Named after Lady Savile, the wife of the 3rd Earl of Burlington, Savile Row was built between 1731 and 1735 as part of the illustrious Burlington Estate. Tailors started to occupy Savile Row’s boutiques in the late 18th century, serving well-heeled local residents and denizens of Mayfair and the City. Today, the Row has never been more diverse, with a variety of ready-to-wear, made-to-measure and bespoke offerings – for both men and women. Welcome to Savile Row.
Anderson & Sheppard
Founded in 1906, Anderson & Sheppard’s wonderfully atmospheric premises is actually situated parallel to Savile Row on Old Burlington Street. Currently run by Anda Rowland, the tailor is famed for the English Drape cut: a now-traditional suiting silhouette characterised by a high, small armhole, full chest and natural shoulder line. Offering a more comfortable alternative to the rigid military dress of the early 20th century, according to Rowland, Anderson & Sheppard continues to cater to “clients [that] are not so much businessmen, but artistic and creative types”. In its modern iteration, Anderson & Sheppard offers a full range of bespoke tailoring options, as well as more casual ready-to-wear, including knitwear, shirts, dressing gowns and accessories, via its website.
Best known for: Double-breasted jackets & the ‘English drape cut’: soft and round minimally padded shoulders, a small, high armhole with additional fullness provided through the sleeve head, a full chest with a distinctive vertical drape and suppression through the waist.
Notable clients: King Charles III, Daniel Craig, Fred Astaire, Baron Guy de Rothschild and Tom Ford
Prices: From approx. £5,000 for a two-piece suit
32 Old Burlington Street, W1S 3AT, anderson-sheppard.co.uk
Banshee of Savile Row
Ruby Slevin and Rocco Tullio, partners in life as well as work, craft custom-made shirts, waistcoats, jackets, skirts, dresses, trousers and overcoats from their atelier at 13 Savile Row. Their brand, Banshee of Savile Row, was founded in 2019 and became the only tailor on the street to show at London Fashion Week that year. The duo offers complete customisation, from the fabrics (of which there are more than 2,000) to linings, buttons, appliqué and embroidery. Following an initial consultation, which can take place either at the Savile Row branch or in your own home, the team create a preliminary toile to ensure the right fit, before crafting the final design over the course of 10 weeks.
Best known for: One of the exciting new female-led brands spearheading contemporary women’s tailoring
Prices: From approx. £1,680 for a two-piece suit
13 Savile Row, First Floor, W1S 3AT, bansheeofsavilerow.com
Cad & The Dandy
The new kids on the block, comparatively speaking, Cad & The Dandy was founded by two ex-bankers, Ian Meiers and James Sleater, who turned their backs on the City after the ’08 crash. Both had links to the fashion industry – Meiers’ mother tailored clothes for the Queen and Sleater’s family owned a cotton mill. As expected, they cater to a younger clientele and so their suits cut a modern and fairly sleek silhouette. Offering a very competitive price point, some of the manufacturing of their suits is outsourced, although they only use Italian and British cloth.
Best known for: Traditional English handwork blended with a sleek fusion of modern style – slimmer shoulder padding and a more pronounced waist
Notable clients: Freddie Flintoff, Chris Eubank and James May
Prices: From approx. £1,400 for a two-piece suit
7-8 Savile Row, W1S 3NE, cadandthedandy.co.uk
Davies & Son
Davies & Son has the longest history of any independent tailor on Savile Row. Established in 1803, the bespoke tailor has made garments for four Kings, seven Crown Princes, two US presidents and innumerable Knights of the Realm. Currently run by Patrick Murphy (formerly of Huntsman) Graham Lawless (formerly of Dege and Skinner) and Mark Broadfield, the house is chaired by celebrated tailor, Alan Bennett. Davies & Son is now one of only three purely bespoke houses on Savile Row and the only bespoke tailor on the west side of the Row.
Best known for: Traditional British styles, usually flared at the skirt
Notable clients: Confidential but includes many well-known current figures across art and music
Price: From approx £4,950 for a two-piece suit
38 Savile Row, Mayfair, W1S 3QE, daviesandson.com
Thom Sweeney
In 2020, Thom Sweeney, the cool kids of contemporary tailoring, moved from Bruton Place into a four-storey townhouse on Old Burlington Street, parallel to Savile Row. Founded in 2007 by Thom Whiddett (left) and Luke Sweeney (right), who’d met while working at east London tailor Timothy Everest, the brand started making bespoke suits before moving into ready-to-wear in 2013.
On the ground floor of the company’s new premises, you can browse the brand’s ready-to-wear collection, featuring refined tailoring, elegant casualwear, slim-fit shirts and British- and Italian-made knitwear; the floor above is home to Thom Sweeny’s bespoke and made-to-measure services. Challenging the traditions of Savile Row with its contemporary cuts and fixation on fabric, Thom Sweeney has built up a loyal clientele among sartorially-minded A-listers on both sides of the pond.
Best known for: Thom Sweeney’s house cut is a softer, modern interpretation of a classic British silhouette, with marginally wider lapels, slightly less padding and narrower sleeves – less military, less stuffy.
Notable clients: David Gandy, Dermot O’Leary, Michael Fassbender, Harry and Jamie Redknapp, Daniel Craig, Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling
Prices: Made-to-measure and ready-to-wear pieces start from approx £1,500; bespoke two-piece suits from approx £3,500
24c Old Burlington Street, W1S 3RF, thomsweeney.co.uk
The Deck London
The Deck London made history in 2020 when it became the first all-female tailor on Savile Row. A made-to-measure tailoring service founded by women, produced by women and available exclusively to women, The Deck London takes its name from a deck of cards in a nod to the four signature silhouettes — or ‘suits’ — the brand offers: the Single-Breasted, the Double-Breasted, the Boyfriend and the Safari. Each style is available with a choice of straight-leg, wide-leg, flared or cigarette trousers, and more than 7,000 types of material, with the lining, buttons and thread also customisable. The company was founded by Daisy Knatchbull, formerly the communications director at Huntsman.
Best known for: Competitively priced, made-to-measure suits and trousers. When founder Daisy Knatchbull donned a top hat and tails for Royal Ascot in 2016, she became the first woman to do so in the history of the Royal Enclosure.
Notable clients: Elle Macpherson, AJ Odudu and Gillian Anderson
Prices: From approx. £700 for suit trousers and £1,600 for blazers
19 Savile Row, London, W1S 3NE, thedecklondon.com
Gieves & Hawkes
Known for its military roots, Gieves & Hawkes was founded in 1771 and has been located at No.1 Savile Row since 1912. Before her death, the tailor held0 three Royal Warrants, for HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH The Prince of Wales. The brand has enjoyed a commercial revival of sorts over the past 15 years. Jason Basmajian, previously at Brioni, breathed fresh air into No.1 and oversaw a huge refurbishment, sartorially and architecturally. Ready-to-wear and casualwear now form an important part of the business. Traditionalists may scoff at the commercialisation of the brand, but don’t forget that its bespoke service comes with 200 years’ experience. As Davide Taub, head cutter, says ‘why stay still as a craftsman when you can innovate?’
Best known for: Pioneer of ready-to-wear; smart-casual pieces; high armhole; structured roped shoulder, hinting at its military tradition. Under Taub, the house style has been relaxed, though remains a fairly classic British style.
Notable clients: Ian Fleming, Winston Churchill, The Duke of Wellington and Prince William
Prices: From approx. £795 for a ready-to-wear suit; approx. £1,150 for made-to-measure; £5,000 for bespoke
1 Savile Row, W1S 3PB, gievesandhawkes.com
Henry Poole & Co
David Gandy wearing Henry Poole
The granddaddy of them all, but don’t let that intimidate you. You don’t have to be a head of state or an army general; so long as you appreciate fine British tailoring, Henry Poole’s doors are open to all. In fact, more than 70 per cent of its clients are from abroad. One of the oldest tailors on the street, opening its doors in 1846, Henry Poole is often credited as the ‘founder of The Row.’
Pursuing excellence and quality rather than fashionable fads, the house is quietly confident in what it does. Henry Poole’s ethos, both past and present, is that it won’t be dictated by fashion. Adhering to a balance of posture, size of build, and proportion of figuration (the way you stand, shoulder slope, etc.), the key consideration for this tailor is balance in proportion to the stature and figure of the individual. Throughout a client’s bespoke journey, which usually takes up to 12 weeks, there is opportunity to interact with your cutter, coat maker and trouser cutter, all under the gentle guidance of your master tailor. ‘May I ask which way one dresses, Sir?’
Best known for: Inventing the dinner jacket; creating a quintessentially British style suit; an obsession with balance; jacket buttons strategically placed to moderate the torso; trousers cut on the waist – not the hips – giving the impression of long legs; adhering to the naturalness of form. Depending on the build of a client, tailors will structure suits to enhance the figure, and minimise flaws. Tailors frequently travel abroad for consultations.
Notable clients: Winston Churchill, Jean Cocteau, J.P. Morgan, General de Gaulle and David Gandy
Prices: From approx. £2,000 for a ready-to-wear suit; approx. £6,000 for bespoke
15 Savile Row, W1S 3PJ, henrypoole.com
Huntsman
Huntsman’s heritage is as an equestrian tailor, making hunting and riding clothes for European aristocracy. Founded on Bond Street in 1849, and having relocated to Savile Row in 1919, today Huntsman is one of the most forward-looking tailors on the street. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the company launched the online Cloth Library, which, with more than 11,000 textiles, is the most comprehensive collection of cloth in the world. Clients can now browse thousands of clothes online for their bespoke and made-to-measure suits. Huntsman has also featured heavily in Matthew Vaughn’s style-orientated Kingsman franchise.
Best known for: The house’s iconic style, known simply as the ‘Huntsman cut’, is characterised by strong shoulders and a perfectly-poised single button fastening. It’s a timelessly elegant silhouette that lends itself to a comfortable, yet sophisticated look.
Notable clients: Gianni Agnelli, Alexander McQueen, Gregory Peck and David Bowie
Prices: Bespoke suits from approx. £3,500
11 Savile Row, W1S 3PS, huntsmansavilerow.com
J.P. Hackett
Starting his career on Savile Row in the early 1970s, Jeremy Hackett’s eponymous brand has become perhaps one of the greatest success stories of recent times, proudly exporting ‘essential British kit’ to all corners of the earth. Taking over the former home of Hardy Amies (which sadly went into administration in 2019), Hackett has transformed the Georgian townhouse into a chic and sumptuous gentleman’s abode, where customers can commission bespoke and made-to-measure tailoring. If you’re not in the market for a suit, however, it’s well worth browsing Hackett’s Mayfair and London collections and retreating to the delightful club room at the back of their Savile Row premises.
Best known for: The ‘Windsor’ and ‘Duke’ cut. The Duke is more of a classic cut, boasting a firm chest canvas and roped shoulders, while comfort is key for the Windsor, blending lightweight canvassing with a softer shoulder. Jeremy can usually be found wearing the latter – double-breasted, of course.
Notable clients: Sam Claflin, Stephen Fry and Mark Strong
Prices: From approx. £1,900 for made-to-measure suits; bespoke POA
14 Savile Row, Mayfair, London W1S 3JN, hackett.com
Maurice Sedwell
Arriving from Trinidad at the age of 17, Andrew Ramroop OBE came from humble beginnings but always had a passion for making clothes. Having cut his teeth at Huntsman, Ramroop was determined not to remain in the workroom and so undertook a course at the London College of Fashion. Upon finishing he worked for Maurice Sedwell and found himself tailoring most of Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet. He would go on to make suits for Princess Diana and eventually purchased Maurice Sedwell outright. Ramroop founded the Savile Row Academy to help future students learn the art of Savile Row tailoring.
Best known for: Soft-structured tailoring; firmness but not hardness; slightly narrower shoulders and wider sleeves, with delta lapels and delta pocket flaps that mirror the bottom front edges of the jacket; a front pocket that follows the line of the shoulder. Unique design quirks to their pockets, sleeves, buttonholes and lapels.
Notable clients: Brian Lara, Samuel L Jackson and Tony Curtis
Prices: From approx. £5,000 for a bespoke two-piece suit.
9-10 Savile Row, W1S 3PF, mauricesedwell.com
Ozwald Boateng
When Ozwald Boateng OBE exploded onto the scene in the 1990s, he caused quite a stir. The first black man to open his own store on The Row (in 1995), Boateng formed part of the ‘New Bespoke Movement’ of British tailors, including Richard James and Timothy Everest, who at the time were celebrated for reviving The Row’s elitist image. His silhouetted suits began appearing on red carpets from L.A. to Tokyo. Cool Britannia was in full swing, and wearing a crimson Boateng suit delivered the playful braggadocio that said ‘move over chaps, this is what British tailoring looks like now.’
Best known for: Mixing fashion and tailoring; contemporary, modern British style; very slim silhouettes by British standards; streamlined and very slim lapels; bold and inventive use of colours and fabrics; crisp and minimal house style; strong architectural lines; streamlined ties. Recent collections have been strongly inspired by African, particularly Ghanaian, use of colour and fabrics.
Notable clients: Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Giorgio Armani and Richard Branson
Prices: From approx. £5,000 for a bespoke two-piece suit
30 Savile Row, W1S 3PT, ozwaldboateng.co.uk
Richard Anderson
Founders Richard Anderson and Brian Lishak have been employed on The Row for almost all of their working lives. Richard started as a 17-year-old apprentice at Huntsman and served a most traditional apprenticeship under Colin Hammick, one of the greats of tailoring. Brian started at an even more tender age. The unique Richard Anderson house style has its origins in the traditional hacking coat, derived from the 19th century ‘Thornton’ system of cutting. The house style is one of long, clean lines, with the look and fit designed to accentuate and improve the figure. Combining centuries-old tradition and flair that applies to a younger generation, Richard Anderson may be rooted in tradition but pays close attention to the sartorial desires of modern men.
Best known for: The one-button house style features a neat, minimally-padded shoulder with no rope to the sleeve head; arm holes are cut high for ease of movement and to create extra length through the side seam; the chest is continuously hand padded and shaped to create a form-fitting silhouette; the side seams are waisted with a slight flare over the hips with the pockets and vents all kept a little higher than the norm. All points designed to elongate the body.
Notable clients: Ian McKellen, Bryan Ferry and George Michael
Prices: From approx. £5,400 for a bespoke two-piece suit
13 Savile Row, W1S 3PH, richardandersonltd.com
Richard James
‘It won’t last five minutes,” cried the sceptics when Richard James opened its store on Savile Row in 1992. When Vanity Fair published its ‘Cool Britannia’ edition, Richard James was one of its starlets, along with Ozwald Boateng, and since then the brand has gone from strength to strength, opening a store on New York’s Park Avenue. Its approach towards British tailoring has been one of rebellion and cheekiness; a playful attitude not dissimilar to that demonstrated by Paul Smith. Classical British tailoring with a twist, Richard James has made suits for everyone from Lords to art directors.
Best known for: Modern British cut; standard lapels, 7.5-8cm in width; longer jacket; high armhole; emphasis on unique fabrics; contemporary and sleek British style
Notable clients: Elton John, David Beckham, Tom Cruise, Jude Law and George Clooney
Prices: From approx £4,500 for a bespoke two-piece suit; approx £5,400 for a three-piece
29 Savile Row, W1S 2EY, richard-james.com
Scabal
Daniel Craig wearing a jacket made from Scabal fabric at the 2021 premiere of No Time To Die
Unless you’re involved in the tailoring game yourself, you may never have heard of Scabal. That’s because for much of the company’s 83-year history, Scabal, which was established and is still headquartered in Brussels, existed primarily as a textile provider, weaving fabrics from its Huddersfield-based mill and supplying them to some of the biggest names in fashion.
Nowadays, Scabal is something of a unicorn in menswear, in that it is both mill and merchant. In 1973, a year after it secured a shop front on Savile Row, Scabal acquired the historic Bower Roebuck mill, meaning that it could produce its own fabric, which it then sold to practically every tailor along the Row. Since 1989, the company has produced clothes under its own label.
Best known for: Super-fine fabrics, including the rarest worsted cloth on the planet. Scabal’s house cut is defined by a slim fit, soft shoulders, long jacket, slightly wide lapels and higher-than-typical armholes
Notable clients: David Beckham, Tom Hiddleston and Lionel Richie
Prices: From approx. £5,000 for a bespoke two-piece suit
12 Savile Row, W1S 3PQ, scabal.com
Dege & Skinner
Founded in 1865, Dege & Skinner is one of the oldest tailors on The Row. Holding three Royal Warrants of Appointment (the late Queen Elizabeth II, the Sultan of Oman, and the King of Bahrain) the marque makes all of its bespoke suits and shirts on site, in the basement of number 10 Savile Row. Known for dressing members of the Royal family, the Beefeaters of the Tower of London, as well as the Queen’s bodyguards, Dege & Skinner is one of the most diverse tailors on The Row, with expertise in both ceremonial and civilian wear. The tailors were one of the founding members of the Savile Row Bespoke Association. To become a member of the association, a Master Cutter must oversee the work of every tailor employed by a house and all garments must be constructed within a 100-yard radius of Savile Row. Likewise, every member must offer the customer a choice of at least 2,000 cloths and rigorous technical requirements are expected.
Best known for: Traditional, military house style; strong shoulder line; narrow trousers (cavalry cut); slightly flared lower jacket and narrow waist paired with wider-than-average lapel.
Notable clients: Strictly confidential, though they did make Prince Harry’s outfit for his wedding to Meghan Markle
Prices: From approx. £5,000 for a two-piece suit
10 Savile Row, W1S 3PF, dege-skinner.co.uk
Read more: The up-and-coming London tailors to know now
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