloth so no wood dust would get into the wardrobe.  They now smell of Cedar again.  Back in the wardrobe with them.          

Knitwear into the bags.

So now I have defence in depth.  I can recommend Caraselle, they have a wide variety of moth-handling products.

Replacements

Now I simply have to replace the damaged knitwear.  Some I cannot replace, but here are my immediate buys.

This is a favourite piece of knitwear.

John Smedley Turtleneck - Navy

This is a great colour for me and suits me more than any other.

Purple V-Neck - Charles Tyrwhitt

This is a great piece and works amazingly well under a black or navy suit.

Red Poloneck - Peter Gribby

Now I simply have to find a light grey cashmere sweater, a navy cashmere long sleeve polo and a couple of others ….

So that is my experience.  Replacing all this good knitwear is time-consuming and expensive.  If you think you have a moth problem, the time to sort it is now.  Good Luck.

As I became a man I also fell in love with good tailoring   so, like a lot of Englishmen, I went down the classical shoe route, starting  with Church’s wonderful Oxfords and developed a shoe education from there.  From there it was Trickers, Loakes, Crockett and Jones, Grenson.  Somewhere (I think it was the Grensons that did it) I discovered the joys of good Italian shoes, Sutor Mantellassi and Tanino Crisci.  Good shoes are a necessity and a joy.

So this is by way of introduction to this site, which is about good shoes and whose content is both beautiful and useful.  Justin FitzPatrick is the Shoe Snob, and his website is here.

I like the Shoe Snob because Justin has a very definite taste in shoes, is very knowledgeable, especially about bespoke shoes, and writes in a style that is accessible to everyone.  I really like the depth of his expertise, the way he writes about shoe design (he is a shoe designer himself) and some of the interesting aspects of Italian shoes.  Justin practices what he preaches and has a shoe-shine stall in Gieves and Hawkes, suitmakers, on Savile Row.  You can read more about that on the Shoe Snob.    

I vist the Shoe Snob regularly and I commend Justin’s site (especially the photographs) to you.

Other What Makes a Man shoe articles you may enjoy:

How to preserve the life of bench-made shoes, here

Classic English Country Brogues, here

English Bench-made shoes, the traditional brands, here  

English Bench-made shoes, new brands, here

John Smedley shop, Brook Street, Off Bond Street, London

  It is their colours for Autumn / Winter 2011.  So if you are looking for the finest of sweaters here are the colours Smedley are making them in.

Colour Card, Front

John Smedley Colour Card, Page1

John Smedley Colour Card Page2

I am a fan of John Smedley.  Their classic designs are very stylish and their fabrics very fine indeed.  They have been making beautiful knitwear for over 225 years.  For knitwear to wear under a jacket (instead of a shirt) they have no equal.

John Smedley are here.  Have a look at their original designs, they are new and very pleasing.