At the Margaret Howell store a stone’s through from the Église de la Madeleine, the current selection of men’s and women’s wear had been swapped for the upcoming fall collection, where the eye was instantly drawn to a crisp, olive green “railway” mac lined with wool herringbone hanging near the entrance. Yet the real action was taking place further inside, where we encountered Eva, who was in the midst of sewing the collar stand of a cotton shirt in blue with pale stripes. Who needs background music when there’s the ambient and functional thrum of a sewing machine?
Eva is the manager at the Margaret Howell London Workroom, a newly opened space in north London where the brand is doubling down on its commitment to shirt production. “We really pay attention to detail,” she said, as she completed the light interlining.
Photos and text recounted Howell’s original dedication to making the perfect shirt from her home studio, pitching her bed above her machine since space was scarce. Now, more than 50 years later, this dedicated facility is filled with machinists who can assemble the London Workroom shirts (which will have a dedicated black label) within three to four hours—some 12,000 stitches later. There was something pleasing to the small display: a bridge from the brand’s origins to the present, where Margaret Howell remains a reference in sensible British style.
As for what’s coming next season, many of the highlights addressed what might be missing in a regular client’s wardrobe. Hence the relaxed version of a tuxedo jacket and trousers, along with a pleated poplin shirt—suitable for more formal occasions if not full black tie. The cotton shirts with frilled collars would create a fresh neckline under existing jumpers and jackets, while a check skirt in wool linen and a jumper would prove an effortless coordinated look in sync with the polished/bookish trend emerging elsewhere. A navy collarless dress with dropped waist was reedited from the archives; apparently, it is one of Howell’s favorite pieces.
The brand excels in cold weather accessories—responding to months of dreariness and damp of course. The standout here was a stylized tam o’ shanter, a flat bonnet finished with a small pompom that often comes in tartan. These versions will be in lambswool; and if you wear one out in Paris, just expect compliments on your beret.