You’ve been loving the sounds on our shop floor, and we thought it was only right to share the magic (so you won’t have to Shazam us anymore).

We’re handing over the aux to our team, one by one. Each staff member is curating a 20-song playlist that captures their personal style and musical mood. It’s our way of sharing a bit more of who we are, through the music we love.

First up: our Press and Marketing Manager, Bennie, kicking things off with a swinging mix of 70s gems, Italo disco and sultry sax solos. It’s the perfect soundtrack for golden hour drives, living room dance routines, or just staring into the void with a cigarette, reliving a love affair that mostly happened in your head.

Hit play, follow along, and stay tuned for the next staff takeover…

Interview by Charlie Kloos

C: If you had to describe the playlist in 3 words, which words would you choose?

B: Sultry, Groovy, Intoxicating.

C: Which track brings you the most joy when it comes on?

B: People who know me know I usually gravitate toward the most depressing songs imaginable - I’ve actually been banned from DJing at certain parties because of the very real risk of killing the vibe. But this playlist definitely represents my sunnier side. ‘Emotional Rescue’ by The Rolling Stones in particular brings me so much joy - the falsetto, the groove, and that sax solo? Gets me every time. It’s impossible not to dance.

C: If your playlist was a film soundtrack, what film would it be for?

B: Definitely the soundtrack to a sexy, tension-filled film set somewhere in the Mediterranean - I’m thinking sun-bleached villas, some light espionage, and definitely a love triangle. The kind of film where everyone is hot and no one is telling the truth.

Text by John

After twenty five years running a vintage store, I’m going to tell you a secret. Every single season our best selling menswear item has been the sopranos shirt. Why? Who knows. There's something about those guys. They are despicable in many ways but so bloody cool in others.

Whilst recently re-watching the (best ever) series I noticed that it’s not just the shirts that are popular today. I've got pretty much every outfit these lads wear currently in stock. 

Will the Sopranos ever stop being style icons? Well “Just when I thought I was out, they pulled back in”. 

Text by Charlie K.

Mental health used to be a tough topic to discuss with each other a few decades ago, even with your closest friends or partner. Fortunately, we live in an age now where we are starting to feel more comfortable reaching out and normalising mental health. Not only has this improved people’s mental health, as speaking to each other can be a part of our healing, it also creates a space where people learn how to support one another better.

Also, the rise of popularity in mindfulness online has affected a lot of people very positively. It has been scientifically proven that your prefrontal cortex grows in size when you practise mindfulness regularly, which helps you with controlling emotions, planning and attention on a long-term basis. Isn’t that cool?

Over the past year, I have been trying to do daily mindfulness exercises to improve my mental health. I have noticed that ever since I have started to get into the habit of it, it has been hard to imagine myself without it. It has improved my general mood, the way I see situations and deal with my emotions. Sure, it was difficult to start out with, and I definitely rolled my eyes when my therapist told me mindfulness was going to improve my mood. But I am so glad that I pushed through with it!

Something that can be tough when you start practising mindfulness, is finding the exercises that work for you. Some people prefer visual exercises, whilst others do better with breathing exercises or body scans. To help you get started, here are a few of my favourite mindfulness exercises:

• Observe & describe: pay attention to your surroundings and describe the items, space, people, or sounds surrounding you. Do not judge, involve your emotions or get onto a train of thoughts, and try to focus on just describing what you see;
  

• Alphabet game: Write down the alphabet vertically on a piece of paper. Then pick a theme. It could be animals, cities, items you can find in your room, even cuss words to spice it up! Set a timer for 2 minutes and try to make words for each letter. While you do the exercise, try to focus solely on the words and the act of writing down the words;
  

• Body scan: Close your eyes and focus on your body sensations. What are you feeling? Is something hurting? Where are you in contact with the ground? Do you feel warm or cold? How do your clothes feel on your skin?
  

Whether you are trying to get into mindfulness, or not sure about the whole concept, I challenge you this: try to do a mindfulness exercise for 2 minutes a day for 2 weeks. You will thank me later.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please call 116 123 (Samaritans) or 0800 073 0006 (UK Crisis Helpline).

By John

Cold War espionage, foggy mid century London, superb prose and only 170 odd pages. Read the lot on Christmas day.  Le Carré knew his stuff; serving both MI5 & MI6 Spymasters whilst writing this, his first book. 

Call for the Dead is a perfectly paced crime novel. Engaging enough to keep me focused without feeling like I have to find somewhere quiet to concentrate. That’s why I picked it up from ATIKA whilst on my way out of the door for Xmas. Le Carré is one of my go to authors for journeys, holidays, waiting rooms.

It is satisfying that the first Le Carré features his most notable and frequent protagonist. George Smiley is a long standing cult character. Grey, yet colourful, fragile but tough, smart but fallible. Of course Smiley always gets his man but the author conveys the sense that every step takes a heavy, creeping toll on those in the game. It's the human cost of a world devoid of trust and faith, where these basic human expectations are put aside for some in order to ensure the nation’s ability to enjoy those very things. Utility laid bare. One suffers so that the many can be spared. “However closely we live together, at whatever time of day or night we sound the deepest thoughts in one another, we know nothing”.

Smiley will always be Alec Guiness in my mind. Calm, brooding, needle sharp. A weapon; fashioned to fight the new order, from a material formed in the public school world of the old order. 

Great book. Easy read. Provocative yet reassuring. 

Text by John

I sat down to write a short piece about sweatshirts. Then, Jane Fonda caught my eye. One of my favourite people. 

So, here's Jane (with Peter Mcenery) in what i’d say is the coolest sweatshirt ever. The Beethoven sweat was part of the 3B’s series, along with Brahms and Bach. They became a fashion trend in early 60s California. Sold via mail order they were thought up by advertising executive Howard Luck Gossage to help Rainier Ale promote a regualr classical music show on KSFR 94.9 radio station in SanFrancisco. One of the first graphic sweats. I think all vintage officionados and traders should say; Thanks Howard! 

As someone who enjoys a nice, slow spun, loop back vintage jersey and has more than a few, I confess to really, really wanting one of these. 

However for today it’s about thinking about Jane’s story (and as always, how effortlessly cool she is looking), Jane is a superstar for me and if you read a little about her life as an activist, you’ll get why she’s on my mind.