Savile Row Tailors
Savile Row is best known for its plethora of high-end men’s tailors, many of which have been tailoring suits for over a century. These craftsmen are renowned for their bespoke handmade suits that are designed to flatter the wearer’s figure perfectly.
Savile Row London
Possibly London’s best-dressed street, Savile Row, is famous for shopping and as the epicentre of British tailoring and craftsmanship. The city’s finest outfitters were some of the first businesses to arrive on the street in 1805 to dress the nobility and high-ranking military who lived there.
Like most of Mayfair, the street was developed from the land of stately homes surrounding St James’ Palace in the 18th century. Donated by the Earl of Burlington, he named the street after his wife, Lady Dorothy Savile.
Henry Poole, the inventor of the tuxedo, is considered one of the benchmark traders who helped attract other similar names, and they remain one of the most famous tailors on the row to this day. Other notable names with a heritage on the prestigious street include Gieves & Hawkes (established initially as Hawkes & Co in 1912), and Nutters, one of the more modern, edgier tailors that began to appear from the 1970s onwards.
Though the fast-changing landscape of menswear has meant difficult times for traditional tailors, the Savile Row Bespoke Association has supported these local institutions since 2004 and has seen a rise in business in recent years. The association overseas issues such as the definition of ‘bespoke’ and that those declaring themselves as ‘Savile Row tailors’ must operate their business within a 100-yard radius of the street.
As well as attracting suave-suited gentlemen, you may also find Beatles fans gathering to witness the spot of their final-ever public performance. In 1968, The Beatles bought 3 Savile Row and made it the headquarters of their Apple Corps business, including the Apple Studio and famously played their final show on its rooftop.