The finest manufacturer of jumpers in the world is… John Smedley (founded 1784).
You can find them in Urban Outfitters, on eBay and there is also a list of stockists on their site.
If there is something I really dislike, in the world of watches, it is fashion companies that have “introduced a watch line”. Typically these watches are a thin rip off of other models, or otherwise demonstrate as much imagination as the Bolton Wanderers 4-5-1 formation.
The one exception to this is Diesel, who make interesting and solid designs – and are frequently ripped off.
Companies who should have never dipped a toe into the world of chronology include: Paul Smith, Ted Baker, Gucci, D&G, Next (if they count as a fashion company), Armani (ewww), Burberry and so on and so on.
Since last summer, I’ve gradually moved away from my first love (t-shirts) into the welcoming arms of polo shirts. Slightly smarter than a t-shirt, yet don’t make you look like a city tw*t like a shirt, the polo – all things to all men.
So, here are my top 5 polo shirt manufacturers:
5. Le Tigre. I must admit, I don’t own any shirts by them, but they look good. You can get them from karmaloop as well as Urban Outfitters & eBay.
4. American Apparel – manufactured in a sweatshop-free environment in Los Angeles, this right-on version of Gap (but better) does t-shirts, sweatshirts, long sleeved tees, hooded tops and yes! polo shirts in a multitude of colours. They have a store at the end of Carnaby Street.
3. Fred Perry. You no longer have to be a skinhead to wear Fred Perry – although I know several slapheads read this site. They have 2 stores in Covent Garden, one in the market and one in Seven Dials.
2. Lacoste – another horrible flash-only site unfortunately, but they have the greatest range of colours and do a particularly nice pink option. A Lacoste store has recently opened up on Regent Street.
1. Penguin by Munsingwear. Available from Stylevenue, Plum & eBay. Penguin Clothing is the most comprehensive site, but is based in the US, and has exorbitant UK delivery rates.
Something that makes it a lot more difficult to write for a site like this is all the flashy designer websites insistent upon “customizing your online experience” by opening one big window with the whole website written in Macromedia Flash / Director.
This makes it difficult for me to deep link to, use graphics from or even browse the sites – it’s even more difficult for disabled users. Additionally, it means google can’t index your site, and makes you difficult to find.
Culprits include:
- Duffer
- Ted Baker
- Paul Smith (at least the shop is fairly sane HTML)
- Top Man (yes, even the chavs’ friend can’t resist using wipes, fades and other transition effects)
Also note that according to the DDA it is a legal requirement to make your site accessible.
Monsoon have recently launched a men’s line. They have a store in Covent Garden. Their current line has some appealing shirts and jumpers.
The Gap of Japan is a budget option. Recently they sold good quality lightweight merino wool v-neck jumpers in a wide variety of colours for only £20. Unfortunately they appear to have ditched that line.
They do still have pink socks though…
Bailey is a London menswear shop which has good quality jumpers, shirts, coats and accessories – a more reasonably priced Paul Smith. It has two branches, one in Shorts Gardens (north of Covent Garden) and one in Carnaby Street.
Unfortunately it does not appear to have a website. Perhaps they should get one.
Best Shop Ever is not a personal recommendation, but the name of this shop just off Clerkenwell Road in London. It has an esoteric mix of t-shirts, jewellery, artwork and other interesting items that you won’t find anywhere else.
More years ago than I care to remember, my sister and I were watching Playschool. In the episode we were watching, the young male presenter (whose name escapes me – let’s call him Barry), was wearing a typically eighties top, pastel coloured with a pattern of geometric blocks of colour. One of the blocks was coloured a soft, baby-pink. My sister and I were too young at the time to know about homosexuality, but we sure knew that pink was NOT a boy’s colour: ‘Look at him! He’s a girl! He’s wearing pink!’ we trilled excitedly. My mum was not impressed by our stereotyping: ‘Just because he’s wearing pink, it doesn’t mean he’s a girl,’ she sighed, possibly worried that the ‘sometimes men like other men instead of ladies’ conversation was on the cards. She needn’t have worried – I remember feeling embarassed, even at the age of seven, that I’d slighted young Barry’s masculinity.
This memory reared up from my subconscious recently, with the recent fashion for pink menswear. I like to think of myself as being a liberal-minded person, but when my boyfriend started developing a fondness for pink clothing, I couldn’t surpress my childhood image of a man in pink as a sissy. ‘It’s okay,’ my boyfriend assured me, ‘I read in GQ that pink’s in this season. As long as you don’t wear anything too soft like a jumper, you can pull it off.’ Like any sensible person, I defer to GQ in matters in style, and let the ensuing purchase of a pink Lacoste polo shirt pass. I even admired subsequent t-shirt purchases, including a fetching Jake’s Lucky 7 number. I was slightly alarmed when a tight long-sleeved t-shirt was produced, but was assured that it would only be worn under a short-sleeved shirt, and I had to admit it looked quite nice with a white top over it. Then the ultimate test for my prejudices was purchased – a baby pink jumper. No matter that it was John Smedley, well-made with high-quality yarn, I was unconvinced. ‘GQ said if you wear a pink jumper you’ll look like a marshmallow!’ I complained, but my boyfriend was unconcerned.
I’m not the only one whose prejudices are being tested by the fashion for pink. At a recent pub outing, the aforementioned Jakes t-shirt might as well have been a Prince Harry-style Nazi outfit for the shock it caused – a fervently heterosexual man wearing pink? The drinking buddies didn’t know where to look? And there have been other sly comments which imply that pink-lovers must be friends of Dorothy.
But you can’t escape men in pink this season. While girls are faced with drab autumnal browns and greens, menswear sections are positively overflowing with shades of powder pink and dusky rose. It seems that all the designers are embracing their inner girl and thinking pink. And you have to applaud them. In this world of rising violent crime and terrorists under the bed, you can’t blame men for wanting a bit of softness in their lives, even if it is only a pair of pink socks.
Body Shop Shave Cream – the best shaving cream I’ve used.