Since the first bespoke tailor moved into Savile Row back in 1785, the narrow strip in London's Mayfair has been renowned worldwide as "the place" for bespoke tailoring.
The street name, Savile Row, can be traced back several hundred years to Lady Dorothy Savile, the wife of Lord Burlington. It is also said that the japanese word for suit sebiro is actually a corruption of the name Savile Row.
Savile Row is a name that conjures up images of elegance, tradition, old world charm and sophistication. Historically, and still today, visitors come from far and wide to have suits handmade by The Row's skilled tailors.
The tailoring houses of Savile Row have traditionally clothed the great and the good, from princes and peers to bankers and businessmen. Today, the customer base is growing. It has expanded to include lawyers, doctors, city types, footballers, actors, musicians and artists.
The famed craftsmanship of The Row has made it a place where young apprentices have long aspired to come and learn the age-old craft of bespoke tailoring. Many of the tailors working on Savile Row today have done so all their working lives; having honed their skills as apprentices in Savile Row tailoring houses for years before becoming tailors themselves.
Along the Row, clothes are made to order for customers as they once were in workshops on the premises. Many Savile Row tailors still use the original basement workshops underneath their showrooms.
The businesses on Savile Row have banded together to establish Savile Row Bespoke, a group begun by Richard Anderson along with other Savile Row tailors with the aim of determining the best possible future direction for the Row to ensure its longevity and success.