First Look | Private White V.C. Factory Store, Manchester

Manchester's finest, Private White V.C. open their Factory Store today, at Cottenham House, Salford. I was lucky enough to be invited to have a nose around the factory and shiny new store yesterday, and here's an exclusive first look. Along with several other established British brands, you will find their latest collection (and womenswear coming soon) housed in this lovely space, kitted out with authentic fixtures and fittings from the original factory floor.

If you fancy visiting the store you'll also get a tour of the functioning factory, and as many coffees and Eccles Cakes as you need. Plus their "CEO", Brutus, the 2-year-old British Bulldog will be on-hand to answer any questions.

You can find Private White V.C at Cottenham House, 1 Cottenham Lane, Greater Manchester, M3 7LJ. Currently the store is appointment only, so just send them an email before you set off.

Also see Store Visit - Private White V.C, Lamb's Conduit St, London.

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Store Visit...Private White V.C - Lamb's Conduit Street, London

We're approaching the end of the series of "London Store Visits" for now, just one more left after this one (until we head back down next months, any suggestions?), so I thought we'd delve straight into Manchester's finest, Private White V.C. Long-time readers of the blog may remember the visit to their Covent Garden Pop-Up back in 2012 and featuring their Chippy Jacket, which I still wish I could get my hands on!

This was my first visit to Lamb's Conduit Street but as soon as I clocked Private White V'C.'s Royal Blue shop front I knew I was in the right place. The store itself is a little gem, stocking the brand's current and carry-over/staple ranges, as well as other UK brands - John Smedley, Dawson Denim, Cheaney Footwear, Murdocks London and a few niche publications. The store maximises its limited space, using every inch to display their British-Made collection; along with posters, old machinery and vintage equipment.  Check out that wooden ladder shoe display! 

You do get the feeling you've stumbled onto the set of Goodnight Sweetheart but you're quickly brought back to the modern day with the extremely chatty and knowledgeable staff, who know all the ins-and-outs of the brand. Trust me, try them! I can't afford to buy into the brand myself but as always I enjoyed checking out the store's VM, the cracking outerwear pieces and just chatting menswear. It's important to support your local, right?

You can find Private White V.C at 55 Lamb's Conduit Street, London, WC1N 3NB.

London Store Visits - Folk | Jack Spade | Red Wing | Present & Correct | Margaret Howell

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A Visit To...Seven Dials Part 2

Following on from last week's Part 1 of my recent trip around Seven Dials, Covent Garden here is Part 2. There was way too much good stuff to cram into one single post, so here are some more stores that sparked interest whilst I was there.

Let's dive straight into some beardy good stuff with Murdock London -

Murdock's has been a firm Buckets favourite for a few years now, but this was actually my first visit to the store and I've certainly been missing out. Murdock London is basically a modern gents mecca for all things grooming related. You can be kitted out with all the finest shaving goods, fragrances and manly skincare that you'll need. Alternatively you can have you face fuzz fine tuned, get some Movember advice or just get a hair cut; they'll even offer you a whiskey after your treatment, very cool. The store itself is much bigger than the exterior would have you believe, the space is used really well and every direction you turn there's something interesting to look at. As well as stocking their own products they carry socks, scarves and leather goods from selected retailers. Murdock London, 18 Monmout St, Covent Garden, WC2H 9HB. Next stop Private White V.C. - 

Manchester's Finest, Private White V.C is another brand I've admired from afar for some time now (see here and here). Their second UK store is one I've been itching to visit ever since I heard about it opening a few months back. The space is small with minimal fuss, letting the products do all the work. I've mentioned previously that Private White designed the uniforms for the Industrial Revolution scenes at the London Olympics opening ceremony last summer; as soon as you enter the store it's easy to see why the brand is highly regarded. I was pleasantly surprised to find lots of other interesting bits in the store, like the vintage Claude Butler bike, wartime memorabilia and British brands such as John Smedley, Cheaney and Mr. Natty. Private White V.C, 46 Monmouth St, Covent Garden, WC2H 9LE. And on to Topman General Store -

This trip marked my second visit to the Topman General Store. I was greeted with big smiles by Terry and Alfie, who were happy to update me on what's been going on since my first visit back in April. The idea behind TGS is to create a unique environment to house handpicked Topman products, which sit along side choice brands from around the world. The store boasts four rooms over two floors, mixing both industrial deco with Scandinavian inspired furniture. The place is filled with all sorts of nooks and crannies to explore at your own pace. Loads of interesting stuff to busy yourself with including an extensive Hemmingway Design for Hush Puppies collection, Pendleton, LA based The Quite Life, Anerkjendt as well as local artwork, publications and a chance to design your own Foffa bike. Topman General Store, 36-38 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LH.

Other stores:

Cro' Jack - Traditional British clobber using the finest materials. All made in England, nice use of fabrics including Harris Tweed, Liberty and Ventile fabric. Heavily influenced by the military. 38 Monmouth Street.

Foxhall - New to the area, stocking their urban casual/commuter range with some cracking outerwear with very clever attention to detail. 20 Earlham Street.

Well that concludes the round up, I hope you enjoyed it and that it can be of some use if you're ever planning a trip. Thank you again to Alishia at Threepipe PR for organising the trip and being my tour guide for the day.

Private White V.C - Pop-Up Store

Private White V.C have recently opened their first pop-up store, in the heart of London. The British menswear brand have been knocking out some really brilliant pieces in their Manchester factory over the past couple seasons (remember the Chippy Jacket?) and to keep the ball rolling they've opened up shop at Seven Dials, Covent Garden. If you watched the London Olympics Opening Ceremony last month you will have seen some of their design without realising; they kitted out all the workers in the Industrial Revolution scenes. Now that must have taken some doing!

The pop-up gives the brand a chance to showcase their A/W12 collection, which features, in my opinion some of the best outerwear you're likely to see.

If you're interesting in menswear with some proper British heritage then swing by the pop-up store,  which is open for the next 6 months // Seven Dials, 46 Monmouth St, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9HB

Image source - Murdock of London & Cube

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Private White V.C's Chippy Jacket

Straight outta Manchester

Like a lot of people, I love to know a bit more about products than just what trend they fit into; so when I found out that Private White V.C have a lot of their garments manufacturer in the North West of England I was pretty excited. Being a Lancashire lad I'm very familiar with the Manchester area, I finished my degree about 30 minutes away and have worked there on and off for the best part of 4 years now. Private White V.C are a typically British brand who are dedicated to the highest level of manufacturing, looking into our rich history and creating some cracking contemporary menswear.

Above is their Chippy jacket which is one of the pieces coming straight outta the Manchester factory. The design is based around the classic chore work jacket, which has been souped-up with a fleece lining, nappa trims, reinforced shoulders and heavy copper rivets. It doesn't come cheap at £350 and certainly isn't in my budget but it's a case of getting what you paid for, a jacket that will last you for yonks, finished not too far away from where I live. Pretty special.

For more into on the brand and their factory click here // If you're in the area visit their London store, at 55 Lambs Conduit St, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 3NB

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