Father’s Day came and went at London Zu and the stock levels of our mens’ collection suddenly seemed massively depleted. So, it was with delight we greeted a new Tyler and Tyler collection as it arrived in this week. For the first time we are trialling 100% Silk Pocket Squares, in Polka Dot and Stripe designs.

Also completely new Olympic Themed Cufflinks with Boxing, Rowing and Athletics all being represented...a nice memory to look back on, and at least it’s one pair you’ll always be able to remember when you got them.

Also back in are the various Pinstripe Cufflinks with matching Collar Stiffeners (matching socks will be back pre Christmas Season...sorry to even mention that word.)

Tyler and Tyler are quintessential English Designers...it’s almost impossible to define exactly why, but once you see the designs and style of their men's range, nowhere else springs even vaguely to mind.

Who invented Father's Day?

Credit for “Official’ Father’s day goes to Sonora Smart Dodd of USA, who invented her own celebration in 1910 in tribute to her own Father, a single parent who raised his six children.  

When is it celebrated?

It is generally celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of June, and the first American Presidential Proclamation recognising was made in 1966.  It didn’t become a proper National Holiday in  the USA until 1972, previous Presidents had been reluctant, some fearing the commercialization of the event. This year Father's Day falls on Sunday June 17th.

How is it celebrated?

From receiving a raised eyebrow some short ten years back in the UK, Father’s day has now become a firm fixture on the celebratory calendar, with Father’s Day Cards in the shops from mid-May, and an ever growing list of dedicated manly gifts.  

London Zu has shops in both Chiswick and Twickenham and both areas boast a healthy Catholic population. As such, every year in April, we are constantly asked for advice on what is a suitable First Holy Communion gift.

When talking to our customers many remember their own childhood experiences of the rosary beads they received and lost from Auntie Mary. Or the icons that scared them by their bedsides.  And of course, the “Communion Money” they received on that special day.  Indeed in Ireland, unspent “Communion Money” is a well worn metaphor for the over-thrifty habits a particular person may have. However today, whilst a rosary bracelet or necklace may be occasionally handed down, or a Crucifix might be placed in the children’s room, the Sacrament of the Eucharist and its significance to the Christian, and especially Catholic Traditions are often more vaguely interpreted.

What is 'First Holy Communion'?

The “First” is the first receipt of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which for Catholics is the second of the Seven Sacraments, mirroring those actions and guidance of Jesus at the Last Supper - and whilst for many denominations the symbolic mirroring ends there, for the practicing Catholic the belief that Christ is truly present through the mystery of ‘substantiation’ is one the cornerstones of the ritual’s significance.

How is it celebrated?

It is universally celebrated as a large family event. including a church ceremony where the girls are usually presented in white dresses and veils - symbolizing their innocent purity - and the boys are dressed in their new ‘Sunday Best’  or new uniforms.

What is a traditional gift?

Traditionally gifts of a religious nature were given (Rosary Beads or Prayers Books or Icons), and indeed treasured and kept through a life of practice. Today, many family members and friends give gifts of a more diverse nature. Money is still most common, and often enclosed with a small gift and a card. For a seven to eight year old, this is an exciting time.

What is a suitable modern day gift?

Typical gifts for a First Holy Communion today are : -

NGT - Nougat London have launched their new toiletry range for men.

At long last a complimentary range to their ever popular womens toiletry range has come to market and we love it. In fact my husband is road testing it right now and has given it the thumbs up. He's also road testing Tyler and Tyler socks which he says are the most comfortable socks ever, but I digress. 

The NGT range includes a face wash, shaving creams and balms, muscle soak and shower gel, which makes me wonder which are the favourites of the England Rugby team. Because an insider at Nougat recently told me that they were so delighted to hear that one of the England Rugby team guys had tweeted he was a fan of the range, they immediately sent the whole team NGT goody bags. Lucky them.

Well pop in a see for yourself. We have the range in both our shops and here online. We'd love your feedback x

The 'Christmas lights switch on' is happening on Friday 25th of November, and we've already created our Christmas window display much to the delight of the local children. So it's no use pretending Christmas is not going to happen this year and trying to ignore the looming date of December 25th.

We have lots of lovely new lines to make your life easier and your Christmas shopping a breeze, and don't forget we are still gift wrapping up to mid December. So start your shopping early and avoid the crowds.

Keep those chilly Christmas winds away with our lovely selection of velvet, satin and jersey scarves from UK designers Earth Squared, Lua and Powder.

Accessorise with a pair of luxury suede gloves in a range of contempory colours by Penelope Pond, beautifully boxed and ready to give as the perfect present. 

New in for the boys are boxed scarves and leather gentlemans gloves - men deserve a little pampering to! 

And on those wintery Christmas nights what better than to fragrance your home with the scent of cloves and juniper and snuggle down to a warm fire and a good book. Then look no further as we have a new collection of winter fragrances from Lily Flame, Copenhagen candles, True Grace and Bluebell33.

Of course it's not all about staying home and keeping warm, it is afterall the party season! So what better way to care for those tired party feet after a night of celebration than to slip into the ever so comfortable Tipsy Feet.  These clever little pumps fold away into a neat matching purse which also opens up into shopper bag to carry your party shoes in when you've swapped them for your Tipsy Feet shoes. Genius! They come in a range of colours and sizes and we've just uploaded our winter colours, including bronze metalic, for you to buy online.

And don't forget to accessorise your outfit with some stunning jewellery Michal Negrin is always perfect for a bit of vintage sparkle. Our London Vintage range includes swarovski rings, brooches, bracelets and necklaces in beautiful wintery colours. 

The Michal Negrin rose bud studs and vintage necklaces are available in a huge range of colours and are now presented in a Michal Negrin vintage gift box for those of you buying as a gift. Just perfect! 

 And for those of you that missed out last year we have just two musical carousels left, so don't miss out again.

 Happy Christmas shopping!

We've always loved using room diffusers in both our shops, they create a lovely welcoming scent for our customers and of course we get to benefit from the lovely aroma.

We noticed that our customers regulary commented on the lovely smell as they walked in the shop and it occurred to us that they might like the opportunity to have the same at home. So we decided to find a suitable range; it had to offer a good collection and variety of fragrances of good quality, be nicely packaged and of course great value.

Eventually we were delighted to discover the Copenhagen Candle Company and they absolutely fit the bill. As soon as we put the range in the shops it was a great success and so due to customer demand we have extended the range and fragrances available. We now have two designs with two price points, and 10 fragrances from heady Seville Orange to exotic Frangipani Orchid. For those of you who like more familiar fragrances we have the ever popular, Vanilla, Fresh Linen and Sandlewood. Take a look here online or visit one of shops in Chiswick or Twickenham.  

New blog from The Independent Retailer. Behind the scenes chat about what goes on in an independent shop. 

  http://tilltalk.blogspot.com/