Savile Row: A Visitor's Guide to Bespoke Tailoring in London

In January 1969 the Beatles played their final live performance on the roof of Apple Corps at 3 Savile Row. Then, on Valentine's Day, Tommy Nutter and cutter Edward Sexton opened Nutters of Savile Row on the same short Mayfair street, with wide lapels, bold cloth and a shop window you could actually see into. The Row had been London's address for bespoke tailoring since the early 1800s. It has never been quite as stuffy as its reputation, and it is easier to visit than you might think.

Officers, Then Cutters

The street was laid out between 1731 and 1735 as part of the Burlington Estate and named after Lady Dorothy Savile, wife of the 3rd Earl of Burlington. Its first residents were mostly military officers and their families, which turned out to be good news for anyone who could make a uniform fit.

Tailors arrived in the late eighteenth century, first on neighboring Cork Street and then on Savile Row itself by the early 1800s. The decisive moment came in 1846, when Henry Poole, whose family firm had been founded in 1806, opened an entrance onto Savile Row. Poole's reputation, and a client list that eventually included royalty, drew other cutters. Huntsman, which began as a gaiter and breeches maker in 1849, moved onto the Row in 1919. Anderson and Sheppard opened in 1906. By the twentieth century, the street's name was shorthand for the best suit money could buy.

Spoken For

On the Row, bespoke is a specific process, and the word has a precise meaning. It is usually traced to cloth being spoken for by a customer, and it describes a garment cut from a paper pattern drafted from scratch for one person.

The cutter and the tailor

Two roles matter most. The cutter takes your measurements, studies your posture, drafts the pattern and cuts the cloth. The tailors, often specialists in coats or trousers, sew the garment largely by hand. Historically, cutters were salaried staff while many makers worked as skilled independents paid by the piece.

The fittings

A first commission typically moves through several stages. There is the consultation and measuring, then a basted fitting where the suit is loosely tacked together so it can be pulled apart and recut. One or more forward fittings follow, closer to finished, and then final adjustments. The goal is a garment that fits the body you have, including the dropped shoulder and the slightly longer arm you never noticed. Done right, it is built around you one fitting at a time until it stops feeling like clothing.

The standard

To protect that process, a group of houses founded the Savile Row Bespoke Association in 2004. Its full members are expected to be based on or within 100 yards of the Row, cut individual paper patterns, employ apprentices, and typically put at least 50 hours of hand work into a two-piece suit. That is a useful benchmark when comparing houses, though plenty of excellent tailors operate outside the association.

Rooftops and Protest Signs

Nutters brought in clients including the Beatles, Mick Jagger and Elton John, and the rooftop gig at No. 3 still draws visitors to the building.

The street has had to defend itself, too. When Abercrombie and Fitch planned a children's store at No. 3, tailors and their supporters protested in 2012. It opened in 2014 anyway, and by 2021 it had closed. Ready-to-wear has a long history on the Row, but the bespoke houses have stayed fiercely protective of what makes the street distinct. The soft-shouldered American counterpoint to this tradition runs through our history of the oxford button-down shirt.

Your First Visit

Getting there

Savile Row runs parallel to Regent Street in Mayfair, between Conduit Street at the north end and Vigo Street and Burlington Gardens at the south. Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus Underground stations are both within a comfortable walk. Cork Street and Clifford Street, both nearby, are worth a detour.

Walk first, then book

Start by simply walking the street. Many houses display cloth, finished garments and sometimes cutters at work through basement or street-level windows. When something catches your eye, check the house's website for consultation booking. Opening hours, appointment policies and weekend availability vary, so confirm with the house directly before you go.

Talk about budget early

Bespoke is a serious investment, and pricing varies widely by house and cloth. Ask directly what a first two-piece suit costs, how many fittings to expect, and whether the house travels for fittings if you live abroad. Reputable tailors will answer plainly.

Bring references, not demands

Arrive with an idea of how you will wear the suit, whether for work, weddings or travel, and images of silhouettes you like. Then listen. A good cutter will tell you what suits your build, and that conversation is half the pleasure.

Beyond the Row

Pair a Savile Row visit with the shirtmakers and fragrance houses of nearby St James's and Jermyn Street, a natural follow-on to our story on the history of eau de cologne. If your travels take you east instead, our streetwear guide to Tokyo's Ura-Harajuku shows a very different kind of craft obsession. For a piece that rewards patience the way bespoke does, try our raw and selvedge denim guide.

The Wikipedia entry on Savile Row is a solid primer, and our tailoring coverage, more travel guides and the full Travel section go further. When you do walk the street, look down as well as in. Some of the best views on the Row are through the basement windows, where you can sometimes catch a cutter at work.