A stitch in time

FROM CIRCLES as diverse as military, politics and art, Savile Row has historically drawn discerning customers in search of the very best in tailoring and service.

It really became a bespoketailoring hub in 1806, but the area surrounding this famous address already had a long association with the craft, dating back to the 17th century. Robert Baker, maker of the ‘piccadill’ collar, did much to advance the locale’s tailoring reputation. This was then enhanced when a merchant tailor by the name of William Maddox purchased 35 acres of land in East Mayfair in 1622, which included Savile Row.

The estate passed through several generations, and was eventually

Historic beginnings for Savile Row – today the byword for exquisite tailoring and style handed to the Reverend George Pollen in 1764. The Pollen Estate still owns 38 buildings in East Mayfair, and remains the majority landlord on Savile Row.

From 1790 many of the tailors moved to Cork Street, encouraged by what could be the prototype for today’s ‘influencer’ movement – Beau Brummell, a close friend of King George IV. He was a well known taste-maker of the period, and did much to publicise the tailors’ talents. Eventually the artisans moved to Savile Row, enticed by the locals’ a uence.

A key turning point would be Edward VII’s patronage of Henry Poole & Co. The company – and the Row itself – would shoot to prominence after inventing the dinner jacket for the Royal name in 1860. Now-famous brands such as Gieves & Hawkes, H Huntsman & Sons, Dege & Skinner, Norton & Sons and Davies & Son also began their long-lasting association with Savile Row during this era.

ABOVE Savile Row style, from Edward VII and the Duke of Windsor to the height of modern-day bespoke fashion.

Fast forward to the beginning of the 20th century, and the street was still sitting at the sharp end of fashion, helped by the arrival of Frederick Scholte’s English Drape for the Duke of Windsor. This Dress Soft style would evolve into the London Cut, featuring a high, small armhole with a generous upper sleeve for exquisite comfort, yet still with a close neck; it would eventually become the house style for tailor Anderson & Sheppard. New names would flow into the Row in the 20th century, with a raft of mergers and acquisitions. Sir Hardy Amies and Nutter’s of Savile Row would further energise the area’s reputation, encouraging a new audience to seek out the street’s wares, as well as modernising industry practices. This was a period of great expansion, with many tailors o ering ready-to-wear items and taking the Savile Row brand across the world with boutiques in major cities around the globe.

The 1990s saw the Row’s image reinvigorated thanks to the forwardthinking approach to tailoring by the New Bespoke Movement, led by the likes of Ozwald Boateng, Timothy

Everest and Richard James. With London being declared the centre of everything cool, Savile Row was once again back at the forefront of UK style.

The street has continued that fine tradition in more recent years, with the likes of Richard Anderson, Cad & The Dandy and others bringing a fresh take on the art of tailoring. One good example of the street’s ongoing strive for innovation is the addition of the female-founded bespoke tailor The Deck, which caters exclusively for women.

In an ever-changing world, Savile Row continues to be at the forefront of style, paying due respect to its world-renowned heritage but blending this with an innovative take on the future of tailoring.