I would like to introduce myself to you. I am a practical tailor who learnt the trade with the Savile Row tailors Anderson and Sheppard. I started there straight from school in the year 1990, the first four years as an apprentice coat maker, then five years learning to cut and fit. To my knowledge there has been no one else who has gone through this vigorous training. People have been taught to make coats and others have learnt to cut but it is rare to have completed both . I was very pleased in 1995 when Mr Halsey the Managing Director at that time invited me to join the cutting room. This year (2013) I  have been running my own business for 14 years and been in the tailoring trade for 23 years. I have followed in my fathers footsteps in the way I have learnt my craft, he joined Anderson’s when he was 15 years old and was taught his sewing and cutting skills in the traditional way. Today, he is the current Managing Director of A & S and for me the king Pin of the firm. Please remember that any tailoring firm is only as good as their cutters and tailors that make the suit.

The above picture is of me starting out on my tailoring journey in 1990 as a coat maker apprentice at Anderson and Sheppard. You will note that I have already adopted the classic position of sitting on the board whilst working. This picture was taken by a trade magazine and was my first experience of appearing in print.

This is a picture of me in one of the fitting rooms at the original Anderson and Sheppard premises at 30 Savile Row. I was trying on The Prince of Wales, Norfolk jacket. My father asked me to try on the jacket as I had a similar slim figure to the Prince at that time. My father just wanted to make sure it came up to his measurements. I was 21 years old at the time and I was the under cutter to Mr. Pitt.

At the age of 24 I decided to start my own tailoring business.  I took a sitting within James and James, 11 Old Burlington Street.  I spent 4 years in these fabulous old premises, and appearing in the Financial Times and the Independent newspapers with glowing reviews, allowed me to firmly establish my business.  I also started my business trips to New York and I still have many of my clients from those first trips, whom I now count as friends.

Due to the re development of Savile Row I moved from 11 Old Burlington Street, and in 2003 decided to move to 13 New Burlington Street, and shared the premises with Denman and Goddard.

My business continued to grow and in Jan 2009 I was given the chance to move back to The Row, and it was an offer that I could not refuse. After all the years it felt like I had returned home. I currently work at 13 Savile Row which has afforded me more opportunity to attend to my clients needs.

The  art of soft tailoring has stood the test of time and is a style reminiscent of the golden age of mens clothing.  My soft tailored hand crafted suit will be lighter in weight to wear, much more comfortable and individually stylish  In order to achieve this unique style there are a number of very different elements in the making.

Canvas

When I create my canvas, unlike the standard tailoring process, I like to have as little hair cloth(stiffener across the chest) as possible. By not using  a big piece of hair cloth, much more skilled craftsmanship is need to create the shape in the chest, but the result is so worthwhile as it results in lightness and extra comfort in the jacket.  My canvas is hand padded and not machine stitched as is common with many other tailors.

Soft Shoulders

Unlike standard jackets, these are sewn in by hand and I do not use shoulder pads. Depending on the client, I can use the smallest amount of wadding, i.e. 1/8 or 5/8 inch. I can make a straight or natural round shoulder line, again on the clients request, but always very soft and lightweight for ease of movement. I do not like to see the shoulder seam from the front view, so with a smaller back neck ,the angle created is a longer line, which then enables me to sew in more fullness(length) which I believe to be more comfortable. The wider shoulder and drape make the illusion of a smaller waist.

Arm Hole and Sleeves

All are sewn in by hand and once again this allows more fullness to be sewn into the sleeves than a sleeve that has been machine stitched.  This in turn is hand sewn into a high and comfortable arm hole. Great care is taken to get the right runs and shapes to match between sleeve and arm hole for perfection, thereby creating  a stylish drape at front and back for comfort and style. My high arm hole ensures that the collar stays anchored to the neck. This ensures that there is no unsightly gap between collar and neck.