Gentlemen,
we are more than happy to forward to all the PG community the following message just received from Gustav Temple of "The Chap".
Of course we invite everyone who feels concerned by A&F's attempt to colonize one of the most important Bespoke tailoring temple in the world to sign the petition.
We are fighting for a "hand-made" future Gentlemen !
"Chap/ettes,
Abercrombie & Fitch has made an application to Westminster council to open a children’s store at number 3 Savile row, in the 200-year-old heartland of English bespoke tailoring. With its flagship store currently situated at Burlington gardens, the American retailer – which manufactures casual wear (including hoodies) for youths – is determined to plant its off-shoot brand Abercrombie kids around the corner “in plain, spoilt-brat view” of London’s most significant sartorial landmark. Number 3 is currently empty, but once housed the Beatles apple offices and was the location of their final concert on the rooftop.
Savile row is one of the few streets anywhere in the country to remain exclusively devoted to a single trade and we think the tradition of bespoke tailoring deserves to remain where it began 200 years ago. As well as housing some of the best bespoke tailoring in the world, the Savile Row is an important tourist attraction, whose value will be entirely lost if chain stores selling overpriced T-shirts are allowed to open up there. Many foreign visitors come to London to see where Beau Brummell had his waistcoats made – which we are pretty certain was not Abercrombie & Fitch.
The Chap has launched a petition to prevent this ghastly move.
Please sign it by visiting the home page of www.thechap.net or www.petition.co.uk/save-savile-row-from-abercrombie-fitch. We will present the signatures to Westminster council in the hope that they will come to their senses and revoke Abercrombie & Fitch’s application.
To emphasise our distress at this application, we plan to protest outside both Abercrombie & Fitch’s store on Burlington Gardens and outside number 3, Savile Row at 9am on Monday 23rd April – St George’s Day. We will affirm our message with a massive singalong of our adapted version of John Lennon’s song, Give Three-Piece a Chance, accompanied by Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer on ukulele.
Please join us if you feel strongly about this issue.
Cordially,
Gustav Temple"
