London Calling | High fashion of Harrods

London, England is one of the most exciting and cosmopolitan cities in the world. It is also the home of four of our grandchildren. My wife Judi and I recently went for a visit. On the last full day of our trip we went to visit the famous Harrods’ men’s clothing department.

Share with me a bit of my visit. All of Harrods is set up in individual boutiques. Some, especially in the women’s wear departments are as small as a couple of racks and a small shelf or two.

I am not a stranger to higher priced clothing. That is, higher priced clothing by Canadian standards. I did experience “sticker shock” at Harrods. Our first stop was at the Hermes boutique. The tie I turned over to check the price tag on was £180.00, around $325.00 in Canadian dollars. Things didn’t get much better.

When I asked a sales clerk about the clientele who paid these prices, he answered that the majority of the clients were Middle Eastern, East Asian, and Russian.

The majority of the most exclusive men’s shops are on the ground floor. The sub-ground floor (Basement is hardly a word one would use at Harrods) has the food courts – worth a story on their own – and brands like Hugo Boss, Paul Smith, Valentino, Canali and Brioni. As the former buyer and merchandise manager for Harry Rosen (the Toronto-based chain of better men’s wear), I travelled to Europe to review, and often buy these brands; when they were available in Canada, I often carried them in my own shop.

I really wanted to see the Tom Ford collection. Gibran is the sales associate in the area devoted to Tom Ford. I noticed that he wasn’t wearing a Ford suit – his response “Today is my dry-cleaning day. I’m only wearing Prada.” Prada suits start at around $3,500 while the opening price point for Tom Ford’s collection is around $4,000.

My interest in the Ford boutique wasn’t the price point, but the point of view. Not a trend follower, but a trend setter, at the forefront of fashion, Ford’s line is at once beautifully crafted and distinctive. The suits are tailored in Switzerland. Shoulders are padded, a touch wider, and finished with a distinct ridge – called a rope shoulder. The chest is fuller giving the silhouette a V shape. One detail was fascinating; the sleeve bottoms on the jackets were not completely finished so that they could be completed with functioning buttons or “surgeon’s cuffs.”

Much of the collection in this area was black and dark, but Gibran told us that for spring a “denim” influence would be felt through the line. He explained that brighter jewel tones and textured fabrics like linen and denim would be in the collection.

Never having perused the Prada line, Judi and I found our way to the shop on the first floor. There we met sales associate Jack Banks. His soft plaid patterned suit showed off the more classic styling and detailing that is typical of the Prada collection. Single pleats on about half the trousers in the boutique and even cuffs are shown with more traditional flannels and tweeds. Jack told us that for spring Prada was predicting a return of classic double breasted styling. It also seems that brighter jewel colours are also on the spring palette of Prada.

I would not want to leave the impression that Prada was stodgy. While the coat in this picture is a runway piece and not part of the regular collection, it does show flair, originality, and drama.

I wish I had the space to tell you about what else we saw at the other boutiques in Harrods. The suit from Gucci is an example of the strongest silhouette being shown by many designers.

Viewing über luxury clothing at exorbitant prices was fun, but also educational. Some practical things I learned were:
1. In shirts, wide spread collars are virtually the only style being sold and worn on London streets.
2. Checked patterns were incredibly popular, eclipsing stripes as the fashionable choice.
3. Neat patterned shirts were still being shown, and at least one maker was showing pin collars.
4. Two button jackets were the overwhelming choice, many an inch shorter than those of a couple of years ago…
5. Aside from the most conservative dressers, plain fronts not pleats on trousers.
6. Not many vests on the racks at Harrods, but a fair sprinkling on well-dressed men on the streets.
7. Heavier-soled shoes, often with brogue styling were in evidence in many collections.
8. Ties continue to be around 2” wide.

Now, rather than just read my column, if you would like to hire me as your personal shopper at Harrods…

I’m available, and I’ll even fly economy.

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