But to the person concerned with detail, it should be noted that in that meeting, there was indeed a connection with the London street synonymous with sartorial elegance. For Dr. Livingstone was wearing a hat made by Gieves, and Stanley a hat by Hawkes. The occupant of No.1 Savile Row is, of course, Gieves & Hawkes who combined their 18th century pedigrees in 1974. Hawkes in fact designed the original Sola topee, affectionately known as the Bombay bowler.
This fascinating tale was relayed to me in the atmospheric archive room of Gieves & Hawkes by Deputy Chairman, Mark Henderson. He explained that it was the wish of the late Robert Gieve to create the archive, which is a treasure trove of history. The collection is made all the more intriguing by being tucked away above the shop floor in an upstairs room to which favored customers are taken. The deeds to No. 1 Savile Row dating from 1735, written on goat’s parchment in meticulous italic scrip, are on display.
It’s also interesting to note that the great explorer, Robert Falcon Scott, who 100 years ago led his ill-fated expedition to the South Pole, was dressed by Gieves.
Henderson is chairman of the Savile Row Bespoke Association, formed in 2004 to ensure that tradition and high standards are guarded against those who attempt to cash in on the cache of bespoke without having any regard or respect for what bespoke entails. Bespoke is clothing made on the premises of the tailoring houses of Savile Row. It entails a gentlemthe gilded world of Savile row bespokean entering his preferred house and embarking on a highly personal fashion journey under the guidance of trusted, experienced and discreet staff.
He will be ushered into a comfortable room in the style of a gentleman’s study, with slightly worn leather armchairs, sporting prints and an altogether masculine aura to set him at ease. He will have the time to confer with staff who understand his lifestyle and what he needs for his wardrobe.
It could be full Morning Dress as worn at the Royal Ascot races, a Dinner Suit for a Black Tie occasion, a shooting jacket for a weekend in the country, a business suit or sports jacket. Whatever the occasion, he can take advice on how to assemble a wardrobe perfectly suited to the occasion.
He will mull over a huge collection of quality cloths and take advice on the cut that will best flatter his figure and conceal any bumps or lumps brought on by over-indulgence or lack of exercise. There will be time to engage in a little light conversation and absolutely none of the commotion, crush or stress involved in visiting a high street store.
Needless to say, this kind of service doesn’t come cheap. Engaging a master tailor to make your clothes requires deep pockets. Prices range from about £2,000 for a two piece suit up to £10,000 for the most expensive fabrics, which might incorporate gold and platinum. However, for the typical English gentleman look, classic, under-stated style is preferred over the more flamboyant fabrics.
There is a snobbery among those who guard the pedigree of Savile Row, a certain look of pained endurance when speaking of customers who sully the refined atmosphere with flippant orders such as: “Give me your most expensive cloth and make sure to stick a visible label on it.” What these upstarts fail to understand is that the bespoke label is NEVER on display. That would be VULGAR and akin to a footballer’s wife travelling with a whole, brand new set of Louis Vuitton luggage.
But, let’s be honest. Who is going to turn away anyone flashing the cash?
Fortunately, there seems to be a consensus that customers from the Middle East generally have refined, classic taste and a real understanding of what bespoke represents. The only criticisms made by some of the houses is that — how can we put this delicately? There is a cavalier attitude toward time-keeping.
There are Savile Row master tailors traumatized to this day by the experience of sitting mutely in the entrance halls of grand Gulf mansions for up to six hours for “no-show” customers. This indignity, piled on top of jet lag, clearly still rankles and has led some to avoid making the journey to the Middle East — all expenses paid or not.
What usually happens for Middle Eastern customers is that they will drop by their tailor at the onset of the summer “exodus” for their fittings and collect the finished garments as they pass through London at the end of their European summer vacation. Some customers prefer their tailor to visit them in their hotels for fittings, and this is done as a matter of routine.
Simon Cundey, director of Henry Poole (established 1806), can trace his company’s relationship with the Middle East over two centuries. The Khadive of Egypt and many of his high ranking generals were customers. Today, the bonds with the region are still strong, with members of many of the region’s royal families being valued customers.
Patrick Grant, Director of Norton & Sons, said: “For us, the Middle East market is incredibly important. It’s not a new money market — it’s an established luxury market. They understand the difference between genuine luxury products and disposable, branded mass luxury stuff that gets peddled everywhere.”
He added: “What we sell to our customers from the Gulf are almost invariably classically cut English suits in a wide variety of fabrics. We sell beautiful lightweight linen/silk blend summer suiting and winter weight suiting in classic English worsteds and everything in between.”
One thing is for certain, bespoke is much sought after by the moneyed classes around the world. Fine tailoring is so much in demand that the Savile Row Bespoke Association has put 200 apprentices through its preparatory course, is currently training 30, and has graduated 20. Graduates attend an annual ceremony in the grand setting of the 14th Century Merchant Taylor’s Hall in the heart of the City of London.
Henderson observed that there is “a growing interest from the younger generation in bespoke tailoring,” which is a good thing as just 30 years ago, he said “there was an opinion that bespoke tailoring was probably not going to survive and that factory made garments were the norm.”
Today, there is a huge appetite for hand-crafted products and that bodes well for Savile Row. Any man clad in bespoke can be quite certain that he will never fall into the trap of wearing an ill-fitting suit. As Henderson said, “I can tell immediately if a suit hasn’t been made or fitted properly. The most tell-tale sign is the ridge on the back of the shoulder.” Ouch!
