Vice Style

John Simons is one of the unsung heroes of British post-war fashion. With a history in menswear dating back to 1955, this is the man responsible for the clean lines and collegiate cut favored by everyone from the original London mods, skins and suedeheads, through to the Francophile cappuccino sippers of the acid jazz revival. Starting with the mythical Ivy Shop in Richmond and Squire in Soho, followed by J. Simons in Covent Garden, he was the go-to guy for button-downs, penny loafers, longwing brogues, and check shirts.

With a full-scale renaissance in American heritage brands, it seems a wise time to catch up with the man who had a twenty year start on Ralph Lauren, and who first imported Filson, Pendleton, Brooks Brothers, and countless others. At the end of 2010, he opened his current shop John Simons, with his son Paul, in Chiltern Street, Marylebone.