Blazer: Made in England

Do you remember Blazer? My memory was jolted by the arrival of several parcels from my uncle in Connecticut containing, amongst other things, this old Blazer neck tie (see photographs at left) that had been in storage for 15+ years. I admit I quite like it, though I would probably not wear it to the orifice. For one thing, the pattern does not match.

Summer mornings in London: cup of tea, ham and cheese croissant, the Telegraph, and then some shopping errands. I recall walking down the King's Road as a very young man to pick up a pair or two of cotton trousers at the Blazer shop. There was also a Blazer branch off Kensington High Street and one in Covent Garden. Good for basics such as khakis, sport shirts, and v-neck jumpers. The Blazer line of chinos, I seem to remember, was dubbed 'Faithful Friend' with an image of a dog.

I once bought a navy cotton suit at Blazer that I wore out during an exhausting stint working for the Tories as a junior public relations officer. It was the same summer the revamped version of the film Lawrence of Arabia was released, complete with an accompanying exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. I must have watched it a dozen times. I also picked up from Blazer a navy field coat with a scarlet lining. I first wore it on a trip to Italy, where I paired it with khakis, OCBD, and suede brogues. It survived several seasons. A sound coat to be sure, but certainly no Barbour.