A new, UK-based, designer menswear brand has tapped into today’s zeitgeist. Snide London’s clever, stylish, and ironic designs perfectly reflect society’s current obsession with all things fake.
Snide London’s range of t-shirts, polo shirts, and casual shirts are manufactured to the highest quality and can stand comparison with all the leading menswear clothing brands on sale around the world. Their clients care about how they look, enjoy spending money on clothes, yet are keen to let the world know they don’t take themselves too seriously. They are sophisticated but combine this with a sense of humour and a sense of irony.
The Brand Is A Parody Of Fake
The brand is a parody of fake items from the far east which often accidentally feature small mistakes in either language or cultural reference. A Snide is often used as a definition of a copy. Some of the brand’s designs feature Jekyll and Hyde imagery; a “Jekyll” is cockney rhyming slang for snide.
The concept was created when one of the company directors bought a very expensive watch in China. He was delighted with it until it told him it was the 41st of January. An idea was born.
One of their t-shirts features that very watch. Others are an 11-of-Diamonds playing card, a black pool ball numbered 9, and a 9-Dollar bill. The logo on the shirts and polos looks like an old-fashioned golfer but, on closer inspection, is hitting a rugby ball with a hockey stick. “Anyone for tennis?”!
Managing Director, David Almond said: “Our philosophy of providing the highest-quality, ethically-sourced clothing to a discerning, refined, yet maverick customer-base has struck a chord.
“The British are world-renowned for a sense of sartorial elegance, the notion of fairplay, and an irreverent sense of humour with a mistrust of authority. We offer classic British tailoring with classic British humour,” he added.
100% Cotton
All the clothes are characterised by being 100% cotton with unique detailing, hand-drawn graphics, and tailored fits. They were chosen to appear on the catwalk of this year’s Pure London Exhibition as a part of the Ethical Brand Directory show.
All the current range is available online at snidelondon.co.uk and in a few select independent men’s retailers and websites. They are also on Amazon at https://www.amazon.co.uk/snide
David Almond said: “The reaction to the clothes has been great. One of our clients told us they were wearing the Nine-Ball Shirt in a bar when someone approached them, quite animatedly, to tell them why the shirt was wrong. He showed them the Snide London label on the sleeve with a knowing smile and the guy told him it was brilliant!”
“We’re thinking about putting a reminder on the packaging, asking our customers to please refrain from feelings of smugness!” he laughed. “They are reporting strange feelings of superiority when they spot a fellow wearer!”
Branding and design expert, John Davey, of John Davey Design, said: “I think this is an example of a brand that truly is a brand that defines its customers. The imagery actually says something about its wearer than a simple animal or name does not. It’s a great back story as well.”
