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| The Soul of Spencers is an article I wrote for Mens File Magazine recently.I hope you enjoy the History combined with our unique underground Scene and innovative style.
The Soul of Spencers
Its March 29th -1922-
Mr JWR
Spencer drafted the original pattern that will act as the cornerstone of
Spencers made to measure trousers for the next
90 years.
English tradition
is still being carried out. A rare event and living proof of the
entrepreneurial spirit and survival instinct that was established in the Calder
Valley area.
The original
Factory in Friendly, Sowerby Bridge was originally built in 1906 to manufacture
Workwear Overalls..It was,built on solid foundations:Quality,Fit,Function and
Service along with a supply of expert local workforce and locally sourced fabrics.
The Calder
Valley in West Yorkshire,England is renowned worldwide for the finest trouser
cloths you can buy.The area specialises in bottom weights and jacketing’s. Pile
fabrics such as Cord and Moleskin is an expertise along with wool blends and Yorkshire Tweeds –Local
Names that still supply these quality cloths to Spencers are Mallalius of Delf
Ltd and Brisbanemoss of Todmorden to name a few.Both had have been leading
Calder Valley mills since 1840.
The Spencers
Factory has kept reinventing and adapting itself throughout its history, being
bought more recently from Mrs Spencer in
1975 by Alan Oldfield when Mr Spencer was ill in hospital. He still owns and
produces the Spencers branded product
today. Spencers now supplies English made to measure product around the globe from
Japan ,USA, Russia and UK.
Spencers
Trousers are a collectors dream. They
are a True British Heritage Brand established
from 1922 and their product is still being created, with every style a unique
one off.
All trousers
are still to this day cut by hand on a made to order on a payment upfront basis
within 7 days. This is probably why the company has survived all this time
doing what it is doing for its loyal 10,000 strong customer base worldwide.
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Its now 1976-
The
Club-Wigan Casino-Satisfied the need for upbeat Northern Soul.
(The official
Heart of Soul and voted No 1 Club Worldwide ahead of Studio 54 in New York.)
The
Fashion-Spencers satisfied the need for unique style trousers..
Bespoke
,Tailored, and customised by the Northern Soul fan-A very modernist ethos that
had certainly come before.
This was all
new for a 14 year old that was part of the Wolverhampton Soul Crowd travelling
to Wigan Casino on a weekly basis.
Spencers
Trousers made to measure unique detailing that satisfied the teenage need /thirst
to be different but still part of a unique underground scene.
Above all it
was new and unique and the styles created would in turn influence others at the
Casino that week. Trends spread organically. Designed by the Soul scene for the
Northern Soul scene.
The Northern
Soul scene was all about Dancing to rare soul. Record collecting and being part
of something underground and unique that the youth could call our own.
This is the
reason the soul scene still survives today because it has never been
commercialised.
Alan freely
admits that “I couldn’t run a business on Soul alone, the volumes weren’t
sustainable and the styles weren’t cost effective”
Key for the
look were the Spencers Trousers-Wide cut 40” bottom trousers which kept the Dancer cool for the
hours of adrenalin fuelled dancing. These were available at the Club or made to
measure mail order. The accessories were Vests ,Bowling Shirts Simon Shirts and
Tank tops .
Whilst there
were other Brands supplying the Independent Soul market,non of these were made
to measure and only Spencers were on sale every Friday night Oldies all-nighter
at the Famous Wigan Casino-The Heart of Soul.
The young
teenagers wore their customised Spencers like a Casino Anniversary Patch as if
to say-I was there- one of the elite underground soul scene.
Devotees were
young resourceful and creative in whatever they had and did.
Spencers
styles were created by the soulies for the soulies which helped the fashion
grow itself.
Alan Oldfield
admits”We are a trouser maker with specialist skills not fashion designers”
He said
during this period of Spencers, ideas were sketched and sent to them by the
Soul fans and because of their made to measure service they just made what the
consumers wanted-to order.
These ideas
were then worn to the Casino the following weekend.People saw the new ideas
and Spencers added the details to their portfolio of details to offer
other customers.
This was
genuine organic marketing ,driven and fuelled by one upmanship within an
underground scene.
The styles
needed to be as rare and unique as the rare soul record labels they were
hunting down in the USA and collecting.
Spencers were
the made to measure catalyst to allow a scene to design their own styles for
their own scene.
Some of the
styles that I remember first hand –these were all unique as you wouldn’t copy
you would be influenced by that people you saw pushing the boundaries of their
Soul bags.
Trouser
Fabrics were 2 Tone,Cord &Gabardine.
40”to 60” Width
Bottom Bags,
Crown flaps
and multiples of them .I remember 12 back pocket flaps on 1 pair of
trousers!!Crown Flaps in varying fabrics to detail and Pleat flaps with buttons
,again in multiples to give exclusivity.
Numbers of
front pleats varied-usually 8 but there was plenty for fabric to do more.
Tunnel belt
loops were standard but these also came in contrast fabrics to carry the
Fashionable White belt or the “Wrigleys chewing gum wrapper belt” again
fashionable during this period in the 70’s.
Then there
were the people who really pushed their style..Harlequin blocked Fabrics-2
colours of fabric used on each quarter of the trouser.
Patchwork
Denim was sold on mass in these Spencers styles-Alan remembers picking up old Wranglers
and Levis Denim from Rag merchants in Manchester then cutting them up and
making blankets to be cut into trousers. Of course the brand conscious soul
fans wanted all the Levis and Wrangler and Brutus Gold brand marks and details
from the Jeans on their Soul Bags!!!
This
patchwork idea was taken one step further. Popular on the scene were Beer
towels to wipe the sweat from the dancer-often dancing with his top off and
wearing only his soul bags with a beer towel tucked into his waistband.
Alan
remembers making blankets from collections of Beer towels acquired from the local
pubs and making them into Spencers Soul Bags.
I remember
making my all nighter bag out of beer towels for my overnight change and to
keep my precious Records in that I had purchased that all-nighter. The stiffener
for the end of the bag was a cardboard 7”record cover.You had to be resourceful
when you couldn’t buy alternatives from the shops.
See photos of
these and the hand drawn flyers
illustrating some of the details designed by Soul fans attached to this
article.
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Today-Bringing Spencers up to date:
Whilst the
Soul scene survives, the need for Soul Bags has reduced.
Spencers
still produces made to measure styles for old customers who still wear the 40”
Flares in a revivalist way at all nighters such as Togetherness- at Kings hall
in Stoke on Trent. He also makes costumes of these styles for recent period
Brit Films such as the 2011 released “Soul Boy” and “Once upon a time in Wigan”
Since the
late 80’s the new niche for Spencers has been supplying the made to measure
requirements worldwide for Golfers ,Plus 2’s and Plus 4’s and Country Pursuits-Hunting
,Shooting and Fishing .
Markets that
recognise the value in specialist Tailoring ,Local Fabrics and above all made
to measure in Friendly Works, Friendly, Sowerby Bridge ,West Yorkshire in the
heart of the Calder Valley- England.
Alan says he’s always looking for the next niche of
loyal quality followers to emerge. Perhaps revivalist Work wear beckons linking
back to the factory’s roots in 1906.
If you want
to be part of a British Clothing institution contact Alan Oldfield sales
@spencers-trousers.com with your measurements or visit www.spencers-trousers.com
I hope you’ve
enjoyed the article of inspired first hand nostalgia that aims to re kindle the
memories that make your heart beat just that little bit faster.
Blog- andyburnsdesign.com email- info@andyburnsdesign.com
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