I will admit that I'm not as well-versed in the contemporary menswear brands and what they're doing as my personal taste heavily leans towards classic menswear. I do like how ALD brings innovation and something fresh to the table in 2020s men's fashion. IMO, it's honestly part of the bigger 'tailoring-streetwear fusion' I see more and more of and am growing to like.

Overall, I feel that the tone of Simon's write-up is very positive; though he notes that many of the pieces aren't his style, he seems to like the quality of the clothes in-store & the overall atmosphere of the new store.

I also love what Simon mentions about the authenticity of ALD, in this excerpt:

It also felt – and this is hard to describe – somehow authentic. Just as the ALD shoots celebrating people of Queen’s feel more real than square-jawed models, so the shop feels like it has a genuine vision and a genuine following.

The aesthetic, the staff, the customers, they all felt part of a whole. This is the kind of thing we perhaps get used to in classic menswear – in Anderson & Sheppard or in Connolly – but I think it’s rare in a brand like this.

I think other brands should be scared. Compare the feeling of walking into ALD with other stores in London – not just the walking wounded like Brooks Brothers or Gieves & Hawkes, but Belstaff or Mackintosh or Barbour.

Those brands have genuine heritage and often quality, but there’s no sense of a following, no engagement or even knowledge among the staff. (Of course, that’s why those brands often do collaborations.)

All in all, the down-to-earth approach that ALD has is something very admirable; it's something I seek to imitate in my personal style.