A Great British Brand – Cordings of Piccadilly

One of our favourite British brands and a safe port in a storm (metaphorical or actual) is Cordings of Piccadilly. Cordings has stood proud at its 19 Piccadilly premises for over 140 years. The company’s roots stretch back even further to 1839 when Charles Cording first opened the doors to his outfitting and waterproofing shop on The Strand. Today, Cordings is just a stone’s throw from Tusting’s sister company, Budd Shirtmakers; the two brands share many affinities as well as a great number of customers, as of course does Tusting.

We have collaborated with Cordings in recent years to produce an exclusive tweed and leather edition of our Clipper bag. The bag represents a perfect marriage of construction and style, absolutely in tune with the Cording’s principles.

Cordings is a reassuring brand. It knows its audience well and has little pretence. They make excellent, reliable and beautiful clothing for a predominantly countryside audience and those with a passion for country pursuits. Their audience is far reaching, with customers looking to them for comfortable and elegant heritage pieces that endure.

The company doesn’t limit itself to field attire, however, nip into the shop or take a look on its website and you will see their signature covert coats and raincoats (they can lay claim to developing the original rubberised Mackintosh alongside Hancock), and a core range of business suits, poplin shirts and ties for trips into the City. Whilst talk of city suits reverts us back to a palette of greys and blues, Cordings never skimps on colour. There are plenty of tweeds, including the iconic Keeper’s Tweed that have a subtle twist, corduroys, Loden coats, knitwear and accessories bring strong colour pops to both men’s and ladies’ wardrobes.

Waterproofing was the raison d’etre of the original Cordings business, after founder, John Charles started to manufacture Charles Mackintosh’s patented waterproof coats in 1839. They soon became a mainstay of the company and Charles recognised that his coats were useful both for riding and daily life, but also for the burgeoning motor era. The coats were considered essential in the hunting field and for motorists in their open top cars too. The rest, as they say, is history. Cordings had established itself firmly on the gentlemen clothier’s map, a position that it has maintained to this day.

The past two centuries have seen Cordings clothe everyone from explorers to sportsmen, farmers to financiers, rock stars to royalty. A read through of their illustrious and extensive history on the Cording’s website, makes it easy to understand why the current owner and perhaps its best customer, Mr Eric Clapton, chose to purchase the company in 2003, securing its future.

“I first became aware of Cordings in my mid-teens,” Eric 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.”

Win a Cordings Covert Coat and Tusting Weekender bag

Tusting has teamed up with Cordings to offer customers the opportunity to win one of their iconic Covert coats and one of our medium-sized Weekender Travel bags in Sundance leather.

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