TonyBlair

Tony Blair's Armani Shopping Spree

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair recently did some shopping in the Knightsbridge area of London in fine style. Blair had the whole Armani store to himself. Giorgio Armani's entire flagship London store was opened an hour early just for him. A passerby told the Daily Mail that Blair was there with four bodyguards as well as a personal Armani shopper and a stylist. He spent several thousand pounds on men's clothing from Armani's top-of-the-range 'black label', including casual trousers and jackets but no suits. Blair is a smart shopper too, he got in on the first day of Armani's sale and so he picked up items at up to a 50% discount.

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Tags: armani, england, shopping, tony blair, TonyBlair

The Classicist: A Bastion of British Style in the Burlington Arcade

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Shoes, Men's Style, The Classicist

Photo by Andrew Dunn

Classic English shoe brand Church's was founded in 1873, but its roots date back to the late 1600s when a Northampton cobbler named Church first set up shop. The traditional shoemaker is known for its elegant footwear, which has been the choice of well-dressed British gentlemen for over 130 years. In 1999 Church's was acquired by the Prada group, and while some traditionalists bemoaned the end of an era, little of the company's core values have changed. Its high-end models, which have names like the Consul, the Diplomat, the Chetwynd and the Gunthorpe, are still handmade in Northampton and cost in the neighborhood of £300 pounds, or about $600.

Prada has certainly set about modernizing the brand however, which is known for durable style. The company recently redesigned Church's historic shop in London's Burlington Arcade, Britain's first shopping arcade, which was built by Lord George Cavendish in 1819 and houses some of the world's finest boutiques. The revamped shop incorporates some modern design elements while retaining the important historical fixtures. In addition to shoes, the store also stocks neckties, gentlemen's accessories and leathergoods. Part of Prada's plan to boost the brand's presence internationally, new Church's shops were also recently opened in Venice and Bologna.

Gallery: Church's & the Burlington Arcade