Again, if it’s not fashionable, it can’t be unfashionable.
This is not a history of John Smedley. For that, cut and paste the link below- https://www.atomretro.com/blog/the-illustrious-history-of-john-smedley-knitwear?srsltid=AfmBOorohYQ4jzrPirtvTiUK98298V2ZxDwjtuoYrr_WBsVoska3f6WO.
I’m a dinosaur, so this post pertains exclusively to John Smedley’s two/three-button Polo, be it long-sleeved or short, in Merino wool or Sea Island Cotton respectively. These garments have enabled John Smedley to attain a status few brands achieve, in as much as, any top in that style (at least here, in the UK), is referred to as ‘a Smedley’.
It might be manufactured by Gucci, Prada, or Turnbull & Asser but, it’s a Smedley. As in “Oh, have you seen that Gucci Smedley?” Offhand, the only other companies I recall having achieved the same, are Macintosh with raincoats being called ‘Macs’ and- Kodak. In The States, they used to refer to all camera roll as Kodak. That was in the age of analogue, given this digital one, it’s only evens that Kodak still exists. I’m sure Smedley’s new incantations are great but in my senile mind, Burberry make Macs- period. Same with Baracuta. The G9’s a stone-cold classic but, you know, it’s enough…
Smedley’s not the sole manufacturer of this item, nor is it necessarily the best and, given the soaring retail price, I’m not sure they still represent good value. I’ve got a couple of short-sleeved numbers by Woolrich and a couple of long-sleeved by Brooks Brothers that, at a minimum, are on par. All cost significantly less but then, they were out of TK Max, so who knows what the original retail was? There’s a Smedley outlet, maybe next to the factory or something? It’s near Derby. I had a mate from Leeds who’d pop in there for a load-up and was forever coming into work on Mondays sporting a new one, telling me how little he’d paid. It became a bit of a wind-up, truth be told but… they were seriously knocked down. The point is, that as long as the garment’s fabric is of a high standard, your Smedley doesn’t have to be made by Smedley. However, that will forever induce the following exchange. “Nice. Is that a Smedley?” A beat… “No, it’s a blah-blah.” Even if you went on to explain it was made, in heaven, by Jesus Christ himself, you’d get that ‘You almost had it there’ sort of shrug.
My introduction to Smedley came in the early part of the mid-seventies, like many of the brands I still value, I discovered it in a Jumble Sale. Short-sleeved and mustard in colour, it may sound thoroughly offensive, but it was far from it. I didn’t know it was a ‘Smedley’. I’m not sure if, at that time, a Smedley was Smedley. By which I mean - a thing. It certainly wasn’t amongst boys I knew. My liking for the top (it’s not a shirt - it’s not a jumper?) was due to its vintage vibe. As established in earlier posts, I was into all that and, as also established, I liked William Holden. I’d seen him in Sunset Boulevard as a kid and the film had sort of remained with me. It’s always possible my memory’s playing tricks but I’m convinced the collar was longer on the original one I had.
Being a die-hard pro, I’ve had a look at their site and some of the long-sleeved numbers (The Dorest) still feature a longer collar. Some of the short-sleeved ones are called Isis. I then noticed another name for them, The Payton. I thought they’d changed it, to avoid controversy. Went as far as putting in a search ‘Did Smedley change the name of the Isis- to Payton’… So, if there’s no post later this week, you’ll understand why…
That’s the thing about doing these, one’s forced to learn more about the subject. Mainly out of fear of making a (complete) sap of oneself. I’ve just learned that Smeds were all the go with Mods, back in the sixties. This begs the question, is there any item that they don’t lay claim to? Try as I might I can’t find a single image of a sixties ‘Mod’ sporting a Smedley. That said, it’d make sense that they wore them, as Mods were maybe the coolest of UK Subcultures. At least the original lot. Those that came later went against the very ethos of Modernists, by being retrogressive. The early ‘Casual’ thing would be far more in keeping with the Modernist philosophy. Forgive me if you’ve read this theory in previous posts but I’m churning out two a week… say look, if you’re annoyed, I’ll refund your subscription fee. I can’t say fairer than that.
The Smed’s timeless and although this applies to any garment that’s worthwhile, it’s especially applicable to the Smedley. You find one that’s thirty years old (in pristine condition), it’s as wearable now as it was then. Unless that is, you’ve put on weight. You can be eighty years old and look fine in a Smedly but you can’t be more than half a stone overweight… Take it from me- for free, they’re fucking brutal on that front… There’s another way of fucking up the Smed and once again, the rule applies across the board but it’s particularly applicable with this style of garment… If there’s even a whiff of look at me in my Smedley, the whole thing’s ruined. It’s got to be “Oh, this? Yeah, I think it is as it goes.” My favourite pairing for a Smedley is with a Sports Coat. Preferably plaid. I work in Hackney and wandering around Mare Street in that combo makes me feel like an old-school Flying Squad officer and, I’ve felt a lot worse things…
PS - James B.
I’ve tried responding, but emails keep bouncing back. In short, I’m not being ignorant. If you register on Substack, communication may be easier. Either way, thanks. Yes, John and Jimmy.