The London Lounge

Has anyone tried Russell and Hodge. I walked past there the other day and saw the sewing machines at the back of the shop. I was very tempted to give them a try.

Give them, in fact it's 'him' - Kerry Ford - a try. He's a good chap and knows what he 's doing and he let's you order in 'singles'. You need to be aware that the shirt industry has its peaks and troughs and this can affect leadtimes. I would suggest if you are trying him out to use a cloth he is holding in stock rather than order a length in, especially if it's SIC Tess what with this being August and all. He can offer MTM and bespoke.

I am in the process of having made a shirt by him. Kerry Ford is very forthcoming, always attentive and helpful, listening to the details that I pointed him to.
I walked into the shop asking him if he could make just one bespoke shirt and he agreed immediately at a very moderate price (GBP 140). The first sample shirt was shipped to Germany at cost and I had several remarks concerning the fitting and the cut (especially the collar). When I returned (he actually encouraged any remarks and improvements), he listened patiently to all my comments, making notes in the order book. The cloth selection and quality (including british mills) is superb, the stitching somehow lacks the superior quality of the past.
I am very excited to see if they do include all the alterations (I opted for a high Edwardian collar with rounded edges) and will post an update as soon as I receive the altered (second) shirt.