Modern WW2 style clothing designer

August 25, 2007 12:11 PM

Looking for a UK clothing designer's website I saw a few years ago. As well as making tweed jackets and other garments, they had another "arm" of the business that specialised in vintage looking, quirky, World War 2 era replica work clothing that was trendy and quite pricey rather than historically accurate, as well as vintage kitchen and garden tools.

The feel of their clothing was WW2 era working clothes, in the manner of this type of thing -
http://images.allposters.com/images/130/048_m1498.jpg and the models of the clothing on the site were posed accordingly - in sheds, standing with shovels etc.

I can remember several of their products. They made vintage, drab looking mens shirts, working trousers and waistcoats, a shirt/blouse for women with a repeating pattern of tiny B52 bombers on it and in the kitchenware part they had old style white enamelled tin cups and old style mincers and other kitchen and garden tools.

As well as this quirky side they had a seperate tailoring business that made tweed suits that IIRC were fairly expensive and very popular. As well as a website they had actual premises which were in a small town/village in England. Saw the website in the Sunday Times Style magazine a few years back if that's any help.

posted by fire&wings to clothing, beauty, & fashion (8 comments total)

not british, but j. peterman or anthropologie might be of interest.
posted by thinkingwoman at 12:27 PM on August 25, 2007

Was it History Preservation Associates?
posted by lekvar at 12:35 PM on August 25, 2007

Interesting links but neither of those. While based on WW2 era clothes this line had zero "replica" value or appeal to military enthusiasts, it was just trendy, "hipster" clothing.
posted by fire&wings at 12:49 PM on August 25, 2007

Buzz Rickson's? (it's Japanese)
posted by matteo at 1:02 PM on August 25, 2007

I think you're looking for Old Town. These guys look ace - I could buy a complete wardrobe of their mens' stuff.
posted by dowcrag at 1:07 PM on August 25, 2007 [1 favorite]

Dowcrag has probably nailed it, but you might also be thinking of Labour and Wait or maybe Margaret Howell.
posted by jonathanbell at 1:21 PM on August 25, 2007

Fantastic, thanks. I am remembering a mixture of Old Town and Labour and Wait, they were probably featured in the same article.

The reason I remember the company having two "arms" is because the true URL is www.tinhouse.co.uk. Old Town is the more up market tailor and Tin House make the WW2 style work clothes. Thanks again!
posted by fire&wings at 2:32 PM on August 25, 2007

Oh my. Old Town/Tin House is sooo deluxe. Dowcrag - let's you and me go shopping. I'm taking the next charabanc to Norfolk!
posted by tim_in_oz at 3:16 PM on August 25, 2007