More Than Just Tweed... Cordings of Piccadilly

In a previous blog post I spoke of Cordings of Piccadilly and their wonderful tweeds. Founded in 1839, J.C. Cording & Company began business as an outfitter and waterproofer. By the 1920s and 30s, Cordings established five core items which they are still known for to this day, the covert coat, Mackintosh, tweed jackets, corduroy and Moleskin trousers, and Tattersall shirts.

In 2003, after weathering the Second World War, the post war years, the rejection of tradition, and the years of outsourcing production from the UK by man businesses, the current management team approached their best customer, Eric Clapton, and asked if he would assist them in a management buyout. “I first became aware of Cordings in my mid-teens,” Clapton explains. “I come from the country and it was the highlight of our week to come up to London and listen to the musicians. It was difficult to get home late, so I would spend that time till dawn just walking the West End. I remembered Cordings. It stuck in my mind as a place of tradition; the heritage of England.”

After my first visit to Cordings, I began to place orders with them online with extreme satisfation. I already knew my sizes with Cordings so I'd not have to worry about returns. They do offer no quibble returns and the speed of the shipments to the States from the UK was within a weeks time.

One of the items I received from Cordings was a pair of their corduroy trousers. I eagerly awaited the cooler weather of the Autumn season so that I could enjoy them at long last. Long having grown up with a fixation on the sedate navy blue or brown shades for corduroy trousers, I was excited to enjoy something a bit more adventurous, I this case a pair of their 17oz sage green 8 wale corduroy.

Made of 100% cotton, they feature a plain waist band with tunnel top side adjusters, a flat front and button fly. There is one back jetted pocket with a button fastening, a hook and bar, plus button, fastening on the waist band, and has a fully lined waist band in 100% cotton. 

I ordered mine unfinished so that I could have my local tailor finish them with turn ups.

Cordings Sage Green Corduroy Trousers, paired with their House Check Tweed Jacket and Navy Blue Slipover

I find corduroy trousers the perfect trouser for the weekend and they work well with or without a jacket. These corduroys are warm and comfortable without measure. And while Cordings offers the sedate shades of navy blue and brown, they offer 14 colors in a full spectrum of the rainbow, for the conservative to the adventurous.

As with my tweed trousers from Cordings, these corduroys measure 2 inches larger than my American trousers.

If I wear these half as much as I've already worn their House Check Tweed Jacket, these trousers will be getting plenty of service this Autumn and Winter, and that is something to which I very much look forward. And I am quite certain that other colours of these corduroys will be added to my wardrobe over the years.

Please note that Cordings website prices includes VAT of 20% so this is removed from your order before payment is made. For those buying in London, they will provide you with the paperwork needed to recover your VAT payment at the airport when you are leaving the UK.

You can find Cordings online here at www.cordings.co.uk.

I eagerly look forward to my next visit to Cording of Piccadilly and will be sure to always leave space in my luggage for new acquisitions I am positive I will be making! Until then I remain quite the regular customer on their website.