I’ve had quite a few requests by readers over the past year for city guides, so this is the first in a series.
In London, there are so many options that it makes sense to group some together. Also, if I leave too many out I’ll get in trouble.
The guides have several key principles:
- They are guides to quality. Only top shops with well-made products are included
- They only cover menswear, and largely sartorial menswear
- Perhaps most importantly, they only cover shopping experiences that are pretty much exclusive to the city. There are fewer and fewer of these, and they should be celebrated
1. Anderson & Sheppard: The haberdashery
www.anderson-sheppard.co.uk/haberdashery
17 Clifford Street
Probably my favourite shop in London. Very strong on knitwear, which Anda and Audie designed almost entirely themselves, and trousers, which they did entirely themselves. I recommend the Shetland sweaters, handkerchiefs and everything in linen.
2. Trunk Clothiers
www.trunkclothiers.com
8 Chiltern Street
A trailblazer when it first opened, stocking Incotex trousers, Boglioli jackets and Common Projects trainers. Still the best shop in London for quality casual clothing with a classic aesthetic. Now with a second shop on the same street, Trunk Labs, stocking luggage, footwear and homewares.
3. Drake’s
www.drakes.com
3 Clifford Street
The British tiemaker’s only shop, but good for a lot more than ties. Favourites include their shawl-collar sweater, nicely styled jackets and a new, strong shirt offering. Also the only place in the UK where you can try Saint Crispin’s shoes.
4. Gaziano & Girling, GJ Cleverley and John Lobb
www.gazianogirling.com, www.gjcleverley.co.uk and www.johnlobbltd.co.uk
39 Savile Row, 13 The Royal Arcade and 9 St James’s Street
The only shops in the world for these top-end shoemakers. All worth a visit: G&G for the range of bespoke and ready-made shoes, and patination; Cleverley for its workshops upstairs; and John Lobb for the rabbit-warren nature of the place. Other shoe shops are less interesting or replicated elsewhere in the world.
5. Henry Poole, Richard Anderson, Chittleborough & Morgan, Anderson & Sheppard…
15 Savile Row, 13 Savile Row, 12 Savile Row and 32 Old Burlington Street
There are perhaps a dozen bespoke tailors it’s worth visiting in the centre of London. But you’re not going to visit them all, and they are not really shops – you go in for a polite inquiry, and perhaps an explanation of house style. Most are pretty welcoming. If you’re looking to commission a suit, pick out a few likely candidates. If you’re after history, visit Henry Poole, Gieves & Hawkes and Huntsman.
6. Gieves & Hawkes
www.gievesandhawkes.com
1 Savile Row
Gieves deserves its own listing for the superb ready-to-wear clothing that Jason Basmajian has designed in recent seasons. There is also the archive on display – as mentioned above – and a nice bespoke room.
7. Private White VC
www.privatewhitevc.com
73 Duke Street
A long-time British manufacturer that recently set up its own menswear line. Well-made jackets and coats at very reasonable prices, particularly distinguished by the functional aspects of the designs and copper hardware.
8. Lock & Co, Bate’s and Christy’s
www.lockhatters.co.uk, www.bates-hats.co.uk and www.christys-hats.com
6 St James’s Street, 37 Jermyn Street and 16 Princes Arcade
Nowhere else in the world would you find three great hat companies in such close proximity. Lock & Co has the history, of course, and beautiful hat boxes, but if you’re actually shopping for a hat then the other two are worth visiting as well.
9. Nigel Cabourn and The Real McCoy’s
www.cabourn.com and www.realmccoys.co.jp
28 Henrietta Street and 15 Henrietta Street
These two casualwear brands both set up their first shops in London this year, on opposite sides of the street. Both specialise in recreations of old styles, with McCoy’s aiming for precise imitations, and Cabourn more inspiration and modern improvement. The latter also does more seasonal designs, and I highly recommend the coats and knitwear.
10. Son of a Stag
www.sonofastag.com
9 Dray Walk
Possibly the best shop in London for denim and leather. Stacks of imported Japanese brands, leather jackets from around the world and chain stitching on site. If you like the workwear style, also worth checking out Present and Albam in this area of east London.
11. Turnbull & Asser
www.turnbullandasser.co.uk
71-72 Jermyn Street
The scale of the Jermyn Street shop is what will impress most people. Quality menswear and accessories in almost every department, with bespoke round the corner. Getting more of a designer edge, but still with one of the broadest offerings to sartorial men in London.
12. New & Lingwood
www.newandlingwood.com
53 Jermyn Street
Across the street from Turnbull & Asser is another unique outfitter, again across two shops. In contrast with T&A, however, I would recommend N&L for the unusual – both in terms of colour and design. Few other places stock cloaks. Few have so much in green and pink. Plus the dressing gowns are beautiful.
13. Bentley’s Antiques
bentleyslondon.com
91 Lower Sloane Street
A lovely antiques store specialising in luggage, bags and men’s accessories. Run by Tim and Julian, with a well-curated and revolving collection. Recently re-housed in a new shop on Lower Sloane Street.
14. Harrod’s and Liberty’s
www.harrods.com
87-135 Brompton Road and Regent Street
If you simply want the greatest range of luxury clothing, Harrod’s is the best department store. But most brands in there wouldn’t get in this list. Liberty’s, meanwhile, is worth visiting for its superb perfume section. The best-curated collection you’ll find anywhere. Avoid Selfridge’s.
15. Edward Green, Mackintosh, Tricker’s, Smedley etc…
There are a lot of shops in London, probably more than in any other city, that have their sole retail outlet in London. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the shops for any other reason, but if you’re a fan of those brands, they are likely worth visiting.
There are many, many more places in London I would recommend, but there simply isn’t room. It seems criminal to leave out Cordings, Budd shirts, Sunspel and Thom Sweeney. In fact, writing this post has made me realise afresh what a diverse and innovative menswear destination London is. Let’s hope it stays that way.
Please feel free to leave your own recommendations in the comments.
Simon this is great! Given though that I’m sure a number of your readers are Londoners, PLEASE could you do your next one on Naples? It’s much harder to find the hidden gems there as the city is less well covered by the internet / less on the tourist trail and as you well know, there are some incredible places there…A big thank you in advance, K
Next is Milan, but yes i’ll do Naples
Thank you; hugely appreciated. Any quick tips on Naples as going there next week?!
Many places are hard if you don’t speak Italian. But certainly Rubinacci, Talarico and Capelli. Worth stopping into one of the tailors like Solito or Panico, but again difficult without any Italian
Many thanks!
I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but are you aware that Italy “closes” in August? Very few, if any, places will be open!
Milan is perfect!
Orlebar Brown for their polo shirts. Excellent fit.
Udeshi and Segun Adelaja – for accessories and shirts.
Oki-Ni for nice casual wear. Ditto Present-London
Emmett for shirts and accessories.
Nino’s for accessories
How can you recommend that tourist trap of Harrods to anyone and tell them to avoid Selfridges? What about Fortnum and Mason for men’s odds and ends.
I do agree with your number 1 definitely the nicest men’s shop in town.
I would add Foster and Son to your list of shoemakers for the same reason as Cleverley for its workshops upstairs.
How about Ormonde Jayne, Shay and Blue and Floris for men’s fragrance?
There are also the tailors such as Edward Sexton, Chris Kerr, Timothy Everest away from Savile Row to consider.
Cheers.
Harrods is horrible in many ways, but it does have a better selection of luxury brands than Selfridge’s. Fortnum & Mason is improving all the time, but isn’t up there with any of the other big ones yet.
Good call on Foster’s – and on perfume I’ve generally tried to avoid going into a full list, because you’re right there is a fantastic selection across London.
Liberty’s does have an excellent fragrance section but the scents that you can’t find at Liberty’s you will find at the world’s greatest fragrance shop which just happens to also be in London: Les Senteurs.
https://www.lessenteurs.com
Superb post Simon!
Next trip to London I have to visit the A&S haberdashery and Bentley’s. The only two I have left.
Best,
Having just returned from LA, I completely agree that London has one of the most diverse range of excellent menswear shops of any city. Most of the US brands have (probably better) London outposts such as Club Monaco and J Crew, if you like that kind of thing. The only real beacon in the LA area is Unionmade, plus Fred Segal / Ron Herman can be interesting. Somewhat bizarrely, last time we were there we visited South Coast Plaza in Orange County (an escape from Disneyland..) and it has more individual watch stores and standalone stores than any shopping centre in the UK – there is even a John Lobb store, which I wasn’t expecting!
Even the denim selection in London is getting close to LA.
If we ever had the chance to live in LA I would miss the London shops, but maybe not the weather…
Simon
Having Budd in the whoops I forgot class is a shame; it remains one of the most underrated shops in London – and the first place to go for formal clothing. I particularly like their evening shirts.
By the way how is the safari shirt/jacket you had made their lasting?
Thanks John.
You’re right, it is lovely and of course one of the few places bespoke shirt cutting is still being done on the premises. I’ve never been that much of a fan of their accessories though, compared to Drakes, A&S etc.
The Safari shirt is ageing nicely, I’ll do a separate post on it some time. It is definitely more of an overshirt than a jacket though. It would have needed wool or perhaps a heavy cotton to be enough of a jacket (given the lack of canvas etc that a linen jacket would have to give it body)
Simon
I recently decided to start to go to the gym because I’m underweight for my height and bulking a little bit would be good for my appareance.
The only downside I see is that I have many mtm shirts and jackets, I don’t plan to become “huge” but I’m worried I might not be able to wear them anymore.
Have you ever been in a similar situation where you are probably having a big difference in weight and have to change your clothes?
I haven’t Enzo, but it can definitely be a problem. It’s not so much of an issue when you slim down in the waist, eg by doing more cardio-vascular work, as trousers and jackets can be altered in the waist. But doing weights is an issue as you’ll change your shoulders and chest, which are much harder to alter.
If you care about an exacting fit, I’d accept the fact that you might need to replace some items. Or keep the gym to mostly strength work rather than adding bulk.
well, I don’t plan to put on huge muscles, just like gain 4 or 5kgs, so I’m not very worried
Simon can you give some guidance to an Aussie visiting London on the difference between the bespoke tailors? Leaner ? More modern? More classic?
Big, big question.
Best place to start is here: http://www.permanentstyle.com/2012/12/the-tailors-i-have-known-part-1-london.html
Are you planning to do a piece on Swaine Adeney Briggs? They seem to be a company with some great stuff and long traditions in London. I would probably add them to the list.
I know Swaine Adeney, and no I wouldn’t have them on this list necessarily (top 15 anyway), but they do do great things and should be profiled at some point, yes
Simon, do you know of anywhere in London that sells wide ties – specifically in 10cm (and up) widths?
The only places I’ve found so far have been Tom Ford and Drakes (bespoke).
You can stop by Turnbull & Asser.
I used to hate coming to London shopping but in recent years I have seen how valuable it is and I am so lucky to be so close. Most of the shops mentioned are not just great places they have amazing staff. And in many respect the majority of what you want is so close to each other. Ok there are some bits in Knightsbridge and east London but when I could get off at Bond Street visit TS bespoke, walk a few mins and visit drakes, a&s then the row a minutes walk after that. And a few mins in either direction is Liberty Ralph Lauren flagship or the whole of Jermyn street. All done before lunch. No where has everything you want so close. Try doing that anywhere else
London is very convenient for shopping eg suits at Savile Row, shirts at Jermyn St, knitwear at Burlington Arcade etc but shop only for English iconic brands; for non-English brands, London is overpriced and I won’t bother buying non-English brands in London.
Hi Simon,
Here you have the first draft of a booklet on this interesting topic. Yes, I definitly think it’s really worth considering.
London is slowly but decidedly reclaiming its place as the capital of high quality menswear. And you could, even should, contribute on your part.
Paris for years has taken instead the wrong direction despite being still home of very dedicated craftsmen.
In 80s through the 90s, I had lived in the 6th district: absolutely nothing to do with what we see today. The latest sign of this big change has been the fate of Arny’s. The first being the closing of Yves St Laurent Homme at place St Sulpice. The next time you are in Paris, just take a look at the shop where it was then located…
The other day, I saw a man amidst a wedding party standing before a Church wearing … a black suit, a black tie, and black shoes of course!.. This doesn’t happen by sheer happenstance, mind you.
The question then is whether this trend has become irreversible or not. Even Stocholm (sory to my friends for picking out this city) has become a way better place in that regard over the years!
So seeing these things from a broader perspective, what is happening in London is truely worth praising!
John
Cheers John. I was wearing a beautiful old pair of heavy-linen trousers from Arnys yesterday. Unique. Such a shame.
I would be tempted to include Smythson and Belstaff in that list too. Many a fine product in either emporium.
Nice, but they both have lots of stores around the world
Simon , what’s your view on some of the above and Internet shopping?
For example , with the likes of Gieves & Hawkes , is the web store clothes of the same quality as the instore RTW?
Likewise are some of the ‘Discounted Sales’ around Jermyn Street stocked with “made for discounted SALE” stock rather then geninuley discounted lines.
It’s very hard to make generalisations about the made-for-sale items, even about one shop over several seasons, I’m afraid. I have seen it happen but it’s usually not consistent.
On the online vs store shopping, yes you have to be careful. Gieves sells much higher quality goods in London than in its dozens of stores in China, for example, and equally Dunhill doesn’t have some of its higher-quality things online.
Great list – London really does have some fantastic stores. I’d maybe add John Smedley; even though they are stocked elsewhere, the range (in the States at least) is often very limited.
Very interested to see your NYC list…
Not that the following belong in a top 15… but I would add Longmire to the list if it were longer – even just for a walk past their windows if already visiting St James’s/Jermyn St. If cufflinks are really your thing, Benson and Clegg are worth a look at – while theirs tend towards novelty (especially the coin ones), they aren’t many places like them.
Sigh. Timing is everything. It is a wonderful list, Simon, and I would have loved it four months ago prior to my all-too-brief stay in Marylebone. Thank you, though, for at least mentioning Cordings. Several years back I visited your charming little island and made a pilgrimage to the shop. Half an hour later, across the Atlantic, SWMBO received a call from the bank advising of a large, anomalous credit card purchase in London. “Cordings,” added the representative. The wife laughed, knowingly.
I often say that London is a style mecca for men and Paris is the female equivalent.
The shops in London all relate to and feed off each other. There’s an infrastructure. That all brings international visitors to the city. The Royal family has also been a fantastic supporter of all those historic tailors and outfitters.
On this day (the glorious twelfth), we must mention that the world’s best gunmakers are in London, historic cigar and wine merchants, art dealers, auction houses, fine restaurants and wonderful hotels (i.e. places to wear fine clothes).
If you then add the social season, with Royal Ascot, The Derby, Wimbledon, Henley Royal Regatta, Cowes week, etc, you begin to see the bigger picture. It’s every discerning man’s perfect playground.
Chiltern Street’s come a long way since it was home to a smattering of bridal shops and the odd big and tall boutique. Now you’ve got Trunk, Trunk Labs and a rather nifty Sunspel outpost all within a stone’s throw from each other. This is a rather lovely list you’ve put together, Simon. anybody with a passing interest in menswear would also probably enjoy a visit to Dunhill’s store off Berkeley Square, if only for the novelty of being able to get a wet shave and a burger while browsing their leather goods. Although that’s by no means unique to that store – I’ve been to their shops in Hong Kong and Tokyo and they’re equally well presented.
Yes, I can highly recommend the club at Bourdon House as well
Great list though I agree that it was criminal to miss out Budd Shirts. Not just for the shirts, but for the accessories as well.
I agree with Edward. Are you still flying the flag for Crowes’ …. I like you enjoy the shop atmosphere!
I agree with Adam – great to have so many individual emporia in one area. I shall be going up again tomorrow (hope the weather holds!). I’ll also be browsing in one of my favourite shops, Penfriend in Burlington Arcade.
Rome next please!
Reyjkavik next please
Suggestions for a longer list:
Dashing Tweeds
Rivet and Hide
Think I’d add C&J to the list of shoe shops, but suspect you’re only listing stand alone stores. C&J often gets unfairly overlooked IMHO.
I am Richard, yes.
They get a lot of love on this site, don’t worry
Hi Simon
A bid for Paris to be on the list. I also wonder if a “where in the world to buy x” would be interesting. For example (and on the Paris topic) I always buy socks in Paris, but shoes in London…
Thank you sir. As always if you find any new destination for us to explore please do share. I found the Haberdashery through your posts and I don’t think I ever spent that amount of time in any store ever. Such great staff and the range is mindblowing for anyone who loves great quality.
Wonderful job, Simon. The list is OH MY GOD LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS MADDER TIE IN THE DRAKE’S AD IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER!!!
Simon, great post! Being a northerner I was wondering if you could recommend any shops outside of London?
Not that many, but certainly Lissom & Muster and Private White in Manchester
Great article Simon and certainly your No.1 is my No.1 – if only all shops were like this!
One thing that is sadly missing and is absolutely vital for those of us with a full thatch are recommendations for Barbers. For my part I’d heartily recommend PANKHURST at 10 Newburgh Street, W1F 7RN .
Love this style of post Simon, perhaps a PS city guide for discerning tourists could be published? Cordings, Frank Foster, Crombie, Trumpers, Taylors of Old Bond St, Truefitt and Hill, Penhaligons, Beretta (particularly good for outdoor wear), Davidoff, Santa Maria Novella (world’s oldest fragrance maker), Floris, Farlows (fishing/outdoor equip), Dunhill, James J Fox (cigars), Foster and Son, Dege and Skinner, Ede and Ravenscroft, Richard James RTW and William Evans (shooting and country clothes) might also be added to the list.
It’s a really good post.
Son of Stag is the best for denim.
You forgot only one for clacissism and quality of products:Real Mc Coy,a perfect japanese little shop.
Thank’s again.
It’s in there…
Simon,
I am off to Milan in mid September.
Would be incredibly grateful for some recs along these lines for this Italian shopping hub.
Many thanks for all of your guidance on all matters sartorial – please keep up the good fight!
Any Milan tips please???
Coming next….
Before my visit next Wednesday perhaps? 🙂 Fingers Crossed…Many Thanks!
Dear Simon,
I first of all: many thanks for all the time and effort you spend to manage this website, and share all this great knowledge and content with us.
I’m getting married next year in summer, and started to look for an appropriate tuxedo. After some initial research I decided to go for a 3 piece, midnight blue one (so a classic Henry Poole design). Ready to wear is not what I’m looking for (as I don’t think I can find a perfect one).
However a full bespoke one is pretty costly, so currently I’m searching for M2M options. I spend some time informing myself at Richard James, Gieves & Hawkes and Scabal. All of them made a great impression, prices also don’t seem to vary too much.
A German website also pointed me to Thom Sweeney, where I saw that bespoke as well as M2M are a little lower in price, but look great as well (at least on the pictures provided). Would be maybe my only option to go for bespoke.
I’m a little lost I have to say, as this would be my first tuxedo made in England (just bought some M2M suits from German companies as well as some R2W from brands like Zegna).
So my question: Who in your opinion is the best option on the ones above? Or did I miss a tailor based on your knowledge?
With best regards,
Markus
For fragrances I appreciate there is a lot of choice but you could do a lot worse than start with a visit to Les Senteurs in Elisabeth Street or Marble Arch (www.lessenteurs.com). It is one of my favourite shopping treats in London or anywhere..
Would you add James Smith & Sons for umbrellas and sticks?
Yes, good call
Finally made it to Anderson & Sheppard’s haberdashery this trip. Absolutely lovely store, with even lovelier people working there. My favorite was a navy lambswool shawl cardigan.
That’s the one I’m wearing in my piece on ‘Which office are you?’ and wrote about in the slim-fit knitwear piece. It’s wonderful isn’t it?
Ah, so you are! It’s great, and the only heavier item of knitwear I own that is flattering under a jacket.
Can you do another guide for Edinburgh? Going there for a weekend soon and I’d love to do some shopping.
When it comes to fragrance the only traditional purveyor I can recommebd is George F. Trumper, the others have surrendered their formulations to contemporary mainstream tastes – too many synthetic aromachemicals where they do not belong. The finest curated selection of truly exquisite fragrances that comes with dedicated expert advice rather than a hard sell or hot air will be found at Bloom Perfumery just off Covent Garden. They also offer a bespoke service.
I finally managed to drop into the A&S Haberdashery the other day during a business trip, and my goodness, if the shawl-collar cardigan I bought isn’t the most satisfying garment. It’s just perfect in every conceivable regard. I plan on doing some further damage at others on this list—thank you for it.
Nice!
Simon, I’m in the UK from the States briefly in October to see Ian McKellen play Lear at the Chichester festival. I’d love to get a bespoke suit made in London, but am only there for a week. I can come back for a second fitting. Is there any place that can do bespoke with one, or perhaps two fittings?
Thanks so much for the great blog and all your advice.
I wouldn’t recommend it Andrew. How about picking a tailor that also travels to New York or elsewhere in the US? Most Savile Row ones do. That way you get the experience of being measured in the London shop, but can have fittings in the US too.
Thanks, Simon. Perfect solution. Is your Trunk Show calendar the best way to find out who is traveling to the States? I live in DC, but can make it to NYC easily enough.
Most appreciated.
Yes, most Row tailors have their trips on there
Hi Simon, this is is very useful shopping guide, I am going to London next week, could you also recommend nice vintage menswear store in London? For the permanent style stuffs, can I directly get in London instead of buying on line? Thanks!
Vintage Showroom on Seven Dials…
And no, the PS stuff isn’t stocked anywhere in London I’m afraid
Nov 6th – Nov 13th 2018 I have a solo purely pleasure trip to London and again the second week of December. London Walks in the mornings, Sartorial pursuits in afternoons. In the past my treks have been down Jermyn street and maybe Harrod’s. I plan to visit most shops on this list these two trips. In your opinion would it be worth the trip (Day Trip) to the Northampton factory shops? I presently live in Dallas and work in the oilfield.
Probably not, no. Unless you really want a pair of their shoes, don’t ever get to a sale, and aren’t fussy what the style is
Thanks for the quick reply.. May go anyway..
1: To get out in the countryside a bit.
2: So I don’t have to wear brown(tweed) in town.
3: I really do want a pair of Scotch Grain boots, a pair of nice Chukkas, and a single monk. All of which are rarely presented in Dallas, or a price less than full retail (Plus some) ..
4: Fawn over some Lobbs…
I have to wait until the Friday anyway to get to the Crockett Jones Factory, so I may have found what I want. I probably should do shoe shopping before visiting the the Sartorial guide list.. else I’ll need a mortgage..
Anglo-Italian
I’ll be visiting London next weeks and would like to know if you had any recommendation shops that sell Neapolitan suits and jackets. So far, I have gathered Rubinacci and angloitalian
Thanks
Drake’s do a similar style; Trunk has some RTW more casual ones; Fenwick and Richard Gelding have Ring Jacket which is similar. Then there’s Kiton of course
Thanks for this selection, I’ll be in London by the end of the month, and I’ll try to visit a selection of stores. Will there be a PS pop up store at this time? Or is there a place where you stock your friday polos in London?
No, the next pop-up will be in the autumn I’m afraid.
There are no stockists here, but Whitcomb & Shaftesbury carry a size run to enable readers to find the right size, then order online
Hi Simon – when is the next city guide due and is there a shortlist of cities soon to be featured? Also, selfish question, I plan to be in Portugal mid next month for a few weeks, Lisbon is on the agenda, not sure where else. Any shopping suggestions? I’m hoping there is lots to discover given that so many brands (although only Trunk spring to mind at present) have their basics made there.
As always – keep up the good work, I also really enjoyed the interview on the handcut radio podcast last week.
Thanks Nicholas.
I need to do Rome at some stage, but actually beyond that I’m focused on improving the ones we already have, such as Tokyo when I’m there in a couple of weeks.
I’ve been to Lisbon a few times, and while it’s a lovely city, I’m afraid there isn’t a lot of good menswear. Good factories in the country, but not necessarily good menswear retail.
Shame. Thanks for the quick response, looking forward to the Rome city guide.
Thanks for the fantastic list! I will be traveling to London for the first time next month, and plan on stopping by most if not all listed here. May I ask if you have any recommedations for places to source cut lengths of (vintage) suiting fabrics?
No, sorry. Cloth merchants don’t really do that anymore – there are some off Carnaby Street and around Brick Lane, but their quality is very patchy
Simon,
I a traveling to London from the US in a weeks time and will have about two days to “shop”.
I would like to find a good made to measure medium weight flannel suit and if possible and made to order pair of shoes in a style I have never seen before but in Italy last Fall.
What would be your 1-2 recommendations for each.? Thank you. Robert
Hi Robert,
For made to measure, I’d go to Anglo-Italian and Drake’s.
On the shoes, it really depends what those shoes you saw in Italy were like? I’d imagine the style will depend on the brand rather
Maybe a bit of a weird question, but I really don’t know where else to ask – would you know about any places for womenswear worth a visit in London? Specifically for outerwear, a Private White for ladies if you will.
No, sorry. Not my area of expertise – though there simply aren’t places like that really, because women generally buy too much, too cheaply and too fashionably to make it worth it for most companies
Yes, my experience exactly. Well, tough luck I guess. Thanks anyway!
for what its worth robert, i visited private white with my girlfriend and everything we tried looked better on her. she left the store in love with the suede and moleskin jackets.
and she recognized that there was a gap in the market for quality clothes for women as men have
Hi Simon,
Thanks for putting this together. I just moved to London, and it’s nice to have a reference for good menswear retail. Maybe you have addressed it elsewhere on the site, but can you please recommend a good alterationist in London? I received some nice tailored pieces from a family member, and would much rather prefer taking them to someone trusted, then chancing it. Any recommendations are much appreciated. Thank you!
Thanks Austin.
Yes, you can see a piece on alteration places here
Hi, may I pls just ask your recommendation for a sensibly priced London tailor if my tastes are for Italian/Neapolitan style? Thinking suits, tweed sports jackets, flannel trousers etc. Thanks ever so much in advance.
Hi Sam,
If you want Neapolitan bespoke, you’re restricted to tailors that visit from abroad. However, if you’re after made to measure rather than bespoke, then there are some options. I’d suggest looking at Anglo-Italian, and also the list of made to measure tailors I’ve tried here, which includes links to all the reviews of them
Thanks Simon, I’ve actually already got a suit from Anglo-Italian which I’m certainly pleased with, just wondered if there were any alternatives in town worth considering. I’ll take a look at that list.
There aren’t really good Neapolitans that are based here permanently I’m afraid. But if they are travelling, it’s worth looking to one of those
Simon, considering all the coverage you have been doing on shops and RTW in the last years this guide looks nowadays rather petrified and disconnected from the PS timeline even if the ones mentioned stick. It seems like a nice tour through areas such as Marylebone could be put together, or shops you have repeatedly covered like John Simons, BLA etc could be included. Their coverage is scattered around the site.
RTW is particularly practical for travellers and with travel restrictions now ending the update may be timely.
Good point Nico. That was always the problem with these guides – within a couple of years they’re out of date. Maybe I’ll look to slowly update them
ORmonde Jayne Perfumery in The Royal Arcade is a must.
Many thanks for this interesting guide. I just don’t understand how comes Rome is not listed. I can suggest some unmissable shops:1. il Bavero, Tailoring service – via Cola di Rienzo, 2. Guarino Luxury Menswear – via Po, 3. Villa Borghese Boutique, shop and brand – via Po, 4. FG Albertelli – Piazza del Parlamento, 5. Brioni, Tailoring Legends – via dei Condotti
Thank you. I just haven’t got around to visiting yet, but I’ll certainly check these out. Let me know if there are any others you would suggest
With pleasure. Let me know when you dedide visiting, i will take you around
Let me add no 6. Wools Boutique Uomo – via del Governo Vecchio
7.Battistoni, Handmade in Rome since 1946 – via Condotti, 8.Camiceria Mattioli – via della Stelletta
Great list, but unfortunately not up to date anymore. Would it be possible to provide a new list for London since shops like Private White and Nigel Cabourn have closed down? (I wonder why?)
Real McCoys seem to have moved and are now only available via appointment. Very disappointing as there are no appointment slots on weekends…
Do you maybe have some good hints for vintage/2nd hand shops in London as well, Simon?
Thank you very much!
Sorry Severin, these city guides are proving hard to keep up to date – it’s quite a lot of work.
On vintage, unfortunately pretty much all the good ones have closed down. Try Levinson’s