Robin Hague had his sights set on Savile Row for the morning suit for his wedding, and there was one place he knew he’d be guaranteed impeccable service and immaculate tailoring: Gieves & Hawkes
Simply setting foot inside Number 1 Savile Row has its own sense of occasion. The elegant building, an 18th-century William Kent townhouse, home to Gieves & Hawkes since 1912, has recently been completely refurbished with a clever balance of modernity and tradition. Below stairs, master tailors cut and stitch bespoke suits by hand, as they have done for generations, while upstairs visitors will find a new formal and eveningwear department. On the ground floor and main showroom are beautiful suits, separates and daywear for every occasion and generation.
When I’d visited a few months earlier with my son Toby, 24, and my best man-to-be, Matt, it was to get fitted for my forthcoming wedding (morning tails being the chosen attire for the groom, best man and ushers). I had been on a recce and had been impressed by what I’d seen and how I’d been looked after. Considering its heritage and ‘Who’s Who’ list of customers, you might expect a little sniffiness, but not a bit of it. Instead, there was an eagerness to help, combined with genuine personal warmth.
We started with a tour of the building, including one very special room, the Robert Gieve room, a dark anthracite-grey space with tall skirting and panelled walls, used for military and Royal appointments. A wall of illuminated floor-to-ceiling handmade cabinets house the red and gold uniforms of HM The Queen’s bodyguard, complete with boots, swords and swan-feather helmets. But this store is modern in its approach to tailoring, and they connected just as easily with my son as they would have done with my father. It’s stately, masculine and luxurious, but it’s also elegant too.
Fast forward to the day of the big appointment, and the words: “Would you care for a glass of champagne?” The private tailoring room doesn’t feel removed, it simply feels appropriate. Let’s get this into perspective: everything here is special. This is one of the finest menswear stores in London, if not the world, and the knowledge and understanding is unparalleled. This is not a flirtation with decadence for the sake of it.
The sound of a champagne cork popping relaxes the mood and adds to the occasion. Actually, Gieves & Hawkes serves award-winning Gusbourne English sparkling wine, as good as many of the best Champagnes and fittingly British. Now I am relaxed and ready to get down to business.
I am to be tailored for my big day by the same people who have fitted kings, the great and the good and some of the world’s biggest names. Tim, our tailor, knows his stuff and darts around with his tape measure and pins. It’s an art form and one to behold, and experience and expertise come together in a moment of perfection. Our suits will be ready for the next fitting very soon. Will this be the best suit that money can buy? Very probably.
For more information, visit Gieves & Hawkes
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