Crockett & Jones For The Anthology
This is Perry Street, Northampton, the heart of England's most famous shoemaking town. It has been the same factory setup since 1935, with old but adroit machinery sedulously welting shoe leather uppers into Goodyear Welted shoes with skill sets inherited since 1879, coming close to 150 years.
Headed by the family company's fifth-generation successors, they are one of the last remaining English shoemakers that grasp autonomy in gatekeeping handmade excellence and their undefiable reputation for creating classic styles that will last a lifetime. The company has long been a favourite with royalty. In more recent years, it has become a favourite with cinematic icons and earned its title as the quintessential English fine shoes. The nonpareil gentleman's shoe brand Crockett & Jones is an unmissable name, unequivocally a symbol of quality and tradition.
For many people, Crockett and Jones is more than just a shoemaker; it is a part of their childhood and upbringing, or a shoe they look up to for times they have made it. The brand has a loyal following, with many customers returning year after year to purchase shoes that are both timeless and durable.
Introducing The Anthology's latest collaboration with Crockett & Jones, featuring three new shoe styles: Bodley, Hartford, and Bloomsbury.
Bodley is a penny loafer, made with clean lines such as the refined butt-stitched apron and an oval cutout. The penny loafer style shoe has a long association with preppy, Ivy League style and academia. The style was popularised in the mid-twentieth century by students at prestigious American universities such as Harvard and Yale, who paired them with khaki pants and blazers for a classic, refined look.
The Bodley shoe, with its penny loafer style, takes its name from the Bodleian Library, which is located in Oxford, England. The Bodleian Library is one of the oldest and most prestigious libraries in the world and is closely associated with the academic tradition of Oxford University. The name "Bodley" is derived from the name of the library's founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. Thus, the Bodley shoe, with its classic penny loafer style and prestigious name, evokes a sense of refined, Ivy League style and academic tradition.
On a 376 last, it features a modestly short vamp which is casual enough to be paired with jeans, chinos and our Civilman trousers, yet elegant enough to be taken back to more formal settings when a suit is called for. Although based on a classic shoe last, the heel counter was also modified from its predecessor, the 314 last, to hug tighter to the back of the heel for a better fit, also to accentuate the divine lines of the shoe.
Materialised in a burnished espresso calf, it is a colour that is made unique to this offering as it is not the dark brown calf the usual Crockett & Jones collection carries.
Hartford is an unlined two-eyelet chukka boot that takes inspiration from the town in Cambridgeshire, UK. The town is known for its beautiful countryside and riverside walks, elaborate tranquil village scenery. This shoe design takes inspiration from bucolic settings and embodies a casual yet sophisticated style, perfect for those who appreciate the beauty of the outdoors and nature and the comfort of a laid-back lifestyle.
The unlined design of the shoe provides a comfortable and breathable fit, making it an excellent choice for warmer weather or for those who prefer a lighter shoe. Whether you stroll through the countryside or explore your local area in the urban city, Hartford is the perfect shoe to accompany you on your adventures.
On a 224 last, the shoe features a slight almond-toed look, soft-rounded but not chubby, angular but not arrogant nor formal.
Crafted in unlined snuff suede, the shoe gives a hazy brown look, more casual in feel, suitable with casual trousers.
Bloomsbury is our cofounder's residence. It also spotlights The Bloomsbury Group, a collective of The Anthology’s worshipped writers, philosophers, intellectuals, and artists centred around Bloomsbury in the early 20th century. It is a neighbourhood in the West End of London, with leading figures including Virginia Woolf, Clive Bell, Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant and Roger Fry.
The Bloomsbury Group played a significant role in the modernist movement, seeking to break with tradition and create new forms of art, literature, and culture that reflected the modern world. The members of the Bloomsbury Group were known for their intellectual curiosity. Their emergence encouraged new ways of thinking. Their work had a profound impact on the cultural landscape of the time and continues to be studied and celebrated today.
Like how Oscar-winning actor Paul Lukas in the 1940s first invented the tassel loafer through his curious modification from his custom oxfords with tassel laces to having a pair of loafers dangling with tassels come into shape, the inspiration for the Bloomsbury came from the spirit of creativity, innovation, and breaking with tradition. Following the first tassel loafer brought into mass production in 1950, the design features a short vamp with a soft almond toe, modishly executed with wider joints to achieve the look, also made more comfortable — a simple tassel loafer done right, made with absolute no-fuss. Modelled in a now forsaken toe-shape in 72 last, a shoe last well used by our time's best designers who previously worked with Crockett & Jones.
a simple no-fuss tassel loafer in dark brown suede, a direct reference to the first tassel loafer that was ever created.
The three newly commenced models are now available both online and in-stores. All shoes fit true to size and are indicated in UK sizing. If you are already a Crocket & Jones wearer, your current sizing would be a very good reference. For more information, please do not hesitate to speak to us at customercare@theanthology.net for further assistance.
All artefacts crafted in the United Kingdom by the one and only Crockett & Jones. Photography by Alex Natt.
