News

31st January 2012

Gentlemen's hire wear for all occasions

We are specialists in men's and boy's hire wear for events such as weddings, Christenings, funerals, dinners, and other formal occasions - and are already taking orders for weddings this spring and summer.

Our garment hire business is based at our shop in Brecon. We provide a personal service throughout the whole process. Appointments can be made for evenings and weekends to make things easier for you, especially if you have several people in your party to be measured. 

Hire options include tailcoats, Prince Edward jackets, waistcoats, lounge suits, dinner suits, tuxedos, evening tails, dress shirts, shoes, and accessories. A range of co-ordinated outfits to complement your wedding colours is available. We will shortly be putting more information on this website about hire wear. Many of these items can also be bought from us.

Phone us on 01874 623613 or email us at info@aidansweeney.co.uk with your contact details if you would like to find out more about the hire wear we offer, or if you would like to arrange a time to come to our shop in Brecon to view the options we have available for you.

We look forward to making a special contribution to your special day.

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26th January 2012

Sleeve garters (armbands) from St George back in stock by popular demand

The Aristocrat of Armbands: that's the promise from St George about their silver coloured armbands (garters) for shirt sleeves. There has been much interest in these, particularly from Canada, and we're pleased we now have new stock to meet demand.

St George armbands keep your shirt sleeves in the position you chose. For gentlemen wearing suits, they keep the correct amount of cuff showing. For general everyday wear, by both men and women, they keep sleeves at the right length and help keep your cuffs clean.

Snooker players find armbands perfect for keeping cuffs away from both the table and the cue, and card players avoid brushing cards off the table when their sleeves are kept in place with sleeve garters. They have been known to help in the casino too! Ladies find them useful for various craft activities where sleeves need to be kept out of the way.

These top quality armbands are rhodium plated with an elasticated core, giving a gentle but secure grip. They come in a smart black presentation box with red lining. They are currently in stock in our shop in Brecon and in our online shop.

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19th January 2012

To tie or not to tie, that is the question

When and where to wear a tie? Articles discussing this have appeared in Country Life and in today's Daily Telegraph, prompted by comments from the director of the V&A.

Professor Martin Roth is not only the first foreign director of the Victoria and Albert Museum - he's also the son of a tailor. "It's where my passion for textiles and great quality goods came from". He's a dapper figure, always impeccably dressed in suit and tie, but he has commented that few people in London wear ties now.

Savile Row tailors reckon a suit is incomplete without a tie. Actor David Walliams agrees: "You should always wear a tie with a suit". If you are not wearing a suit, whether to wear a tie can depend on where you are, what you are doing, what you feel comfortable with, and - importantly - what is expected in that situation.

For some people, their job requires a style of clothing that often includes a suit and tie. At certain events or formal occasions a tie is appropriate. For more casual wear, ties still have their place - such as woollen ties worn with country cords and a tweed jacket. There are also other ways to accessorise an outfit, including handkerchiefs and braces.

If in doubt about what to wear for a certain occasion, contact us for a chat on 01874 623613. We can advise on formal dress in the UK and abroad. And if you need to buy or hire a specific item of clothing, get in touch and we'll do our best to help. Meanwhile, as one of the Savile Row tailors said, "Professor Roth should wear his tie with pride".

Photo credit: John Millar, Country Life

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11th January 2012

Wolsey Grip Top socks with the red top:

Wolsey's knee length Grip Top socks are quality men's socks that are hard to beat. These long socks combine traditional style and quality with modern technology to give comfort and durability.

Recently we've dispatched large orders of Grip Top socks as far afield as Sweden and Italy. Customers are making the most of the ease of buying online to purchase batches of socks to use throughout the week. The colours - mid grey, black, and an attractive rustic brown - go well with both city and country clothing, for both formal and casual wear.

Expats and others buying online from us are reassured by the well-known Wolsey brand plus the personal service from the family business here at Aidan Sweeney's. Have a look at our complete range of socks and see what would suit you. Feel free to contact us by email or phone on 01874 623613 if you have any questions - we're happy to help.

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2nd January 2012

Happy New Year to all our customers and website visitors

Happy New Year to all our customers and website users. You may have visited us in our shop in Brecon, phoned us, emailed, browsed the website, or used the online shop: thank you all - we value your interest and support.

The website and online shop have been live since mid-August 2011. The site is designed to be as clear and easy to use as possible, and we have been delighted with the positive response from so many of our customers.  We welcome feedback, to help us improve the website to meet your needs, whether you are browsing or buying - so do please get in touch if you have any comments.

 It is a pleasure to deal with so many people, throughout the UK and overseas, who have discovered us via this site. So, whether you are buying online, browsing, or planning a visit to the shop in Brecon, we look forward to helping you as best we can in 2012 and send you our very best wishes for the New Year.

The Sweeney Family.

 

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21st December 2011

If you would like delivery by Christmas...

Thank you to everyone who has placed orders for various Christmas presents. Although the last posting date for Royal Mail first class post has passed, we might still be able to help with that last-minute gift!

Special Delivery services for the UK are available for orders placed until 12 noon on Friday 23rd December. If you would like this service, please contact us on 01874 623613 before ordering, so we can discuss your order and work out the cost for your parcel. We will try our best to help!

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7th December 2011

Wolsey Grip Top knee length socks with the famous red top are popular for Christmas

Wolsey's Grip Top knee length socks with the distinctive red piping at the top are popular purchases for Christmas. The warmth of pure wool and the reinforcement of nylon at the toe and heel are a great combination.

Wolsey's Grip Tops have enough grip at the top to stay up, but without gripping too tightly. They're warm and comfortable on the colder weather, and wear well for everyday use.

We have Grip Tops in rustic brown, mid grey, and black - subtle colours which go with most outfits. Some customers are buying a week's supply of one colour, others are having some of each colour - the choice is yours!

Grip Top long socks are available in our online shop, as well as Wolsey Cardinal half hose calf length socks for those of you who prefer the shorter sock.

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30th November 2011

It's a red spotty hanky - oh yes it is!

Red spotty hankies and the pantomine season - and we're discovering yet more uses for our popular  large spotted handkerchiefs.

If you're staging Dick Whittington this festive season, you'll be looking for a red spotted handkerchief for Dick to wrap his belongings in as he heads to London in the hope of finding streets paved with gold. We've also heard a rumour that the Seven Dwarves reckon these colourful hankies would be a good addition to their outfits.

Brighten up someone's Christmas with our red spotty handkerchiefs and other colourful hankies - they're in our online shop now (oh yes they are!)

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23rd November 2011

Wolsey Cardinal socks: traditional quality, classic style

Wolsey Cardinal half-hose socks have combined quality and style for decades. We stock these popular calf-length socks here in our online shop and in our shop in Brecon.

Wolsey is one of the oldest textile companies in the world. It's still based in Leicester, close to the grave of Cardinal Wolsey who inspired the brand name. Wolsey was one of the first brand names, and the company was one of the first to build brand awareness through advertising.

Wolsey adverts from the 1940s and 1950s are design classics. Many were by renowned graphic artist Ashley Havinden, who signed himself "Ashley". His humourous minimalist style is similar to Gilroy's famous Guinness adverts of the same era. The advert above was in Punch, November 15th 1950. It 's one of a series using animals to advertise Cardinal socks.

Havinden designed the advert's Wolsey logo, in a style that evolved into his 1955 Script typeface. As Art Director of Crawford's advertising agency for almost 40 years, he also produced work for Jaeger, Chrysler, Simpsons of London, and the Milk Marketing Board. Wolsey used the highest quality artist to reflect the high quality of their socks.

Wolsey Cardinal socks are still reinforced at the toe and heel, and are still a great buy. They'd be a super Christmas present. See the Cardinal half-hose and Wolsey's Grip Top knee length socks in our online shop. And if you revisit this news page in future, we might have some more classic Wolsey adverts to show you!

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16th November 2011

Somax nightshirts: brushed cotton comfort for all the family

Somax nightshirts in soft brushed cotton flannelette are great for cold winter nights. Long enough to curl up in, thick enough to keep out the cold, and stylish enough for ladies as well as men - a perfect Christmas gift for him or her.

These high quality long nightshirts are the traditional over the head style with 4 buttons and a proper collar.  Somax of Northern Ireland have been making them for years, and they remain a favourite for all ages. Chose blue stripes or wine (burgundy) stripes. The nightshirts are easy care - just put them in the washing machine at 40 degrees.

Brushed cotton nightshirts from Somax are comfortable and cosy as both sleepwear and loungewear for women as well as for men. So don't let the chaps have all the fun - if you're buying a nightshirt for the man in your life, how about one for you too? Have a look now in our online shop.

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