Barnsley father-son duo open clothes shop offering men’s casual, terrace, and retro clothing

Retro Red on Doncaster Road is the brainchild of Ian Langworth and his 15 year old son, Alex, who wanted to turn their passion for football causal style into a business.

The shop, which opened in December for online orders and click-and-collect, offers new and pre-loved clothes, and also a buying service for those looking to sell pieces.

The pair have used their knowledge and passion for casual clobber to buy and sell pre-loved pieces, and stock new clothing from independent businesses, many of which have been set up by other youngsters.

Ian, who owns a construction company and two sandwich shops says he wanted to provide a future for Alex, and teach him how to run a business,after his dreams of joining the armed forces were dashed when he lost his hearing last year.

“We opened in the midst of the pandemic, it was a bit of as rush idea of something we’ve been wanting to do for a long while.

“My son lost his hearing during the first lockdown. He had all his future mapped out, wanted to join the RAF or the Navy, and he had all these options for when he left school.”

Ian and Alex are big football lovers and season ticket holders for Barnsley FC which is where their love of the sportswear worn across terraces in the 80’s and beyond originated.

The look became a sub-culture in its own right, and is enjoying a revival, with signature looks such as track jackets, and Italian and French designer sportswear brand being sported by youngsters.

Ian says the new shop is an extension of a hobby the father and son shared – of buying and selling per-loved clothes in great condition, and the duo can’t wait to open to customers when restrictions are lifted.

“There are a couple of similar shops in Sheffield, but nothing in Barnsley”, added Ian.

“We had loads of stuff at home that we were selling, or we bought knowing it was worth more.

“During the pandemic, lots of people have lost their jobs, so they aren’t going to have the money to spend on expensive gear – so the idea is to give people a cheaper variation.”

Ian adds that Retro Red has been a learning curve for Alex, who is fitting in learning how to run the business around his home-schooling.

“I think it’s important to not only have a school education, but I think they need the life skills education at the same time, so having this has been a big benefit to him – he’s home-schooling from the shop with his laptop. When he’s not home schooling, he’s learning the business aspect of the shop – he deals with ordering stock off the suppliers.”

You can shop online at: https://retroredterracewear.com/

Or visit the shop’s social media channels: Instagran @retroredbarnsley and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RetroRedBarnsley/

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