The London Lounge

Gentlemen,

As a new addition to this collective I'm in need of some suggestions of where to procure some bespoke shirts while in London. I will be in London by this weekend and having done my research I find that the price of some of the better known shirtmakers, while still within my means, seems shall we say lofty. My aprehension to splurge is only due to my attempt to acquire a few other choice sartorial items which have been on my list for quite some time (Covert Coat and a Coke hat to name a few) and restricting their purchase would definately be a sapping the life out of the party. So, in order to maximize my sartorial dollar I would like to hear about some of the lesser-known shirtmakers in London who produce a great product at a fair price. Now, if the overall sentiment is that I should save my pennies and wait for a second go round, then I'll do so. However, having only MTM shirts made here in the states, I'd thought the experience of a bespoke shirtmaker would be a highlight of my holiday. I suspect I'm correct in this assumption, but, I'll let everyone weigh in first. I find that the shirtmakers on this side of the pond have fabric choices that are rather limited to what they'd expect we Yanks all buy. I'm quite the peacock, adoring color and pattern, and being in the Information Technology field only makes me stand out even more among the khaki-clad polo shirt set.

With this tiny insight into my persona and the aforementioned constraints, I expect that my choices will be limited.

Thank you all, in advance, for your time and suggestions.

Warm regards,

Carlos

Sean O'Flynn in Sackville Street would be my choice. He makes for Huntsman and New & Lingwood. If you don't mind abrupt service, Budd in the Piccadilly Arcade offers good shirts at a competitive price.

Going "bespoke" is never going to be cheap, and whilst one would expect a shirt to cost less than a suit, you have need to consider that most shirtmaker's specifiy a minimum order quantity (at least to start).

I would also take your location into account. Like suits, shirts can take several fittings to attain the perfect fit. I would therefore suggest narrowing your choice of shirtmaker to those that travel to the US.

As a sidenote; during a recent trip to the US (I also work in IT), I was "advised" against wearing suits as I might stand out too much. As I was outnumbered by thirty to one, I elected to toe-the-line.

Regards

JackRabbit

Connock & Lockie on Lambs Conduit St charge £145 for a bespoke shirt and don't have a minimum order. I can recommend them highly although they can be slow.

Graham Browne off Bow Lane in the City of London has recently started offering Rayner & Sturges shirts for quite a low price (perhaps £120?) but I haven't tried them.