The END is near ...

[NJS]

My reaction exactly..if the product is the same as always..you might as well buy online...because the charming experience is gone and the shop may as well be a corner in a dept.store.

Gentlemen,

I just collected my Budd stripe shirt commission two days ago - 6 great shirts . I still have to get used to this renovated shop... and my impression is that the same is true for the staff.

While this is very sad, it will not turn me away from Budd to an online shop or a department store. I do not go there for the shop decoration (although I loved it), but for the shirts cut by Mr. Butcher and also to have a chat with Mr. Rowley.

When I went there for the first time two years ago, the prospects for Budd were rather depressing, at least this was clearly the feeling I got. I found Mr. Butcher in sadness about the future of his trade, complaining about not having an apprentice etc. This bad spirit is gone. There is even a young new sales person there, and they plan to hire that apprentice.

Lastly, I cannot imagine anybody better to take over Budd than the present owners, who have also saved Huntsman from misery.

cheers, David

David - Fair enough. At the end of the day, I suppose that the nature of the fixtures and fittings are inessential. However, I do wonder why there is this modern madness for newness and sameness and blandness; all pandering to the 'tastes' of the sort of people who, frankly, will never become Budd customers anyway!
NJS

[Rowly]

all pandering to the 'tastes' of the sort of people who, frankly, will never become Budd customers anyway!
NJS

...pandering to the 'tastes' of those who have no taste!

[davidhuh]

However, I do wonder why there is this modern madness for newness and sameness and blandness; all pandering to the 'tastes' of the sort of people who, frankly, will never become Budd customers anyway!
NJS

Dear NJS,

you say it. The architect or person who was commissioned to plan this renovation has not understood the Budd store magic, this beautiful orderly disorder. I once went there with my 18 year old god child - he loved it. Living proof that the old shop was attractive for very young customers who otherwise go to Abercrombie & Fitch...

cheers, David

[couch]

About the allure of the traditional and well-worn to the young: to make a possibly sacrilegious comparison, consider the style of the Harry Potter franchise of books and movies. While there are many and often worthy reasons for their astonishing appeal and commercial success, certainly one is their conjuring (sorry) of a very English world where custom, eccentricity, inherited values (and powers) and an accompanying sense of specialness and (somewhat democratized) sense of noblesse oblige are valorized--in contrast to a dull suburban and bureaucratic mainstream distracted by 'progress' and clueless about the dangers it faces. While one might cringe at the pastiche quality of the movies' rendering of that world, their look should be proof enough to any marketing person that a genuine example of the kind of shop that inspired them can, if properly managed and presented, be powerfully attractive.

[NJS]

About the allure of the traditional and well-worn to the young: to make a possibly sacrilegious comparison, consider the style of the Harry Potter franchise of books and movies. While there are many and often worthy reasons for their astonishing appeal and commercial success, certainly one is their conjuring (sorry) of a very English world where custom, eccentricity, inherited values (and powers) and an accompanying sense of specialness and (somewhat democratized) sense of noblesse oblige are valorized--in contrast to a dull suburban and bureaucratic mainstream distracted by 'progress' and clueless about the dangers it faces. While one might cringe at the pastiche quality of the movies' rendering of that world, their look should be proof enough to any marketing person that a genuine example of the kind of shop that inspired them can, if properly managed and presented, be powerfully attractive.

Yes! there was something wizard about the shop as it was. I am not being critical of the people who were commissioned to 'renovate' it. After all, they were doing what they were paid to do; it's the disregardfulness of the new owners of the gem which they had that astonishes me; it even appals me that they'd spend good money on such a pointless exercise.

However, it could have been much worse. As I can remember one of the Webster brothers sitting in the 'dragon' chair in the 1980s and regaling customers with anecdotes, humour and a little gossip, I have (maybe cheekily) asked the owners to reconsider its removal.
NJS

[davidhuh]

I have (maybe cheekily) asked the owners to reconsider its removal.
NJS

Bravo NJS!

[NJS]

I have (maybe cheekily) asked the owners to reconsider its removal.
NJS

Bravo NJS!

Poppy Charles replied immediately to advise that the pair of dragon chairs are in the windows and there are no plans to remove them, except for some attention, as they understand their importance to the history of the shop. Good news indeed and I have to say, brightening and tidying the interior up a bit is fairly harmless.
NJS

[davidhuh]

Poppy Charles replied immediately to advise that the pair of dragon chairs are in the windows and there are no plans to remove them, except for some attention, as they understand their importance to the history of the shop. Good news indeed and I have to say, brightening and tidying the interior up a bit is fairly harmless.
NJS

Dear NJS,

Indeed great news. Blame me for not paying attention - been too busy checking on my shirts or gossiping with Mr. Rowley probably.

cheers, david

[NJS]

^David, I think that shop customers seldom pay much attention to the windows.
NJS

[st.tully]

Well, I have finally had a chance to visit the "new and improved" Budd. Two words: EPIC FAILURE.

The place has been sanitized of character - aside from the Dragon chairs in the window - which, under the new bright lights, lack charm as well.

Everything is orderly displayed. No more the feeling that there are hidden treasures tucked all around just awaiting discovery. Much of Budd's uniqueness was the hard to find old fashioned items - such as straight edged bow ties, marcella bid fronts and detachable collars, peccary gloves, heavy true madder ties, fawn and grey gloves, "Buckingham" shorts, and I could go on and on!! These goods always looked perfectly presented in the old worn Budd shop of old - all the more so when Mr. Rowley would magically produce some bit of unobtainable haberdashery from under the counter. Now they look out of place in the gloss, blond, sleek fixtures of the present Budd. Even the venerable Budd Stripe shirts , which are back in stock, looked lost - the Edwardian Blue standby just looked faded under the lights.

An added disappointment was the absence of Mr. A.J. Rowley - he was away on vacation. In his place a pleasant very young shop assistant named James - who was full of praise for the "New" shop ..... of course, he had never seen the "Old" ..... quite sad really. The END is here.

[Badden]

Innocent question - how many of you were clutching your pearls as you typed these absurd posts?

A new website? Their store is now organized? I popped in for 2 min. and didn't see the two dragon chairs? They may perhaps even sell to foreigners? Oh heavens!!

[hectorm]

Innocent question - how many of you were clutching your pearls as you typed these absurd posts?

Not an innocent question at all.
Although I have refrained from participating in this thread before, contrary to Badden´s opinion, I do not find these posts to be absurd in the least (well....maybe a bit emotionally charged, yes, but justifiably so).
A great part of Budd´s appeal was in venturing in their Piccadilly Arcade shop and immerse oneself in that magical disorder of things to discover. That is lost now.
Budd was a sort of last refuge, independent and rebellious. That is also lost with the Huntsman conglomerate overtaking it.
I appreciate the convenience of the new online service, but having got married with a Budd´s collar around my neck, I also mourn those losses.
Of course, we will survive.

[andreyb]

Some news: there is a sign on Budd's (and Huntsman's) doors, saying that "a shirt cutter with West End experience is required".

A reliable source told me this is because Mr Tiernan (who was Robert Whittaker's pupil before joining Budd) moved to Davies & Son.

I guess this means Davies started to offer their own bespoke shirts, isn't it?

As for where Budd hopes to find a cutter "with West End experience", I have no idea. They don't grow up on trees, and probably can be counted with two hands' fingers these days.

Andrey

[hectorm]

There is a sign on Budd's (and Huntsman's) doors, saying that "a shirt cutter with West End experience is required".

A couple of reflexions on that.
First, I wonder what they exactly mean by West End experience. Do they want above all an already well known name? Would they reject an excellent cutter from Hong Kong?
Second, is a sign on the door the best way to find one? I've seen similar signs in tailor shops before, but I believe that cheapens their image. It wouldn't inspire me to enter the store.

[Concordia]

There may be some hiring laws that require a public notice before you take on the one you really want.