UK fashion shop which dressed Teddy Boys and Mods closes – 115 years | UK | News
The company was first founded in 1916 (Image: Jasmine Siddon / Leicester Mercury)
A UK high street store is to close in just days after welcoming customers for 115 years.
The iconic Irish Clothing Company, based in Loughborough, previously announced that its Church Gate store would close in June 2025 after concluding it was “not possible to move forward”. However, it continued to operate for another nine months while waiting for the building to be taken over by new leaseholders.
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It has not yet been revealed why the store closed; but last year bosses said external factors were playing a role, reports say Leicestershire Live.
The store announced last July that it would continue trading under current sales conditions, using stock from its Loughborough and Leicester stores, which closed in 2018.
The Brown Family, who founded the company, agreed to lease the premises of their former Leicester branch to coffee chain Caffè Nero.
Founded by Joseph Brown in 1910, the third-generation family business once had several branches in Leicester, including Humberstone Gate, The Shires and High Street, before adding the Loughborough store to its network.
Church Door branch will close on March 31 (Image: Jasmine Siddon / Leicester Mercury)
Joseph Brown passed the business on to his son, John Brown, who took the business forward and passed it on to his son, Tom Brown, the current owner.
The brand enjoyed great success as the store of choice for Teddy Boy suits in the 1950s, catering to local Mods in the 60s, and later the brand became the first retailer in the city to sell pre-washed and stonewashed jeans.
The store was also known for housing a variety of brands including Timberland, Dr Martens, Joules, Seasalt and Aigle.
Now bosses have confirmed the exact date of the closure.
In a statement they said: “We have now set up shop for our last few days of trading.
“The Irish Clothing Company in Loughborough, which has been such a part of Leicester history for nearly 115 years, will close its doors for the last time on Tuesday 31 March – the end of an era for us.
“We are now clearing out vintage trousers, jeans and all POS, posters and brand memorabilia, as well as the last remaining clothing and accessories.”
Various customers shared their disappointment with the news; one person stated that it was “the end of an era”.
Another wrote: “This is truly heartbreaking. The Leicester I knew and loved, the one I grew up with and my family grew up with, is gone! There’s almost nothing left.”
