The sun., 1912-08-11
WHERE LONDON TAI[ORS
HAVE THEIR SHOPS
Famous Firms Found in Quiet
Streets Behind Modest
Exteriors.
Observation-Disclosures
But These Purveyors to Kings
Will Make Trousers for
"From 81 Up."

London boasts Of being the Mecca for
seekers after fine tailoring" says a writer
in the Sdr,oriai Ar, journal. 'but the
tourist Is often at loss TO discover ground
for the boast. He is apt TO judge by the
garments shown In the most aggressive
windows Of thronged streets like the
Strand. Yet there In plenty of good
tailoring to he found If one knows where
TO look for IL.
"The aristocracy Of the London Ia ilor.
ing trade makes no effort In the shape Of
elaborately dressed windows or as rule
in the architectural outside of the prem
ises. Take the estab lishment in Savile
row. for instance. which II has become a
tradition to rank as the foremost in the
world. The street itself is small and un-
pretentious. though easily reached from
Regent street.
"A long. low building. or rather range
Of buildings. with n plain painted stone
front bears the we'll known name. the
only indication Of out of the way irnpor-
tance being the royal coat of arms over
the centre of the main doorway. Once
inside the large swing doors a vastly
different impression is created, for every
thing belonging to the interior is in grand
style.
THE broad polished mahogany counters
and we'll stocked fixtures, mostly carrying
pieces Of cloth of finest quality specially
made; the handsomely framed royal war
| rants from practically all the potentates
OF civilization which cover the wallis and
the general atmosphere Of refined SUI
periority make the show room an indicator
Of the firms standing and of the excep-
tonal nature Of it's clientele
The numerous trying on rooms are
, richly and elegantly appointed. the coun,
ing house department is like bank
| while the strong rooms in which the paper
/ patterns of the clothes of kings and
princes. dukes and belted earls. as We II
as other notoblities. are safeguarded also
convey the impression OF IA treasure house .
a large staif of indoor workers is
employed. and the workshop accommo-
dation is Of the best. The cutting staff
is also large. and several Of the leadng
foremen are credited with getting salaries
equal to from 500 to SO week The
prices charged are about the same as al
other high class houses trousers from
about 81. jacket suits. so to SlO frock
coats and evening clothes varying over
a wide range.
i There are many other tailoring house
in Savile row. Indeed with the excep-
tion OF few select woollen merchants
wareroonls the street is occupied aln,ost
exclusively by tailors. But the s,,r
rounding nighborhood is also identified
, with good tailoring. In Conduit street
!. running from Savile row to Regent
, | a a rlo
have their royal Gust omers.
|, In Regent street one finds well known
, clan tartan kilt and plaid specialist, where
everything connected with Highland
, dress for both sexes. from the buckled
, shOon to the Glengarry cap, il provided
The firm opposite usually has a good
show OF riding habits. including the ride
astride styles of both coats and skirts
and there is another house short dis
tance ahead that supplies the better class
3 outfits for juven le wear. including eques-
! trian dress for boys and girls. At the
, tor. end of Regent street is the Circus and
Oxford street with London's first mot or
. clothing specialist.
q Some distance further along Oxford
/ street are the two leading breeches makers,
poth historical houses. dating back Ia
the time when breeches maker was care
+, ful to make it clear that he was not q
a tailor and when 1t was the custom to send
" representative to the old hostelres OF
posting houses 10 meet the stagecoac che.
y on arrival and take the orders and the
. . measures on the spot. notched strips OF
paper or parchment being used instead OF
y the subsequently invented inch tape fol
y the latter.
Coming back to the neghborhood o,
. Regent street are Hanover street and
Hanover Square. both largely occupieC
+ by well known tailoring firms. Undel
!, the shadow OF the classic church of 81
). GEORGES, where so many celebrated mar
& riages have taken place. will be found a,
least a couple of score Of establishment,
devoted to the production Of my lord +,
or my lady $ attire. including those o.
y specialists in scarlet hunting coats, mill
n taly uniforms, court or diplomatic dress
G ladies' tailoring. &c.
I'm Hanover street is one ~ the mos
interesting business houses in the trade
that carried on under the firm name of ,
tailor who died few years ago. leaving ;
fortune OF q million and half OF dollars
tie started without capital and withou
connection. His only stock in trade o.
asset OF any kind was an idea that ther'
: was want for tailor who could suppl,
. West End garment. reasonably wei
e made. Of reasonably good material, at
!, reasonable price-for cash The ide;
;, s,iccedeed. but in the early days the strug
. gle was hard one. and it ison record tina
. some Of the first clients were obtained a
J. the result Of hand bills distributed by th,
d tailor himself through the cabs and ca r
r riages which we're lined up in the vicinit,
OF the West End clubs and theatres.
e From Hanover street it In quite sim
pie matter to get to Bond street. II wa
l. in an establishment here, which still
n survives after many changes, that Pete
Myddeton was engaged as cutter hal
l. a century or SO. ago. and many of hi
}. patterns are still in evidence among tn
gods Of the cutting room. Sackviii
q street. Maddox street. and New Burning
l. ton street are other interesting centres {.
s high class tailoring"