The Trequartista: Five of the Best Specialist Shops in London
Looking for those hard to find essential but overlooked shops..? Fear not, we’ve pounded the streets for you
Article by Nicolas Payne-Baader
A specialist with high technical skill, fulfilling a role without being seen to be overly involved in the game, executed for greatest effect. This is a paraphrased version of what Roberto Mancini set out as the role of The Trequartista, one now championed across world football but previously never properly specified. The trequartista is the man who makes the magic happen, who transitions from mundane defence to breathtaking attack and does so without making a fuss; although normally applied to football this is a fairly apt description of the kind of shop that all men seek. The one where you buy items that everyone asks you about and that you can reliably return to for goods that are bought from people that know what they’re talking about and give you the selection you actually want.
So here is a run down of five of London’s best technical, effortless and effective specialists:
1 John Rushton shoes
When mentioning John Rushton the regular reaction one gets is, “if there’s something John doesn’t know about shoes, it just isn’t worth knowing” it’s pretty effusive praise for a small shop tucked away between Oxford Street and Wigmore Street. The shop deals pretty much exclusively in English Shoes, carrying everything from country boots to suede loafers and always carrying a selection of half sizes when available. The steady handed immensely knowledgeable Mr Rushton is always there with honest advice on what will be stylish, appropriate and best fitted to your needs. A very thorough repair service as well as a complete selection of shoe maintenance products underlines why this is a cult classic not best seller.
2 Rivet & Hide Denim
Denim is never an easy thing to get your head around, particularly in an age of ounces, Selvedge and a solid £200 price tag on everything. But there are places that sort the wheat from the chaff and Rivet & Hide is one of them. A small, properly independent shop just off Charlotte Street, it stocks an almost entirely Japanese selection from cult denim brands like Flathead and Mr Freedom and the jeans here are serious - all made of top quality denim they are designed to be worn and broken in. Prices aren’t low but they’re all be your jeans for the next ten years.
3 Drake’s Factory Outlet
It’s fairly safe to say that no one in Britain produces more beautiful accessories than Drakes, their neckties in silk as well as wool and cashmere are exquisite; their scarfs and pocket squares are equally impressive with highly detailed prints of everything from birds of paradise to a Mongol horde. Possibly the best news out of Drake’s recently though has been the opening of their shop on the perfectly appropriate Haberdasher Street in East London. Offering a selection of ties, pocket squares, scarfs and blankets all at reduced prices it’s ideal for anyone who regularly spills things all over themselves. The selection isn’t as large as their flagship store on Clifford Street but its well worth a visit.
4 Sunspel
Sunspel are very, very good at T-shirts, an old brand that I am reliably informed used to be known mainly for its warm shooting undergarments was bought several years ago and given a new lease of life. Utilising its specialist knitting machines, of which there are only a handful left in the world, they started producing the best T-shirts money can buy (and I won’t deny it they are quite a lot of money). Now doing seasonal collections they release a colour palette of around 6 tonal colours every season as well as now having a small line of knitwear and chinos. The T-shirts are still the main attraction though and almost impossible to beat.
5 London Undercover - Umbrellas
London Undercover is a surprising shop, right across from the Truman brewery off Brick Lane it sells more or less exclusively umbrellas. It is a company that realises the value of the old school without having to be beholden to it, something that is surprisingly rare. Cue all the quality and craftsmanship that you would expect from an umbrella off Jermyn Street but incredibly well made in the East End instead with canopies in yellows, stripes and even space constellations. London Undercover realised that the market for a well made British umbrella had not dried up (do excuse the pun) and there was still an appetite for the traditional craft of the sturdy, good looking brollie and we’re very glad they did. 
Enquiries:
John Rushton, 93 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 0EQ/ 020 7629 1888/ johnrushtonshoes.com
Rivet & Hide, 5 Windmill Street, London, W1T 2JA/ 020 76369071/ rivetandhide.com
Drake’s, 3 Haberdasher Street, London, N1 6ED/ 020 7993 0899/ www.drakes.com
Sunspel: various stores / 0115 973 7860/ www.sunspel.com
London Undercover, 20 Hanbury Street, Spitalfields, London, E1 6QR/020 7377 1553/ londonundercover.co.uk