The Man's Suit (p2/p3/p4) has influenced
politics, shaped
fashion, and signaled everything from
stodgy conformity to
rock stardom,
sex-
appeal,
power, and
success. And yet
the man's lounge suit was
originally considered the casual option. It is an iconic image of Western (and today,
global) masculinity, even when used to
question and challenge traditional
gender iconography. And where are the finest men's suits in the world made?
Many would argue that the finest
bespoke tailors in the world are found on and around
Savile Row, London. There, a small community of master craftspeople serve a
well-
heeled clientele looking for refined, intimate service resulting in clothing of unparalleled quality and workmanship that will last forever (or at least long enough to be passed down from father to son to grandson), as they have done for 200 years. But how will the
ancient bespoke tailoring houses deal with
common jeans-mongers known for
bespoke faces and
half-naked models moving their flagship store to The Row? Will they attract others of their ilk (bringing higher rents with them)? Can the traditionally independent tailoring houses come together to address the threat?
Savile Row, episode 1: "Love Thy Neighbor"(p2/p3/p4/p5/p6/p7)
The tailors of Savile Row have always always shunned advertising, preferring word of mouth and reputation to draw customers. With the arrival of A&F on Savile Row, the tailors (who, as a group, would prefer to keep themselves to themselves and not actually have "a group") are forced to take the Savile Row "brand" in their skillful grips and both defend as well as spread the word about it, something somewhat foreign to their experiences. There's a
registered trade group (though there is controversy over
just who gets into the club). They also ruffle some
piume at an
Italian menswear show when they
take their history and
skills on the road in order to promote what they have to offer: the finest tailoring services anywhere. Also, we follow tailor Dave Ward from
Henry Poole & Co as he ventures to Beijing, where Poole is teaming up with a
Chinese tailoring firm in an effort to tap the vast market there by licensing the Henry Poole name.
Savile Row, episode 2: "Foreign Affairs" (p2/p3/p4/p5/p6
The tailors of Savile Row are a community where age and experience is respected and "as long as you can hold a needle, you can hold a job". But many of those senior artisans are not being replaced in the way they once were. Their
skills could be lost if a new generation isn't on hand to learn from the mentors' tutelage.
Alexander McQueen did his apprenticeship at
Anderson & Sheppard. But he gave up the life of a "maker" to be a "designer". Will other apprentice tailors follow his lead? Likewise, there are only so many young officers from
Sandhurst, who come to
Dege & Skinner and other fixtures of The Row to buy their first formal dress uniforms. How many will come back later for a civilian suit? Can bespoke tailoring draw in the next generation of customers to their (not at all inexpensive) services? In this episode, we follow several apprentice tailors as they go about learning the ancient craft, as well as getting ready to compete in the annual
Golden Shears competition. We also get a glimpse at steps the Savile Row tailors are taking to make sure there is
a next generation with the skill level to make
the suits they are so famous for. Savile Row, Episode 3: "New Blood" (p2/p3/p4/p5/p6/p7)
Bonus material: Savile Row bespoke tailor/menswear designer
Ozwald Boateng on
"Why Style Matters" (p2/p3/p4/p5/p6)
Previously
posted by The Whelk at 6:10 PM on September 5, 2011 [2 favorites]