Products With Personality
Products With Personality: Tweed Workshirt
In the depths of winter we all have our rituals for bundling up before we head outside. We layer on sweaters, thick socks, heavy coats, and hats, before we brave the icy winds. As the weather warms up and spring arrives, some of those colder weather clothes will be packed away in the closet for next winter, while others will transition to multiple seasons with ease. A wool overshirt has its uses as a winter inner layer, a spring or fall outer layer, and a throw-on light jacket on cool summer nights.
Products with Personality: Academic Scarves
Academic scarves, also known as rowing scarves, have their origins in the annual boat race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Beginning in the 19th Century, both schools competed heavily to develop a superior rowing team, sending their boats out in all weather. Rowers bundled up against the cold in scarves, and soon each school developed its own pattern of knit stripes to differentiate its rowers on and off the water.
Products with Personality: Repp Stripe Tie
Repp stripe ties are a staple of a classic men’s wardrobe. These diagonally-striped silk ties in a variety of color schemes can pull together almost any look, and can be easily worn at different levels of formality. Originating in Great Britain, the repp stripe design has been adopted as a cornerstone of American menswear and of Ivy Style in particular.
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.
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.
Made-to-Measure: Hand-Worked Buttonholes
Classic men's clothing is all about details, about the smallest changes that make a piece of clothing look its best. Altering the length of sleeves becomes a matter of quarter-inches, finding the best look for the wearer’s bodily proportions. Menswear enthusiasts tend to have strong opinions about button stance, the gorge of their jacket’s lapels, or the taper of their trouser legs. Even details that are so minor they might escape someone else’s notice can be an important part of your enjoyment of the finished product. The Andover Shop is proud to provide one such detail: hand-worked buttonholes.
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: Mask Up, Dress Up
This turbulent year has brought a lot of changes into our lives. Work and home schedules have been disrupted, and the most visible representation of these changes are the masks that we all wear to keep each other safe. During the holiday season it can be even more important to keep everyone healthy, and if you want to add a new stylish accessory to your wardrobe at the same time, The Andover Shop’s mask offerings are a great option.
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.
Timeless Traditions: Camel Hair
The cornerstone of menswear in spring and summer is a pair of khaki chinos, which are a hard-wearing piece in a neutral color which goes with everything. But when the weather shifts towards fall and winter temperatures and our standard trousers become grey wool or dark corduroy, that provides a chance to wear that neutral shade in other styles and materials, and there is no better example than camel hair.
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.