Visiting the La Martina Store on Jermyn Street
23 Jermyn Street
The La Martina flagship store in London on Jermyn street is a place where Argentinian polo tradition meets classic British tailoring tradition.
On my last trip to London I finally had the opportunity to go in for a visit (on my own initiative to see the shop and share this story, La Martina has not sponsored this post). Martin, the store manager, welcomed me to the lovely store and told me the story behind this particular La Martina location. La Martina is sold worldwide in more than 95 shops, but the St James shop is quite different to the others, as it not only portrays the Argentinian lifestyle brand, but has also incorporated the classic shirt tailoring tradition of Jermyn street.
Blazers and Shirts tailored to fit perfectly on the modern gentleman
Walking about the La Martina shop is like taking a stroll through the story of the brand and how it has grown over the past 30 years and shows how diverse the brand has become, while still staying true to the core; polo.
La Martina Polo
The first part of the shop is actually the most recent part of the story with casual men’s attire with an effortlessly stylish look and feel for the modern polo man.
El Polo La Martina
La Martina clothing has been sold in London since 1992 where the first retail booth was opened in the iconic department store Harrods in Knightbridge.
In 2009 La Martina opened the shop at Guards Polo Club in the Smith’s Lawn location, starting a great collaboration between two very prominent polo names. La Martina has since made a Guards inspired clothing line, incorporating iconic pieces such as the red jacket inspired by the original jackets the guards wear. The full collection can be found at Smith’s Lawn and a selection in the Jermyn Street shop.
La Martina Guards Polo Club Collection
La Martina Guards Polo Club Collection
La Martina Guards Polo Club Collection attention to detail
The shop includes some other collaborations such as the one with Luxury Car Manufacturer Maserati, which La Martina has partnered with since 2011.
La Martina and Maserati
One of the newer partners of La Martina is the Luxury Scotch Whisky brand Royal Salute. A successful collaboration since 2014 and it is especially enjoyable for customers coming in to the shop. Martin might just invite you to sit down on the comfy sofas and have a drink to relax and get away from the busy and bustling streets of London.
Royal Salute 21 years old blended scotch whisky
One of the most comfy couches I have ever encountered inside a shop
After a little break I was ready to look and fall in love with the women’s casual attire. As you guys already now (and if you don’t go read the #MyPoloStyle blogpost) I love dressing up when I am going to watch the King of Sports, but on a Wednesday afternoon at a practice match I will opt for a more casual and comfy outfit in jeans, flats and a polo shirt. As with everything else La Martina, quality is key, especially their leather goods, which is no surprise, are expertly crafted with attention to detail down to the last stitch.
Casual polo shirts with excellently crafted accessories, the way to be chic while keeping it casual
A cheeky mirror selfie with the fabulous handbag – yes it is on my Christmas wish list already
Loafers are the most comfortable footwear while still being stylish and elegant, especially these ones.
Ok, so we have pretty much established that La Martina is awesome and we haven’t even gotten to where it all started, the equipment! So let’s go back there, starting with the saddles.
Handmade with love and care and polo passion
La Martina Saddlery
The La Martina polo equipment is deemed one of the best in the world. The attention to detail, the fact that the leather comes from Argentina and everything is hand-made ensures that every piece branded with the La Martina logo is expertly designed, tested and manufactured. It might take up to 3 months to get your bespoke boots, but they will fit perfectly and last you a long time.
Iconic La Martina boots – Beware! People will assume you are at least 1-goal if you rock up in these, so I think i will wait a (long) while before getting a pair.
There are helmets in every color and they can also be custom made in whichever color combination you want. I found a hat to match my outfit, ready to go play some polo!
The classic Polo Boots
Last but not least I needed to throw in some mini mallets, just because they are adorable.
Mini foot mallets for kids – I was tempted to buy one as decoration for my apartment
As you can see the La Martina store on Jermyn Street isn’t just a place to buy your polo essentials, but a life-size story of the brand and all that goes with it. Make sure to stop by when in London.
La Martina founder Lando Simonetti says: “We don’t use the sport of polo to promote our brand – we are polo.” This is so true, unlike other clothing brands that use polo to promote the brand, La Martina does the opposite, it uses its popularity to help promote polo tournaments around the world sponsoring over 100 tournaments worldwide throughout the year.
Check out and join in on the polo fun with the official La Martina hashtag #WeArePolo on Twitter and Instagram.
