Wolsey tradition - Grey Fox buys shorts for Summer

Thursday, 31 May 2012

When it comes to style I'm a real sucker for tradition. If a jacket recreates one that Mallory wore on Everest, I'll buy it. If a purveyor of menswear supplies the Royal Family, I'm hooked.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I went to investigate Wolsey's new shop in Brewer Street in London. The company is shifting away from traditional underwear and golfing jumpers to become more fashionable.

How would this move away from a more conservative (and middle-aged) market suit me as an older man? The revamped company still depends on very traditional values and much is made of the company's history, for example providing clothing to Scott's Antarctic expedition a century ago this year. As ever, successful marketing can be very schizophrenic.

Summer has arrived at last and Grey Fox's legs need an airing - so I was after a pair of shorts. The service was friendly and enthusiastic, quite a change from the studied indifference found in many London shops. The clothes are an inspiring mix of styles and tastes. There is something for most tastes, high fashion and less so.

True to Wolsey's traditions, the Wolsey 1755 shorts (the date the company was founded) are well made and, for me, the slim cut was a welcome change from the flappy-legs style. They are knee length on me, but look good folded over if a shorter style is needed.

I recommend Wolsey to other older men in search of style.

4 comments

Nick from Rotherhithe31 May 2012 at 07:23
I agree with your thoughts on this. I also dropped by their new store a fortnight ago (enticed by their pleasingly retro-cool print advertising). Really good gear and pleasant staff. Funnily enough, I had been to the Scott/Antarctic exhibition at Natural History Museum a couple of weeks earlier, so the links were abundantly clear.
Grey Fox31 May 2012 at 08:38
Thanks Nick, yes the khaki webbing on the shorts I've reviewed show the vintage/ military/ expedition influences - good stuff. GF
Mathew31 May 2012 at 12:41
Your post made me smile, for it caused me to vividly recall a radio commercial that was popular when I was a kid and my family and I lived in the tropics. It was read by a heavily accented man who claimed "Volsey Underveer - for the man of style. Don't be caught with your pants down !" lol !

I never owned a pair of their Y fronts at that young age (my mother's loyalties lay with M&S or C&A which she struggled to obtain abroad), but I gather that they were very popular back then in the 70s, and probably still are to subsequent generations. I wonder what their range of styles must look like now. Still conservative ? Colourful ? boxers ? Did you happen to notice while at their store GF ? Guess I could check their site.