Smarten up: These are the best tailors in London

From the master tailors of Savile Row, to the glossy windows of Jermyn Street, London has long been considered the ultimate destination for gentleman’s bespoke shirting and suits. Put simply, we do made-to-measure tailoring better than anywhere else in the world (the Japanese word for suit is “sabiro” — say it out loud).

Over the past two decades, an influx of international designer labels have descended on the capital, offering everything from luxury ready-to-wear to made-to-measure suiting. Now, the trick is knowing how to separate the wheat from the chaff on the world’s most stylish streets, and find the designers best tailored to your needs.

Read on for our curation of the tailors we consider to be a cut above the rest.

Founded in 1771, and boasting the most prestigious HQ address in the sartorial world, Gieves & Hawkes has almost 250 years experience in dressing to impress. With roots planted firmly in military tailoring tradition, Gieves & Hawkes has counted every British monarch since George III among its list of high-profile patrons.

The company holds three British Royal Warrants and serves several other royal households around the world, along with statesmen, business leaders, sporting legends and global stars of stage and screen. Masculine and considered, Gieves & Hawkes’ aesthetic is at once British and international.

An esteemed Savile Row tailor, Huntsman has an extraordinary history that stretches back over 170 years in which it has created impeccable bespoke suiting for a discerning clientele that includes nobility, royalty, statesmen and iconic Hollywood stars.

Integrity, excellence, craftsmanship and style has defined the Huntsman suit for generations – standards which are still maintained today. With an uncompromising commitment to excellence, Huntsman’s unique legacy includes an impressive list of patrons renowned for their sartorial style such as Clark Gable, Cecil Beaton, Winston Churchill, Gregory Peck, Coco Chanel, Katharine Hepburn, Lucian Freud and Alexander McQueen.

With an attention to detail that has seen it through over 200 years of tailoring, Henry Poole takes pride in the fact that each and every piece of its clothing is made individually by tailors on its Savile Row premises. Its crest reads ‘By Special Appointment to the Late Emperor Napoleon III’ – so you know they’ve got a serious seal of approval.

Founded in 1906, Anderson & Sheppard has a rich history of dressing royalty and statesmen, maintaining a distinguished character and style.

Anderson & Sheppard is the bespoke tailor of choice for men who prioritise comfort and elegance. The firm is regarded as the spiritual home of the English Drape cut, which notably innovated the straight-cut military garments of the early 20th century. The classic English Drape silhouette is characterised by an extremely light canvas that is non-restrictive to allow fluidity of movement – perfect for the modern gentleman on the go.

New kid on the Savile Row block, Hackett made its name in ready-to-wear tailoring before setting up shop in the Row in late 2019. And while the ready-to-wear business still booms – and is available at Hackett’s new three-storey townhouse at No. 14 – it is the brand’s bespoke and made-to-measure which really sets it apart.

Led by Head Cutter, Juan Carlos Benito, the style at J.P. Hackett is more modern and open-minded than some of its longer-standing neighbours, while always tipping its head to traditional cuts and techniques. These are suits made with the needs of modern men in mind.

Founded on Savile Row in 1969, Edward Sexton made its name as the go-to for the great and the good of the Swinging Sixties – with Mick Jagger, Twiggy and Paul McCartney quickly becoming regular customers. Having always stood out from the Savile Row establishment, in 1990 Sexton did the almost unthinkable and decamped to Beauchamp Place in Knightsbridge, where the house still thrives under current creative director Dominic Sebag-Montefiore.

Influenced by romance and nostalgia, the Edward Sexton suit invokes the glamour of the Jazz Age with long-cut coats, full chests and neat waists. If you like your shoulders strong and your details well-considered this is the tailor for you.

Having been a Savile Row fixture for nearly 30 years, Richard James walks that fine line between being part of the establishment while also offering something fresh and contemporary. At its foundation in 1992, the ethos of the eponymous designer and his business partner Sean Dixon was to produce classic, high quality clothing while pushing the boundaries through colour, cut and design – and that remains to this day.

Now occupying not one, but two, spots on Savile Row – one dedicated to ready-to-wear and the other to bespoke tailoring – Richard James prides itself on outfitting the man with individual tastes. Someone who, like the namesake tailor himself, knows the rules but isn’t afraid to break them.

One of the true Savile Row originals, Dege & Skinner was founded in 1865 and is still family owned, currently helmed by managing director William Skinner – who also happens to be Chairman of the Savile Row Bespoke Association. Hands do not come safer than these.

A Royal Warrant Holder, Dege & Skinner is also famed for its military uniforms (its work can be seen modelled by Princes William and Harry in a painting currently hanging in the National Portrait Gallery) and is one of the few traditional tailors with a history creating bespoke sporting and business clothes for women. If you’re after the quintessential Savile Row experience, you can’t go far wrong with Dege & Skinner.

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