Products With Personality
Timeless Traditions: Flannel
Few items of clothing signal the arrival of cold weather like a flannel shirt. Along with hot apple cider and thick corduroys, a plaid shirt in the soft, fuzzy material is something we all think fondly of during the long hot days of late summer. Flannel shirts are a closet staple, perfect for lounging at home, picking apples, or walking in snowy neighborhoods, but flannel is more than just multicolored casual shirts. As suiting or trouser material, flannel is a reliable staple from Fall to Spring.
Products with Personality: Baracuta Jacket
Before the 1930s, athletic wear often consisted of an unstructured sport coat or a sleeveless sweater, which would allow freedom of movement while keeping the wearer relatively warm. In colder, windier weather though, athletes needed a layer that would protect them from the elements while allowing their bodies to move and breathe. Some early windbreaker designs included button-front unlined leather jackets or canvas pullovers, each of which had their own drawbacks, but with the invention of the zipper a new windbreaker was developed which would become a menswear mainstay: the Baracuta jacket.
Timeless Traditions: Donegal Tweed
As we’ve discussed in a previous blog post, the wool cloth collectively known as tweed was developed as a hard-wearing material for country wear in Scotland and Ireland. Using locally produced wool, regional tweeds evolved to suit the needs of the outdoorsmen who would wear them, resulting in variations that would come to represent the style of entire regions of the British Isles.
Products with Personality: Grenfell Raincoats
In climates where rain is common, people have tried many methods to stay dry through the centuries. Traditional rain capes were made of tightly-woven grass and reeds, and are documented at least as far back as 1000AD in China. In South America where rubber plants originated, native Amazonians used rubber extracts to waterproof their shoes and clothing. In Europe and Asia, water-repelling wool cloaks or tightly-woven fabrics treated with oil helped keep people dry, and by the 18th Century these ideas were being combined to create the precursors to the modern raincoat.
Products With Personality: Chrysalis Field Jacket
Centuries of hunting and fishing in rural Britain have led to the evolution of a hardy, practical, and stylish piece of outerwear that is useful in all kinds of settings and weather. Often called the shooting jacket or the field coat, it is a roomy, weatherproof garment with large pockets intended for shotgun shells or other gear, and a wide collar to shield the wearer’s neck. In 1985, Chrysalis England began producing its own version of this iconic jacket, which the Andover Shop is proud to provide to you.
Timeless Traditions: An Introduction to Tweed
Most of the clothing that we cover here on The Andover Shop Blog originates in the British Isles. Famous for their changeable weather, particularly in chilly winters, Great Britain and Ireland are also historically a center of wool production. During the Middle Ages, the English economy was supported primarily by the production of sheep’s wool and the weaving industry. The historical importance of this industry can be seen in the fact that to this day the presiding officer of the House of Lords sits on The Woolsack, a symbolic chair stuffed with wool.
Products With Personality: Aran Sweater
As we’ve discussed in previous articles, traditional cold weather wear is almost always derived from the clothing worn by people performing manual labor out in the elements. The average sweater-wearer today is probably not managing a country estate or hauling in nets full of mackerel, but the durability and warmth of items like the Aran sweater will serve anyone well in the dead of winter.
Products with Personality: The Chrysalis Alpaca-lined Overcoat
Chrysalis England has been producing high-quality outerwear in the UK since 1985. They are particularly well-known for their warm, casual Field Coat designs, which The Andover Shop has carried for years. This year however, Chrysalis looked back at the history of men’s outerwear and forward to what may be a very cold winter, producing a classically-styled coat that will guard against the roughest weather.
Products with Personality: Alden 403 Workboot
For most of the year, working at home or in an office, you have a lot of freedom when it comes to footwear. In dry summer weather, a sleek, leather soled shoe in snuff suede will carry you to and from work with style. At home all day, fleece-lined slippers or casual moccasins will do everything you need them to. But when the rain comes down or the snow piles up, and you still have somewhere to go, a rugged, water resistant boot that keeps your ankles dry is a must-have, and our Indy Boot from The Alden Shoe Company has you covered.
Made-to-Measure: Our Process
Being fitted for a made-to-measure suit is a time-honored experience. In this series on The Andover Shop’s made-to-measure process, we will explore each of the steps that allow every customer to create the garment that is ideal for them.
For over half a century, Andover Shop staff have worked closely with customers to ensure the best possible fit, making minute alterations to ensure that body and suit work together. Our staff are knowledgeable about how the style and details of tailored clothing provide the best look with the customer’s body, and are able to advise on materials for all seasons and events.
Timeless Traditions: Argyle
A common assumption about menswear is that it all looks the same, that men dress in homogenous shades of blue and grey with little to differentiate them. Since opening in 1948, The Andover Shop has prided itself on challenging this stereotype, providing vibrant colors and interesting patterns in all its offerings.
Timeless Traditions: Gingham, from Indonesia to Your Closet
We’re all familiar with the quaint, brightly-colored checks of gingham fabric. Whether on tablecloths of your local bistro, or in Dorothy’s dress in The Wizard of Oz, gingham has casual, All-American connotations that have made it a standard in menswear for generations. At The Andover Shop, as a bastion of traditional style menswear, we've carried Gingham throughout the generations. In today's post, we want to share a little of our expertise from a lifetime of learning and living the trade.