help picking a savile row tailor

[aama19147]

Gents,

I don't want to start any trouble (!), but I'd like some advice and personal experiences with certain Savile Row tailors. I have been slowly moving up the men's fashion food chain and after peaking with off-the-rack Ralph Lauren Purple Label, it is time to get my first custom suits and I'd like to get them on Savile Row. Not only do I look good in English styles, but I prefer them.

The following were all highly recommended to me by a trusted source, in his order of preference:

Anderson and Shephard
Henry Poole
Dege and Skinner

They all have USA visits and work on similar timelines. Their prices seem about the same (1400 jacket, 2000 suit, 3000 tux, depending on fabric). All were polite and accomodating via telephone.

If is is any help, I have a small waist for my chest / hip measurements, am former military and like clothes to fit closely but comfortably. I really dislike the famous Brooks Brothers 'sack suit', and tend to not fit Italian and French styles and cuts for 'V' shaped men with broad shoulders.

Thanks in advance for any advice in this matter.

Alex

[manton]

Dege is popular with military officers and makes the kind of cut that it sounds like you want.

[Concordia]

Dege is certainly worth a look, and I suspect that Poole's is not so far off in terms of style. Poole's service is well-regarded.

A&S will either be perfect for you or very frustrating-- or both. Their jackets are much softer than Dege's, and will either fit you like a second skin or crumple up on you. I personally love their DB cut, which feels like a good cashmere V-neck sweater, but will probably never get another single-breasted there. The people who look best in their single-breasted jackets tend to be rail-thin. By contrast, although I have fairly broad shoulders, my chest and waist measurements are pretty close to each other. To get a notion of what they can do, nearly all of Prince Charles' daytime suits came from there.

[TVD]

Dear Alex

Do I understand that you will need your tailor to visit New York? Or can you fly to London every couple of months to achieve progress? Very important, because it will not only dictate the SR house that is practical for you, but also the cutter (namely whoever does the US trips).

Physical London presence gives you much more choice. If you are able to come every so often, spend a morning visiting them and talking to the individual cutters. Chose whoever you get on best. Test that your tastes and ideas are similar (for example when chosing cloth).

There are good tailors other than those mentioned.

I am a Poole man, and my experience of A&S and Dege is very limited. Poole will do a style somewhere in between, actually quite soft but structured. They can do the military stiff style if asked. They are extremely good for morning coats and tails.

Should you be tied to New York, also have a look at the local tailors there. I am sure some local members can be helpful to point you in the right direction.

Good luck, and please report progress.

Thomas

[encooper]

Alex:

I am a Dege & Skinner customer in the Philadelphia/Wilmington area. I just ordered my second suit in October after being very happy with the first. I would highly recommend them. The customer service is also very good and they are a pleasure to deal with.

I don't have any experience with the other firms that you mentioned, but from what I have read, I would agree with manton that Dege is your best bet because it is known for a military silhouette and if you are looking for this you should stick with someplace where this is the house style. Like you, I am former military. I got out over 10 years ago and although my waist has expanded a little bit since then, my Dege suit has nice waist suppression.

Their next trip U.S. trip is tentatively scheduled for late March and they usually have visits in mid-June and early October. William Skinner should be able to give you more information. I would also encourage you to visit the Savile Row location if you get a chance.

Let me know if you have any questions.

--Sean

[aama19147]

Gents,

Thanks for your thoughts. It seems that I should reconsider A&S as my first choice, and perhaps put Dege and Skinner at the top of the list.

My situation RE: travel / location is that I am visiting London in February and reside in Philadelphia. I take occasional trips to UK but not often enough to work closely on several measurements with a tailor. Therefore it would be most convenient for me to have follow up measurements in NY and other Eastern US locations. All three seem to be available on those terms.

Point well taken on the 'house style'. I prefer the crisp military cut and my favorite style is a 3-button single breasted, which seems to suit my frame well (no pun intended). I don't like the relaxed look which reminds me of the B&B sack as well as the 'new california casual' look that I detest. As a military type, I associate authority with crisp tailoring - just can't help it. While Bill Gates may be the richest man around, his style says 'I am a house accountant for Wal-Mart' to me. My build is slender, but I have sloped shoulders as well as the small waist, and the net effect is that off-the-rack usually gives me the appearance of a deflated stockbroker. It sounds like perhaps the A&S look will be too crumpled for me, but I am open to any further input from the membership here.

Meanwhile, I thank you all for your excellent advice - Sean, if you would be so kind as to PM me, perhaps we can have a chat. It sounds like we are in the same boat geographically and sartorially.

Cheers,
Alex

[cufflink44]

Prior to discovering LL, I knew only two names on Savile Row--A&S and Huntsman. As my education progresses, one thing I seem to notice is that Huntsman isn't mentioned very much. Is that perception correct, and if so, does it mean they've lost their lustre? I gather from the previous posts that Dege is generally preferred over Huntsman for the more contructed, military-silhouette style of tailoring.

Thanks in advance, gentlemen, for any clarification you can offer.

[TVD]

I have no personal experience with Huntsman.

For many years they prided themselves on being the most expensive in Savile Row and doing all of their tailoring in house. They were very much the plutocrat's choice. I recall the late Malcolm Forbes was a client. They were famous for the single breasted one button style and stiff military construction. I have never heard anybody complain about their skill, just the price.

In the mid nineties, Terry Haste, who ran the bespoke department at Hackett, took over their cutting, at least that is what I remember from the press. There was a Nick Foulkes article on it somewhere in the FT years ago.

In 2004 I think they had some financial issues. The business was rescued out of insolvency, but I do not know who the current management team are, or who does the cutting, and whether all work is still done on the premises.

Please also note that they have added a MTM line, which I believe is produced by Cheshire.

[manton]

Prior to discovering LL, I knew only two names on Savile Row--A&S and Huntsman. As my education progresses, one thing I seem to notice is that Huntsman isn't mentioned very much. Is that perception correct, and if so, does it mean they've lost their lustre? I gather from the previous posts that Dege is generally preferred over Huntsman for the more contructed, military-silhouette style of tailoring.

I think there are two factors at play here:

1) Based on my observation, LL memebers seems to prefer, by and large, a softer construction and different silhouette.

2) I only know of one Huntsman customer on LL. Whereas there are a handful of people here who have used Dege.

[Trilby]

Either that, or we don't have many plutocrats here.

They were very much the plutocrat's choice.

[aama19147]

Gents,

Wish me luck! Off to UK this evening and have a fitting with D&S tomorrow at 1300: Graham Lawless will be measuring.

Thanks for your input and advice, I'll try and give you a rundown upon my return.

Cheers,
a.

[Cufflink79]

Dear aama19147:
Best of luck to you on your bespoke adventure, and safe travel.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

[Concordia]

Good luck, and enjoy.

Don't forget to inquire about having your shirt measurements taken. They are one of the few places that does both services well.

[dopey]

Good luck, and enjoy.

Don't forget to inquire about having your shirt measurements taken. They are one of the few places that does both services well.

If you are wavering about this, I hope my seconding Concordia’s suggestion puts you over the edge.

[Concordia]

And since you'll have at least an hour before dinner, take a stroll up and down the Row to check out Poole, A&S and some of the others. It's really only 2 or 3 blocks you have to cover.

Not that you'll necessarily regret your current course of action.