The History of Savile Row
Prince Charles and Winston Churchill. Jude Law and Muhammad Ali. Ian Fleming and Daniel Craig. The common thread among this eclectic list of gentleman is the one holding together their bespoke shirts from London's famous Savile Row.
Built in the 1730s, Savile Row is named for Lady Dorothy Savile, wife of the 3rd Earl of Burlington. The majority of the architecture on the street is the work of Henry Flitcroft, although several architects have had their hands in designing the 19th century houses that line the street. Originally, the homes were occupied mostly by military officers and their wives. By 1803, however, some of the custom tailors that occupied streets around Burlington Estate were beginning to gain popularity and began moving to the residences on Savile Row.
In 1846, Henry Poole opened a second entrance to his father's tailoring shop on Savile Row, however there a few custom tailors occupying the street prior. Henry Poole and Company originally made military uniforms, but the company is credited with the creation of the Tuxedo. This is still a family run business today.
Other occupants on Savile Row include the Hardy Armies fashion House. Although no longer owned by Hardy Armies, who retired in 2001, Hardy Armies was the official dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II. Armies was knighted by Queen Elizabeth, and his fashion creations were used in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Holding a number of Royal Warrants, Gieves and Hawkes dates back to the 18th century, having been merged from separate tailoring houses Gieves and Hawkes. Considered one of the original bespoke tailoring houses, they now offer ready to wear options as well as military styles, and they have several outlets throughout the world.
Nutters of Savile Row is a relatively new entry to the group of bespoke tailors at the Savile Row location, opening in 1969. Nutters went a long way in modernizing the concept of the Savile Row tailors by featuring open windows with elaborate displays. The customers of Savile Row have included Mick Jagger and the Beatles as well as Lord Montagu and the Duke of Bedford.
The most recent entry to Savile Row is Ozwald Boateng, a Ghana born designer who began making bespoke suits in 1990. Boateng is the first tailor to have a runway show in Paris, and the fashion forward Boateng has appeared on a reality television show as he made attempts to bring his couture custom clothing to the United States. His famous clientele include Samuel L. Jackson, Russell Crowe and Will Smith.
There are just 19 tailors remaining on Savile Row, and the cost prohibitive real estate may force more of them out of the area. In 2005, the Savile Row Bespoke Association was formed, and efforts are underway to help maintain the reputation and integrity of Savile Row.
About the Author
Paul Beckett is a retailer that specialises in bespoke men's shirts from his base in Bath, England. Find out more about tailoring at: http://www.kjbeckettbespokeshirts.com
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