Wherever you live in the UK, chances are you're within walking/bus distance of an establishment designed to meet all of man's basic clothing needs - a gentlemen's outfitters. In west London, there's Terry's Menswear, as pure and fine an example of a gentlemen's outfitters as you'll ever encounter. Terry's and similar palaces of practicality have been serving our communities for years, but they're rarely mentioned in fashion magazines or featured on style programmes.

Take at closer look at your local when you next walk by. Start with the window display. Chances are you'll see a selection of menswear displayed in an uncomplicated way. You won't find any fancy abstract photographs taken in exotic locations. Gentlemen's outfitters are traditionally independent clothing shops, often family-run, trading in men's clothes and accessories. The windows show you their wares in a way that's upfront and pretty much unaffected by passing trends. There are clothes for warm weather, sports, outdoor pursuits and all that sort of thing. The focus is on functional threads that will see you through several seasons. The price tags are old school and sometimes garish.

Terry's Menswear looks like it's seen better days - the sign hasn't been updated since the old pre-prefix phone number days and the window display seems to have remained exactly the same for the last 7 years. Inside, there's a calor gas heater pong and the noise of daytime television. Hats adorn the walls like trophies. A man's hat for every occasion and then some. Old stock is laid out on rails with reduced tags. Towelling dressing gowns cover a wall. The display cabinets house socks, handkerchiefs, underwear, braces, belts - I am sure there are drawers and drawers of treasures beneath hiding away.

Nigel, the manager knows his stock inside out. "I can't get polo necks this year," he tells me. "Just can't get them. The ones I was offered were so bad. You just can't get the stock anymore." It's the manufacturers. Nigel says some of his best have disappeared because they were part of a bigger company which failed in other areas. Nigel is not happy about this.

I buy some 100% cotton men's socks. "People come in here and complain about paying £3.50 or £4 for a pair of socks because they can get them so cheap now in places like Primark - you get four pairs for that or something but they don't seem to realise they are really badly made." We discuss quality and sweatshop labour. At Terry's the socks are quality and they know the manufacturers and have worked with them for years. "It's all changing, " says Nigel. He helps me find some classic men's pyjamas in paisley shades that look like they were designed in the 1940s. Then we talk hats. Nigel is also a hat designer and hats are his real speciality.

Despite initial apperances, things are on the up at Terry's. There are contracts with film and television companies and a booming business in hats. Getting the right stock isn't easy, but Nigel is a man with experience and tenacity.

Terry's Menswear is at 371 Harrow Road, Paddington London W9 3NA Telephone: 020 8969 2772 Fax: 01582 512174 email: nigel@terrys.powernet.co.uk