The London Lounge

As a birthday present, a friend has offered to pay for me to have some slippers made. I am not really a fan of velvet slippers for formal occasions so we are talking about house shoes. I find the idea of having one's initials on one's shoes a bit much. And I should not be seen dead with a skull and crossbones, stag's head or martini glass on my feet. Yet the wishes of my friend require me to go further than simply ordering a plain velvet pair. In terms of other fabrics, wool or cashmere slippers are a little too redolent of the nursing home for me. Perhaps an interesting silk or tapestry? But where would I acquire the fabric?

Any wisdom would be most welcome.

If a made-to-order solution was acceptable, Shipton and Heneage have a wide range of fabrics in stock.

http://www.shipton.com/slippers

Arthur Sleep does offer a wide range of slippers in unusual colours and materials, not only that standard boring stuff:
https://arthursleepers.co.uk/store/men/

If you want to design (and maybe even make) your own tapestry slippers, get in touch with Broadland Slippers, they will make you a pair from a supplied tapestry (and possibly other fabrics/materials as well):
http://broadlandslippers.co.uk/Mens-Tapestry-Slippers

If needlework isn’t your forte, you can go to Tapisserie in posh Walton Street and have them make the tapestry work (I would guess, that will cost a pretty penny).
http://www.tapisserie.co.uk/designs/slippers.html

Alternatively you can go to Hand & Lock and have the fabric of your choice embroidered with your favourite design. H&L does the military embroidery for all of Savile Row
http://handembroidery.com/services/

So, there are quite a few possibilities that will take you away from the over-familiar. Let your imagination run riot!

Rolf