Comments on: Old Town in Fournier St

By: George Wood

George Wood — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 10:35:33 +0000

I’m very fortunate to live near Holt and made a point of popping into their shop on a regular basis. The simplicity of design, funtuality and quality of their clothes was breathtaking. My first purchase was a pair of handmade Quarry man boots, made in Derbyshire.Holt is mourning the loss of a truly wonderful establishment.

By: gary

gary — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:46:39 +0000

miss willy is really nice , i met her in a pub in spitafields and guess what she drinks
light and bitter

By: Autolycus

Autolycus — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:05:30 +0000

“Dreadnought” trousers – it makes one proud to be British! Indeed, there’s a faint echo of Major Bloodnok and Gritpype-Thinne in there, for those of a certain generation.

By: Sam Galliers

Sam Galliers — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:01:32 +0000

I love a nice bit of tweed myself and have a stash of lovely pieces waiting to be turned into something – I bought a length of grass green flecked tweed on ebay this week and it arrived with a label reading “Butt of Lewis Handwoven Tweed. Woven by the Weaver on the Croft on the Isle of Lewis Outer Hebrides from 100% wool.” And it smells gorgeous too. In response to your default choice of brown in things you wear can I offer a motto of my Father’s who uses it whenever there is a question of “which colour?” …. All Stains Are Brown….. and that settles it! If you don’t want stains, buy it in brown.

By: mlleparadis

mlleparadis — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:14:41 +0000

Standing up and cheering for Old Town and your post. Reminding me I need a new pair of wool trousers, and so tempting they are made to measure (for small Chinese-Italian types like meself?). I was going straight for “Plain” and a Ludgate tie would look so snappy draped across my bedroom furniture. (Since on me, just shorter and shorter – thinking Tweedle-Dee, Tweedle Dum.)

My father-in-law, from Norfolk, never made the transition to “workingmens” clothes. He would never EVEN wear corduroy! Jeans, OHMYGOD! The idea was laughable to him. On the other hand, never a “dickie bow” at Xmas either. Squarely stubbornly his funny little idea of middle class.

By: Ian Harris

Ian Harris — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:58:41 +0000

I paid a visit to Old Town in Holt last year and met the fiesty and flirtatious Miss Willey!
I love the whole concept and often visit their delightful and humorous website.
When I have the funds, I will return and purchase a pair of Harris Tweed ‘Plains’!

By: McNeill

McNeill — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:31:08 +0000

Would it be selling out to become a chain? Isn’t that just a perception created by certain chains that drive away competitors and reduce variety? I think they could open, say, a branch in every city without losing the wonderful appeal of their clothes, and without causing any damage to the local … flora and fauna.

That said, there is a romance about there being just the one shop – and there has to be romance! It must be lovely for them to be in such close contact with their daily work and craftsmanship. Oh, Hell. Even Zappa was a capitalist.

Thanks for this, anyway. While the UK allegedly goes to the dogs people are just getting on with their lives. Making tweeds. Baking biscuits. Congratulations on your new pair of trousers. May they stay, in the words of Bob Dylan, forever young.

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:59:36 +0000

Only in England would you find a pair of trousers named the Dreadnoughts! And despite your tag of “As they say,” I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone comment: I find “plain” exciting. But as described by you, plain is very exciting and simple is scintillating

By: Frances

Frances — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:24:39 +0000

Oh, I think that I might have visited Old Town in a little hill in Norwich. The sense of style seems to be what you have described. Perhaps the company moved to Holt?

You will surely have worthy, well made trousers that will transcend current trends.

Best wishes.