I was contacted recently by Isle of Man-based Windsor & Wales, who have launched online and offer products made in the UK for men and women.
I asked them to tell me about themselves:
The Windsor & Wales ethos is to manufacture transparently in the British Isles using traditional craftsmanship to create a modern, classic feel. Our design process is based around utilising the raw materials available to us in Britain, and basing our designs around this whilst exhibiting the great skillsets of the British manufacturing industry. We have also taken a very hands-on approach to the process, working directly with the farmers to shear the wool that is then handwoven into our tweeds.
Our full collection comprises tweed jackets made from Isle of Man-woven tweeds, shirts from Lancashire cloth, Manx Loaghtan shearling jackets, Scottish knitwear and Northamptonshire-made footwear.
I hope to try some of their products later in the year. Meanwhile, for more information and to see their products, see Windsor & Wales.
Thank you Grey Fox for a very interesting piece about Windsor and Wales. Clearly they are to be congratulated on an ethos based upon manufacture in the UK, so all credit to them. Their items look to be of high quality.
ReplyDeleteThe spectator shoes are particularly appealing. Their price seems to be based at the Loake, Barker etc end of the market rather than the Lobb, Crocket and Jones etc end which might put them in range of the average high street shopper. However, there does not seem to be any width fitting options and I wonder if Mr Average, who may not know or care about widths, would be willing to pay that asking price for his shoes. I think anybody willing to pay towards £300 would want some width options.
Their tweed jackets could possibly be in competition with Harris Tweed which can be bought for far less at M & S, although the W and W have some nice embellishing details. However, having gone to the trouble of incorporating working cuffs they have deviated quite a bit from the normal 4 button cuff with a far lesser spacing dimension and only 3 buttons. I wonder therefore if Mr Average, who again may not know or care about the cuff convention, would be willing to pay that asking price for a jacket. Possibly anybody willing to pay that price would expect the long established 4 button cuff convention.
My comments are just my thoughts and in no way are meant to be derogatory to Mr Average High Steet shopper.
I would be very interested to know how you perceive W an W.
Best regards,
Snapper
Many thanks Snapper. As you say, the quality and British manufacture are strong points. I haven't seen any of the products up close, nor tried them on, so this post is designed simply to introduce the brand. If I am able to try and review I will bring you more information later in the year.
ReplyDeleteGF