Cordings of piccadilly

[VRaivio]

Any updates from Cordings' old customers -- how's the quality these days?

 

[andreyb2]

I bought their trousers then and now -- they seem to be the same as always.

Andrey

 

[DocHolliday]

I buy a lot of their shirts and picked up a pair of their cavalry twills about three months ago. I'm happy with all my purchases.

 

[VRaivio]

Doc, I'm glad to see you're still with us -- and here I thought you'd left us for good. I'm glad to read that Cordings is still keeping up the level though I wish they'd also offer slim fit shirts. The current cut is more akin to something to camp under.

 

[Isbister]

Any updates from Cordings' old customers -- how's the quality these days?

I have shopped at Cordings for over 30 years - I bought one of their covert coats in 1984 which is still going strong.

I love the shop but I'm a little uncertain whether the quality of their suits is quite the same. I bought a lightweight suit there about 20 years ago which is still wonderful - I believe I paid over £400 for it then, so it should be wonderful. I needed a new business suit recently, so bought one in their sale the other day for £395, which isn't a bad price. The cut is excellent - very like the old one in fact, a three-button jacket, fairly high-waisted trousers with a gentle taper. The long fitting was exactly the right length for me, which is perhaps surprising as I am a little taller than the majority of people, 6'6". The jacket cuffs have functioning buttons, which I like, and fortunately no adjustment in length was necessary. They didn't have a 44L, so I took a 46L and paid my local seamstress, French Jo, to take it in at the waist, at the same time hemming the trousers, and the fit is now perfect. The fabric - a navy herringbone - seems and feels very good, although it is a tad lighter in weight than the last herringbone suit I had. The two things I feel let the suit down were the disappointingly plasticky buttons and the label, which is different in design, much less distinctive, than the traditional Cordings label. Also there is no 'made in England' tag, in fact no indication at all of where the suit was made, so I suspect they may be made overseas. There was a rather meaningless gold thread loosely tacked along each shoulder seam, perhaps to give the suit a (spurious) bespoke vibe, along with the tacked-up pockets. There was no ticket pocket, which pleased me, and plenty of inside pockets - four - which seems a bit excessive.

 

[Edmund Charles]

Dear Sir:

I do see that there is a direct correlation between Mr. Eric Clapton being a par owner of Cordings and the stores reputation for quality. I say this because Eric Claption is a man of some reputable character and his is free to invest his money in a business as he sees fit. By his own words (see YouTube on Cordings), he states that by his own experience, he believes that Cordings is a top-notch traditional English clothing store, he places his reputations and words into action by becoming a part-owner in Cordings. I believe Eric Clapton over any other annyumous negative blog posting.

 

[Naive Jr.]

Cordings' cotton trousers shrink.

 

[Botolph]



Cordings' cotton trousers shrink.

When they're dry cleaned? That's the care instructions for their cotton trousers. I l've had mine dry cleaned and they'l fit just as the day I bought them.


I have a herringbone covert coat by them, and recently picked up their Firley tweed jacket. It's made of a very robust cloth, and it looks smart as hell on after shortening the arms a ½". I feel as though it could repel a knife. I'm a recent convert to Cordings but so far I'm extremely impressed with their patterns and their quality.

 

[comrade]

How are their shirts? They seem a bargain compared to Hilditch and Key.
Are the collars fused? I had my eye on some of their "country shirts" and a
linen model now out of stock. I only know them from their website, although
I was in the store over a decade ago- that's a century in retailing.

 

[pwc008]

I only have one of their shirts, and I am very happy with it. It is an ecru colored Tattersall with a navy/wine medium check. Not available this year it seems. I also bought, last year, 2 pair of their drill trousers, navy and khaki. Both fantastic, button fly and single forward pleat. The fabric is fairly heavy and stiff, but I like it a lot and it is a nice alternative to a heavier trouser here in San Francisco. The trousers say made in England on them, but the shirt is silent. The sleeves measure about a 34/35, so if you have long arms, you may be out luck. I wear a 33 inch sleeve, but the one shirt I have fits me well. I merely adjusted the button on the cuff to be a bit tighter on my wrist. I don't usually like to do this because it means, to me, that the shirt is not inherently a good fit on me, but on the Cordings it seems to work.

I like the fact that EC stepped up to the plate and basically saved this company. It speaks highly of him, in my opinion, but then, I am a huge EC fan, having seen him 7 times in concert, from 1975 to 2009. But that, obviously, is another story.

 

[VRaivio]



How are their shirts? They seem a bargain compared to Hilditch and Key.
Are the collars fused? I had my eye on some of their "country shirts" and a
linen model now out of stock. I only know them from their website, although
I was in the store over a decade ago- that's a century in retailing.

Shirts are made somewhere outside UK, construction is stiff but unfused, oxford fabrics are superbly strong and hardwearing, cut is huge and sail-like, tattersall fabrics pill in ugly way. An OK-find on sale if you like firm collars and have belly as well as thick wrists, otherwise not too great. I wish they'd update their cut to the 21st century. Harvie&Hudson offers more country shirt for slightly higher on sale-prices.

 

[tbrock]

Does anyone know if Cordings' boxer shorts are made in the UK? Need a new source. Nearly had a heart attack at seeing 'made in turkey' on some new Sunspel boxers. Not because there is anything necessarily wrong with Turkish manufacture (I have bought and intend to buy more Viccel socks), but there is at their price point.

 

[pwc008]

That is shocking about Sunspel. Must be a recent development. Anyway, I do not know re: Cordings boxers, but try the website "Sir Plus." Last time I looked, all was made in the UK. Also Turnbull & Asser are made in the UK and at sale prices are a good buy if you ask me.

Going back into the past, the Hackett boxers I had in the late 80's/early 90's were amazing, but that is another story.

 

[tbrock]

I have contacted them and received a prompt reply. Not made in the UK. However, they are still made in Europe AND by Derek Rose, at a far cheaper price point than Derek Rose or any of the Jermyn Street firms that use Derek Rose (most of the best ones). At sale prices it represents daylight robbery.

 

[tbrock]

Daylight robbery on behalf of the shopper that should read. Not Cordings. Tremendous value.