Recommendations for shopping in London, early Nov
 

I'm going to London and would like to pick up some well made woolens/tweeds at a good price, what stores would you recommend? I would particularly like to get my son a tweed vest (he's an adult) and maybe a jacket for me. Other shopping tips for London are also welcome! thnx

I'm not sure you can pick up anything at a good price. You will certainly find a large selection and good quality - but prices would be much higher than in the US. (I have always found everyting in London much more expensive than in NY - worthwhile if you want special quality or design items - but never a bargain.)

Just to save confusion when you're trying to buy one, a "vest" in the UK is:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004J8ZFO...0&linkCode=asn

Do you mean a waistcoat?

http://www.debenhams.com/men/suits-tailoring/waistcoats?CMP=KNC-GoogleAd-Generics&tmcampid=7&tmad=c&_$ja=kw:waistcoat|cgn:W aistcoats|cgid:1652591240|tsid:19685|cn:Menswear+S uits+%26+Tailoring+-+Generics|cid:59326280|lid:165775719|mt:Phrase|nw: search|crid:9147092000

Yes, the OP means a waistcoat. What you call a vest we call an undershirt or tank top. Just like you call men;s underwear pants and what we call pants you call trousers.

Thanks all, I do mean a waistcoat, this is helpful. I know it's expensive in England but things are often made better. In the US it can be a chore to find anything that wasn't made in China, even in nice stores and especially for women.

To confuse matters even more, we call this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ORIGINAL-V...56551049812016

a Tank Top, fortunately they disappeared in the 70's.

but say you wanted to buy a waistcoat in a nice tweed, where would you try?

You could try Selfridges or House of Fraser or John Lewis. They are all good department stores. There are, or used to be, expensive menswear stores along Jermyn Street, you could have a look there (runs parallel to Piccadilly). It doesn't sound like the most popular item these days but if you ask in the menswear sections of the big stores they might be able to point you in the right direction.

Kay

"say you wanted to buy a waistcoat in a nice tweed, where would you try"

Probably not central London.

Your best bet is the Edinburgh Woollen Mill, which in London has branches only in the suburbs, but is as common as measles outside London. Which might be why the untravelled misguide you with claptrap about how expensive things are here. I doubt Old Navy offers www.ewm.co.uk/Menswear/2008054/Product?extcam=GP as cheaply as EWM does. But if your knowledge of Britain extends no further than a consultant's office, ignorance and determination to offer that ignorance to everyone else is pretty much to be expected.

Your second best best is probably the web. Online specialists like Asos (fashion), fieldandgun.co.uk or countryattire.com (self-evident).

Your third MIGHT be country clothing specialists, like Countrywide (next to the major petrol station on the edge of any medium-sized Southern country town). The best geographic list of such stores is the store locator at www.musto.com. As you'll see, it's long in rural counties, but non-existent in London.

There's lots of men's shops along Jermyn St. Few do much in knitwear: shirts and tailoring are what they do.

All of which said, I doubt I've seen a tweed waistcoat on sale in Britain, except as part of a three-piece suit in a fusty Scottish men's outfitters, for decades.

I like Fortnam & Mason for gifts to bring back home. If you like Christmas stuff, they are sure to have their xmas displays in full swing in Nov. Beautiful things. Harrod's is a mainstay there but expensive.

Maybe a traditional hunting shop such as Holland @ Holland. They will do tweeds, but will be expensive.

How about Gieves and Hawkes or Cordings on Piccadilly, expensive but not so expensive as H&H. A waistcoat is normally sold as part of a 3-piece suit.

<i>In the US it can be a chore to find anything that wasn't made in China, even in nice stores and especially for women.</i>

Sorry to say it, but you will be exceedingly disappointed when you look at the labels in the UK. My wife's favorite store in the UK is Hobbs. They have nice stuff, maybe a tiny step above the tailored stuff at Banana Republic, and priced just a bit above what you would pay at BR, too. Just checked two pieces of hers and both were made in China.

By comparison, our favorite US store is Billy Reid. Just checked a few pieces and they were made in Italy, Canada, and the US. Now, Billy Reid is a pretty respected designer and his stuff is quite a step above both BR and Hobbs in terms of price, but the point is that the divide on where the clothes are made is usually down to price and (maybe) mass-market vs designer, not the country where you buy the clothes.

In general, I'd say that I find Selfridges the best of the major department stores and usually start there. As mentioned, the wife likes Hobbs. I tend to agree with flanner that tweed is a bit out of favor and you may have trouble finding it any but the most traditional stores. And you may have to pay for it.

<i>Which might be why the untravelled misguide you with claptrap about how expensive things are here.</i>

Hogwash. Like-for-like clothing is certainly more expensive in the UK than in the US. IIRC, you claim to have foresworn travel to the US, which would explain why you are so thoroughly uninformed on the topic.

You might try Hackett. There is a location on Jermyn street.
http://www.hackett.com/index.cfm?page=1486

I agree that waistcoats might be a bit outdated, is your son younger and trendier -- or more grown up and settled into his style?