Crombie - a tradition of style

Crombie was a name I knew well in my youth; their overcoats were worn by most businessman of style and also became popular among more sartorial (and no doubt more affluent) skinheads (something I suspect that the great and good at Crombie were less keen about). They were also adopted by mods, a culture which is now seeing quite a renaissance.

The name Crombie became synonymous with British-made overcoats - for example The British Warm. The company has been around since the date of the Battle of Trafalgar, (a date* hopefully familiar to all Brits).

Image Crombie

Now Crombie has updated itself and skilfully combines modern styling with its traditional core values. It has tried to preserve its Britishness as far as it can. The majority of fabrics used in their coats are milled in England and Scotland (otherwise in Italy). Likewise, 80% of their accessories, from five-fold silk ties hand-rolled by English craftsmen, to handmade classic fur felt hats, are "Made in England". It offers a made to measure tailoring service at three stores.

I looked at their range at their flagship store in Conduit Street in London, just around the corner from Savile Row. I liked what I saw - the emphasis is on the classic, with some beautiful fabrics, but there is a modern edge to much of what I saw, which makes their clothes ideal for both young and older men of style.

I'd love to talk about the garment they're best known for, the overcoat, because they are beautiful, but I'll leave that to Autumn, when you'll be thinking about warmer clothes. For now I'll show you some of the items from their Spring and Summer range that caught my eye. For more information see Crombie's website here.

*Battle of Trafalgar - 1805