Savile Row Tailors

In a perfect world your tailor should be recommended to you. If you are not that lucky and would like to invest in a suit from Savile Row then please do NOT just go to a Savile Row tailor you have seen in a magazine 100 times. This just means they have a great PR team behind them. The best tailors do not necessarily advertise, especially the older firms (some do not even have a web-site.) It is harder today to educate the younger clients who might read these magazines, and who like to follow a brand name.

For me there are half a dozen so called tailoring shops which have big money backers that in fact just sell ready to wear suits from the Row, and trade off Savile Row’s reputation. I think they couldn’t really care less if they sell any bespoke suits. This is probably because they have not been brought up with the Savile Row ways. What happens in Savile Row is the tailoring firms introduce apprenticeships, for keen hungry young people to learn the trade. The apprentice, if he meets with the highest of standards set for him or her, would move up the tailoring ladder, carrying on the skills taught to them when the older tailors retire and keeping the traditions of Savile Row alive.   

I think that the trouble we are faced with today is that most of the younger guys would prefer to become a clothes designer than learn a trade which could take around a decade. It requires 4 or 5 years to learn to make a coat and then, if you are lucky enough to be invited to learn cutting, this will take at least again another 4 or 5 years. However, you never stop learning when you are surrounded by so many talented tailors and cutters.

I have been working in the Row for 16 years now and know at least 90% of the proper tailors and cutters that work within it.  Everybody knows everyone, it’s a great collection of people and the tailors and cutters here will try to give you help if and when you need it. We are not really in competition with each other as people sometimes may think; most tailors have completely different house styles. I also think the Row has changed and will keep on changing, bearing in mind the flood of the newer ready to wear tailoring shops on it. For me the one and only thing Savile Row is all about is bespoke tailoring at its best. Lots of important famous people and Royalty have their suits made here. I have put together my top ten bespoke Savile Row tailors, not including my good self, so here we go in NO special order.

1  Kilgour, 2 Henry Poole & Co, 3 Huntsman, 4 Anderson & Sheppard, 5 Dege and Skinner, 6 Davies & Sons, 7 Welsh & Jefferies, 8 Fallan and Harvey, 9 D Hayward and 10 Denman and Goddard.

I know if you were to be fitted for a suit by any of these tailors you will not be upset with the outcome.They all make great bespoke suits in sometimes slightly and sometimes greatly different house styles. I know that I, and all the tailors that I mention above, could tell all these suits apart at twenty paces.