Home to the traditional world of tailoring, London’s Savile Row has evolved into a juxtaposition of traditionalist stalwarts and the young designers such as Ozwald Boateng of the new bespoke movement. Cindy-Lou Dale investigates how history and the future come together in the world’s most prestigious neighbourhood of tailors.
Savile Row. The name alone conjures up images of style, tradition and refinement. Since the first tailor moved into Savile Row in 1785, the neighbourhood has been applauded the world over as being the place to go for handmade suits. Rich charcoal greys and distinctive pinstripes, created from the finest fabrics, by the most skilled of craftsmen, for the most discerning gentlemen. It’s the height of punctilious sophistication and formality.
Many of the old Savile Row stalwarts remain on the street today. Credited with designing the original tuxedo, Henry Poole & Co, the godfather of Savile Row, was the first tailor on the street, and is still in business at number 15 today. Then there’s Gieves & Hawkes, whose past clients include Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington. H Huntsman & Sons have reigned supreme for over 160 years, and have been worn by such luminaries as the British Royal Family. They are also the creators of the much copied one button coat, recognised for its perfect proportion, balance and elegant silhouette. Dege & Skinner, with three royal warrants to its name, command great respect for their military uniforms and shirt-making services. Not forgetting Cad & The Dandy with their bold fine-art fabric linings; Chester Barrie who had Winston Churchill on his client list; while Hardy Amies has been providing silk gowns to our monarch for more than 50 years. And that’s mentioning just a few.
Handmade and using skills that the modern world considers archaic, the irony is that Savile Row suits are widely hailed to be the best suits in the world. Its celebrated exclusivity and tradition has been drawing Lords and the occasional Lady to the Row for decades. At the heart of Savile Row is sophistication, a long established reputation, and discretion to the point of denial; this has simultaneously led to the Row’s community becoming an outdated institution, sometimes restricted in style and limited in innovation. Some would even dare to say that it has failed to keep up with modern tastes, lifestyles and technologies. Whether this opinion of the old Savile Row stalwarts is true or not, one thing is for sure: there are some new bespoke boys on the block, and they do things differently.
Savile Row: New Bespoke Movement
The first of the new bespoke movement to move in was Ozwald Boateng – the first black designer to open a store on Savile Row. Born to immigrant parents from Ghana in 1967, Boateng is also the youngest tailor to open a store on the Row. Equipped with the resolve to succeed, he took Savile Row to the catwalks of Paris and has since become globally renowned for merging traditional tailoring techniques with sharp cuts and a very modern use of colour. This has awarded him with an OBE and a client list which includes names like Barack Obama, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Robbie Williams, Daniel Day Lewis and Jamie Foxx. He’s the most talked about couturier on Savile Row. At 6ft 4in and as lean as a race horse, he is a walking advertisement for his clothes. Nobody could look more stylish than Boateng in an immaculately tailored single breasted slim-line, fuchsia pink-lined suit with his trademark acid sharp colours for shirts and ties. Little wonder he’s become an international luxury menswear brand whose designs can add a few inches to a leg, knock inches off a waistline, hide a stomach and even give the illusion of a six-pack.
Whilst studying computing at a London college, Boateng was introduced to cutting and designing clothes by his then girlfriend. Using an old sewing machine, he started designing and selling clothes to his fellow students. At sixteen he sold his first collection to a menswear store in Covent Garden, and by the time he was twenty-three he was well and truly set up for life in the fashion business.
“Until I opened a store here in 1994, Savile Row was dying, it was for old people. Then I took my designs to catwalk shows in Paris, as a Savile Row tailor. This had not been done before and it put the Row back on the design map. If traditions don’t evolve, they die,” said Boateng.
Also part of the new bespoke movement is designer Richard James, who dandified the traditional British menswear look and whose style is characterised by vibrant, eye-popping colours. Then there’s Timothy Everest, who crafts two-button slanted pocket jackets and plain trousers for the likes of Colin Firth and Tom Cruise. Mark Powell, famed for his edgy three-piece suits, can boast George Clooney and Naomi Campbell as two of his patrons. Daniel Craig favours the lean silhouette of Kilgour’s mohair suits lined with polka-dot silk, whilst Mick Jagger and Pete Doherty fancy the recognisable elegance and elongation of Richard James.
Appreciating that the qualities of Savile Row were highly desirable, these men began marketing bespoke to the next generation of customer. In contrast to the secretive Savile Row traditionalists, the newcomers have altered their shop fronts and used marketing and publicity to their advantage.
The icons of Savile Row’s next generation carry a somewhat more energetic vibe. They’re looking beyond breeches and one-buttons, but they’ll not neglect Savile Row’s traditional aspects either. History is history, they say, but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix old with new.
Tips From an Anonymous Savile Row Cutter
- If you’re vertically challenged, avoid trousers with low waists or turn-ups and make sure they don’t puddle around your shoes. Choose solid fabrics. Vertical stripes help if they’re not too far apart. The most flattering shape for a jacket is short and nipped in high at the waist.
- Those of a more slender build should select bulky fabrics and opt for full cut trousers, with turn-ups. Order a double-breasted jacket with a ticket pocket and wear your pockets square. Avoid narrow lapels and narrow stripes.
- If you’re on the heavy side, go for the easy fit, solid two-button, single-breasted suit with your trousers sitting on your natural waistline with forward pleats. Above all, avoid vents in your jacket. A three-piece suit will accentuate your vertical line and your shirts should have long, angular collars – be sure to order the collar large enough to be comfortable as you don’t want anything to look pinched.
