Sign up to the Esquire Shops newsletter. Each week, we'll be directing you towards some of the best menswear deals happening right now, alongside style advice, trend reports, grooming tips and product recommendations from the most tasteful people we know
Savile Row is changing. Situated in the heart of Mayfair, the world’s most famous bespoke street has influenced the way men dress for more than 200 years. Now, in the 21st century, ‘The Row’ (not to be confused with the Olsen twins’ luxury venture of the same name) is adapting to modern tastes – without compromising on its English heritage and artisanal spirit. From traditional military-inspired cuts, to something slicker, Savile Row is more than the sum of its stuffier parts; and along with the beloved great houses (which are nowhere near as intimidating as they’re perceived to be) the street is flourishing under another generation of tailors and ready-to-wear designers.
The Savile Row of your imagination? It’s still there. It’s still magic. Except today, there is a service to match most budgets, with ready-to-wear now as common as bespoke and made-to-measure offerings. With all this choice, it can be quite tricky to know where to begin. So, join us on a journey down Savile Row, as we get into the basics of each establishment (whether tailor or retail), helping you find what suits your tastes best.
ANDERSON AND SHEPPARD
32 Old Burlington St, W1S 3AT; anderson-sheppard.co.uk
Looking through the window is like looking at a tiny stage play. So welcoming is Anderson and Sheppard’s shop, it will dispel any fears you have about stepping inside. Since 1906, it's been at the front of innovation, specialising in the ‘English drape cut’: a softer and more relaxed fit than the military-inspired styles on offer nearby. Fred Astaire was a fan, noting how it stayed flush against his neck when dancing. Works just as well for non-tap dancing folks, too.
Expect: A traditional English cut and impeccable quality.
Prices: From around £6,400 for a bespoke two-piece suit.
OZWALD BOATENG
30 Savile Row, W1S 3PT; ozwaldboateng.co.uk
Since the Nineties, Ozwald Boateng has been a go-to for city and media types that want a suit their grandparents didn’t own. This is one of the less conventional sites on the street, with vibrant embroidered suits – some in orange and purple – displayed wall-to-wall. Boateng’s Savile Row store (like his suiting) is about making a statement, a little like Ozwald himself, who made history as the first tailor from Savile Row to present a collection at Paris Fashion Week.
Expect: Colour, even if only in a contrast jacket lining.
Prices: From £3,500 for a made-to-measure bespoke suit
DEGE & SKINNER
10 Savile Row, W1S 3PF; dege-skinner.co.uk
Times haven’t always been easy on Savile Row. But through it all, Dege & Skinner has remained a family-run business, in continued operation since 1865. No fancy branding, no fashion trends; just Savile Row as it always was (and many believe, should remain). This is a proper tailor, a thread back the days when much of the area’s clientele were military, politicians, or Royals (Prince Harry – a veteran himself – owns a few items from Dege & Skinner).
Expect: Traditional cuts, traditional service and traditional clientele (Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in a Dege & Skinner uniform).
Prices: From £5,600 for a bespoke two-piece suit.
JP HACKETT
14 Savile Row, W1S 3JN; hackett.com
It’s worth making the distinction now: Jeremy Hackett’s Savile Row service is unique to his hugely successful brand. With initials proudly on the mast, JP Hackett opened in 2019, bringing Jeremy back to one of his first loves: bespoke tailoring. The style is English, a dash eccentric and amongst the easiest to pull off. The house offers three made-to-measure cuts: the Windsor (a modern, lightly structured jacket); a classic English cut (more traditional); and Jeremy’s house cut – all to your specifications, over tea (or something a little stronger from the clubroom’s cocktail bar).
Expect: A very on-brand townhouse, which is almost as enjoyable as the suits themselves.
Prices: From £1,900 for made-to-measure; bespoke tailoring POA.
RICHARD JAMES
Bespoke and made-to-measure on 19 Clifford Street. Ready-to-wear on 29 Savile Row, W1S 2EY; richard-james.com
One of the first stores on Savile Row to bring the classic silhouette into the modern era. Before setting off on his own in 1992, James made it clear that this would be something fresh and exciting. Rules were broken, silhouettes slimmed down, sneakers approved, and a new chapter in Savile Row began, influencing the direction many houses have followed ever since.
Expect: Classic British tailoring, but every suit has the option for a Richard James twist, be it an unexpected fabric or flash of colour.
Prices: Made-to-measure from £1,300; bespoke two-piece suits from £4,500.
GIEVES & HAWKES
1 Savile Row, W1S 3JR; gievesandhawkes.com
And so, to No 1 Savile Row. Established in 1771, and opening on the street in 1794, Gieves & Hawkes’s house style, with its high armhole and structured roped shoulder, is a classic, reflecting the house's continued work as suppliers to the British Navy and the Royal Family. Past clients have included Sir Winston Churchill, Ian Fleming, and Prince Charles. But that doesn’t mean Gieves is stuck in the past. The house cut looks as modern as ever, without diluting its prestige as a sacred site of British tailoring.
Expect: A temple to British dignity and craft and the emobodiment of Savile Row’s history and future
Prices: Made-to-measure from £1,150; bespoke two-piece suits from £5,000.
MAURICE SEDWELL
19 Savile Row, W1S 3PP
Fancy learning the craft? For many tailors, that journey begins at Maurice Sedwell’s The Savile Row Academy, situated beside the workshop itself. Maurice arrived on the Row in 1963, after a stint on Fleet Street. Today though, most of the staff train under Sedwell’s talented understudy Andrew Ramroop OBE, a respected name and the company’s current creative master tailor.
DRAKE'S
9 Savile Row, W1S 3PF; drakes.com
A very recent, highly anticipated opening. Since Michael Hill took over as creative director at Drake’s, the London luxury tie and handkerchief maker has evolved into a fully-fledged clothing emporium, supplying high quality garments and its signature Ivy League style tailoring (with a dash of English elegance).
What to expect: All your preppy essentials, from rowing blazers to knitted ties.
Prices: Off-the-rack tailoring from around £700.
DAVIES & SON
38 Savile Row, W1S 3QE
With a proud history that goes back to 1803, Davies & Son occupy a rare space: being one of the only true bespoke tailors on the street’s west end. This is a no-nonsense, professional service, with suits cut to the specific order of each client and a journey that begins with selecting cloth, suit-style, and your own personal features. It’s an experience you'll share with some of the world's most powerful men: four kings, seven crown princes, eighteen Knights of the Realm, two US presidents, and the likes of Sir Robert Peel have made Davies and Son their choice when looking for a suit.
What to expect: A service – and suit – that is as personal and classy as it is comfortable .
Prices: From around £5,000 for a bespoke two-piece suit.
HENRY POOLE & CO
15 Savile Row, W1S 3PJ
Hallowed ground as far as Savile Row is concerned. Henry Poole opened its doors as far back as 1806, and has been credited with such innovations as the Tuxedo. Its favoured cut, The Mayfair, sits somewhere between the formality of Huntsman and drape of Anderson &Sheppard, with a high-armhole and flattering pinched-in waist. With the highest-quality fabrics and a team of supremely experienced and friendly staff, Henry Poole & Co is not only one of the best tailoring experiences on Savile Row, but surely one of the best in the world.
What to expect: A strong but flattering cut that lengthens the legs, slims the torso and broadens the shoulders.
Prices: From around £5,200 for a bespoke two-piece suit.
NORTON & SONS
16 Savile Row, W1S 3PL; nortonandsons.co.uk
One of the longest established tailoring houses on Savile Row (200 years in 2021), Norton & Sons was also among the earliest to encourage a more unique clientele. Aside from lords and politicians, explorers bound for the East and Africa shopped here, thanks to its expertise in lightweight clothing. That forward-thinking spirit remains, with a specialism in softer constructed garments that places it at the modern end of the more traditional houses.
What to expect: British, British, British, from cloths to cuts to clientele.
Prices: Prices for a ready-to-wear suit starts from £1800 and bespoke from £5,500
HUNTSMAN
11 Savile Row, W1S 3PS; huntsmansavilerow.com
At every cultural crossroads, there is a man wearing a Huntsman suit. From the Twenties and the Sixties to today (its shopfront was used in the recent Kingsman movies), Huntsman has managed to attract both rebels and royals of any age, and in equal measure. Since moving to Savile Row in 1819, the house cut has become one of the most coveted in the world: including a padded shoulder; high armhole; and one-button jacket.
What to expect: One of the more structured and traditional fits in the area, with a strong riding heritage (hence its unrivalled range of tweed).
Prices: From £6,500 for a bespoke two-piece suit.
CHITTLEBOROUGH AND MORGAN
12 Savile Row, W1S 3PQ; chittleboroughandmorgan.co.uk
If you are seeking out a distinctive style, look no further than Chittleborough and Morgan. The modern iteration of the house bears the closest resemblance to the famous Tommy Nutter shape, which was developed by Nutter’s one-time-head-cutter, and Savile Row icon, Edward Sexton, in the Sixties. Nutter veterans Joe Morgan and Roy Chittleborough continued the legacy when they opened up their own house in 1989. This is a powerful look, with a heavy shoulder, wide, curved lapels, and a longer jacket. It was become the suit of choice for British rock stars, seen on the likes of The Beatles (the Abbey Road cover) and Mick Jagger (for his wedding with Bianca), and retains that swinging, Sixties cool today.
What to expect: A lot of presence. This is a suit for frontmen, not wallflowers.
Prices: Bespoke only; POA.
RICHARD ANDERSON
13 Savile Row, W1S 3PH; richardandersonltd.com
Richard Anderson rose to the rank of head cutter at Huntsman before setting off to start his own house in 2001. Like most new openings, he sought to create a modern environment. Unlike most new openings, he carried over the uncompromising brilliance of the ‘great houses’, making his suits amongst the most expensive and well-crafted in the street. Each tailor specialises in one individual part of your suit, meaning that complete focus is given to each element.
What to expect: Uncompromising quality, and prices to match.
Prices: From £5,400 for a bespoke two-piece suit.
SCABAL
12 Savile Row, W1S 3PQ; scabal.com
At its heart, Scabal is a master of cloth, supplying fabrics to tailors on both Savile Row and internationally since 1938, from materials woven at its own Yorkshire mill. It makes sense then that there’s bespoke, made-to-measure, and ready-to-wear tailoring service on offer as Scabal shares its knowledge and experience.
What to expect: Something unique or special, especially if you're looking for an unexpected fabric.
Prices: POA.
CAD & THE DANDY
13 Savile Row, First Floor, W1S 3NE; cadandthedandy.co.uk
Perhaps one of the most modern houses on the street, Cad has steered Savile Row in new and exciting directions. Standards here are incredibly high, immovable on the idea that garments be made by hand in the traditional way. The house was established by ex-bankers Ian Meiers and James Sleater, who wanted a space where they could create the kind of suits they were looking for: softer and more natural at the shoulders and with a stronger waist, for a sleeker look.
What to expect: An experience unrestricted by some of the traditions of the older tailors, at a more-than-fair price.
Prices: From £1,400 for a bespoke two-piece suit, ready-to-wear from £1,100
WELSH AND JEFFERIES
20 Savile Row, W1S 3PR; welshandjefferies.co
Starting out in 1917 as a military-uniform tailor in Eton, Welsh and Jeffries eventually moved to Savile Row and established themselves as official dressmakers to the Prince of Wales (who also gave it its first Royal Warrant). That’s a big deal, and it was upheld over time by the house’s dedication to tradition and craft. Today, they are led by head cutter James Cottrell and director (and Savile Row master cutter) Yingmei Quan.
What to expect: Traditional suits with a regimental inflection – think strong shoulders and a long jacket.
Prices: POA.
HIDALGO BROTHERS
2nd Floor, 13 Savile Row, W1S 3PH; hidalgobrothers.com
In the brothers’ native Ecuador, the Hidalgo name has long been associated with fine tailoring – a tradition passed down to them from their uncle. But London called, and Marco arrived in Savile Row at 24 to learn under the great masters. Before long, he was joined by his brother Ramon, establishing Hidalgo Brothers in 2007.
What to expect: High-quality bespoke suits with a fun but masculine flavour.
Prices: POA.
ALEXANDRA WOOD
By appointment only: 020 3369 8969; alexandrawoodbespoke.co.uk
Looking for a bespoke suit made exactly the way you want it? Since 2007, that has been Alexandra Wood’s mission: to find out what the customer wants, and build upon it. The store is favoured by tailoring first-timers, who note the expertise and friendliness of the staff. While respectful of Savile Row, Alexandra Wood prides itself on its open-mindedness. Your sense of shame and guilt for wanting a bright pink suit? You can leave it at the door.
What to expect: Whatever you want, with no judgment.
Prices: From £3,750 for a bespoke two-piece suit.
JASPER LITTMAN
By appointment only: 0845 612 1220; jasperlittman.com
Customers are fiercely loyal to Jasper Littman’s bespoke tailoring service, which was established back in 2002. Elegance is the order of the day, here, and while there’s an offer of a visiting service, Littman is a champion of the traditions and luxury that made Savile Row the most famous tailoring street on Earth.
What to expect: Elegance, tradition and craftmanship.
Prices: From £4,300 for a bespoke two-piece suit, or £849 for semi-bespoke.
Thom Sweeney
24c Old Burlington Street, thomsweeney.com
Running parallel to Savile Row, Old Burlington Street doesn’t have the renown of the storied thoroughfare next door, but it’s still home to one of the best tailoring houses in London. Founded in the mid-2000s by Luke Sweeney and Thom Widdet, Thom Sweeney may be one of the youngest names in the game, but it’s still one of slickest, most reliably stylish shops in the city.
Row-trained tailors Sweeney and Widdet met working at Timothy Everest – another off-Savile heavyweight – and opened their first store in Mayfair’s Weighhouse Street in 2009. Its windows conveyed a traditional English silhouette with a soft, Italian structure (otherwise known as the perfect combination) and it’s this louche-but-livable vibe that has seen the brand go from strength to strength. The members bar at the top of the store is also one of the best kept secrets in W1, too.
Expect: Impeccable fabrics, sleek tailoring and unbeatable smart-casual ready-to-wear.
Prices: Bespoke & Made-To-Measure, price on request / Ready-To-Wear blazer, c. £1700
Casely-Hayford
3 Chiltern Street, casely-hayford.com
We can all but hope to be as stylish as Charlie Casely-Hayford. The second generation of a tailoring dynasty, he grew up under the tutelage of his father, Joe – an iconic British designer and the former creative director of Gieves & Hawkes – but has established the eponymous brand as something wholly contemporary. Its Chiltern Street location, for a start, is unorthodox for a tailoring house, but somewhat paved the way for the area, and now the leafy boulevard is one of the city’s best menswear destinations.
The Casely-Hayford style is one of sweeping elegance, best illustrated by the lapels, which always seem to roll and swoop from shoulder to hi, especially on dinner jackets. And if you’re a fan of unfussy-but-sleek double-breasted tailoring, there really are few better names to trust. The silhouette, roughly speaking, features a slightly boxy cut to jackets, with a hint of extra volume in the thigh of the trousers and a gentle taper at the hem. As comfortable as it is flattering.
Expect: Some of the best evening-wear on the market, and subtly cool takes on classic business suiting.
Prices: Bespoke & Made-To-Measure, price on request / Ready-To-Wear Suit, c. £1000
