"There are tailors in and around Savile Row that can make and cut but they are few and far between. Most tailors can do one or the other but not both. I have the good fortune to be able to cut and make. This gives me a distinct advantage over most tailors in the Row.

 

When cutting a suit that is made up for a first fitting, many problems can arise with the way the suit has been put together or with the cutting. If you only have the ability to do one or the other then your knowledge is limited and you are at a distinct disadvantage.

 

Most Savile Row tailors have a certain "look" and will not be accommodating when it comes to customers who might want to digress a little from the house style. As far as I am concerned, the customer has every right to make suggestions - after all it is their suit! So from the very first meeting, I will discuss with each client the style and what the suit is going to be used for (i.e. business or pleasure).

 

Another important factor is the ability to make lady's clothes. Again, Savile Row is often reluctant to tailor for ladies and, when it does, the results can be quite basic - a man's suit with the buttons reversed. Having worked with Stella McCartney over the last three years, we have created a large portfolio of designs covering countless styles of suits, evening and dresswear, and overcoats, perhaps 80 or 90 designs. A customer can pick and choose from these designs. In my experience, women like to see a picture of what they are going to have created for them. We even have some models, already constructed, to try on. This is very important to clients as they can have a feel for what they are going to get before it's made for them."

 

Henry Rose 2006