This article has been updated every four years for the past 12 years. It was originally written in 2012, and has had new versions in 2016, 2020 and now 2024.
The number of bespoke tailors we have tried and covered has increased, but the growth peaked somewhere in the middle. Between 2016 and 2020 there were 18 added to the list; this newest version adds six, with some more coming soon.
Those six are:
- Taillour, the popular tailoring house set up by Fred Nieddu
- Assisi, one of my real favourites and based in Korea
- Luca Museo, also from Korea
- B&Tailor, whom we had covered previously but only through a short-lived cooperation with a European tailor
- Vittorio Salino, the ex-head cutter of Liverano in Florence
- And Shibumi, which is the oldest having been covered just after the list was last updated
In the offing are J Mueser’s bespoke offering (benchmade in New York) and the last couple of Koreans.
Most of the names people will be interested in have already been covered. The point of this article is to be a reference for all of those – a way to dip into our previous coverage, and also ask any new questions and comments you may have over which one to choose.
There are links in all the descriptions to posts elsewhere on the site, while the names of the tailors themselves are hyperlinked to their ‘brand’ page, where you can find all posts listed.
There are now 61 tailors, which is too many by anyone’s standards. I wouldn’t recommend that anyone pursue this course with bespoke, or maintain this number of tailors. One to three is more like it (see the post ‘How many tailors do you need?‘).
Anyone that would like to see many of these tailors’ cuts analysed, with consistent measurements, should see the Guide to Tailors Styles. And if you want a more targeted article on who my favourite tailors are, see here.
Remember there is also a separate list for made-to-measure, which I will update later in the year too.
UNITED KINGDOM
Anderson & Sheppard
The biggest exponent of the ‘drape cut’, with soft shoulders and fullness of cloth in the chest and back. Together with a closely cut waist, this gives the illusion of a bigger chest and is very comfortable. Some think that the soft shoulders are unflattering. It is among the cheaper houses on the Row, and I particularly like the double-breasted style as it has a relatively broad lapel with plenty of belly. My suits from A&S were all cut by John Hitchcock, who has now retired.
Benson & Clegg / Oliver Cross
Benson & Clegg were not largely known for their bespoke department, with a stronger reputation for their buttons, cufflinks and braces (they hold the royal warrant to Prince Charles for such things). That changed when Meyer & Mortimer cutter Oliver Cross joined the team, and Oliver made me a green-flannel suit. His style is English structured with some drape – though also with an openness to adapt the make and cut. Since that suit, Benson have largely shut down unfortunately, but Oliver Cross set up on his own – as ‘Ollie’s.
Chittleborough & Morgan
One of the finest finish of any English tailors, learning from the French in their buttonholes among other things, Chittleborough was founded by two cutters from the legendary Tommy Nutter shop, where Edward Sexton was the head cutter. Roy Chittleborough is retired, but Joe Morgan carries on cutting Sixties-inspired suits with large lapels, nipped waists and strong shoulders. My navy suit can be found here.
Dege & Skinner
A highly traditional Savile Row tailor with a rich military history, Dege cuts a strong-shouldered, longer jacket. Still family owned, they have been remarkably consistent as other houses such as Huntsman have changed look or ownership over the years. Cutter Nick De’Ath made me a superb tobacco-linen suit. And although the higher rise of the trousers didn’t quite work out the first time, he was accommodating on several other points. We subsequently made an unstructured summer jacket as well.
Edward Sexton
Edward sadly passed away recently, but the style and house he founded are still going strong. Edward made me a fantastic double-breasted flannel suit and a long grey overcoat. The former has proved very useful and the latter also, after it was shortened rather (by four inches) a year after making. Sexton also offer an offshore service which is partly made in China, which we reviewed here.
Gieves & Hawkes (Davide Taub)
Davide Taub, of whose style I am a big fan, is the head cutter at Gieves. He trained at Maurice Sedwell among other places and tends towards a strong shoulder and silhouette. He is also very innovative, and has made several very original and stylish pieces for me, including my pea coat, leather jacket and gilet. For the purpose of this list, however, the most interesting piece is this green linen suit, which is striking for being light in construction yet sharp in appearance.
Graham Browne
A traditional City tailor in London. This means not making to the same standard as Savile Row, but doing the important things of cutting by hand and working up a personal paper pattern. Graham Browne is great value as as result, and I have had many things made over the years, including my first bespoke suit in London. (Another tailor, Choppin & Lodge, was an offshoot of Graham Browne but no longer exists. That team, together with Dan McAngus from Graham Browne, runs MacAngus & Wainwright.)
Henry Poole
Known as the founded of Savile Row, the Poole style is more moderate and flexible than either A&S or Huntsman. The basic cut is strong and English, however, just with slightly less padding and structure in the shoulder and chest than Huntsman. I had a double-breasted Prince of Wales suit made, which has been quietly superb. It gets more compliments than almost anything else, yet it is conservative in everything by the cloth. (Subsequent to that post, I have had two additional buttons added at the top, and swapped the buttons for brown horn rather than grey.)
Huntsman
The opposite of Anderson & Sheppard in style, with strong, padded shoulders and a closely cut chest. Relatively slim through the waist and with little skirt, it is known for a one-button fastening. Most other English tailors cut this traditional style, with slight variations. I liked the hunting suit I had made by David Ward, though had some problems with the bi-swing back, as the vents stayed open and elastic was added inside to fix that.
Kathryn Sargent
Kathryn used to be the head tailor at Gieves & Hawkes. Her style is, like Poole and others, a traditional English military cut. My travel blazer and trousers were cut by Kathryn Sargent while she was at Gieves. She has since set up her own premises, and made a beautiful tweed jacket for my wife there, which reflected her particular skill in women’s styles.
Kent and Haste
John Kent and Terry Haste work on Sackville Street. Terry was head cutter at Huntsman and his style is very similar; John tends to cut a slightly smaller back and slimmer leg – sharper, in that way. John made my pattern and I have two suits from it, the second cut and fitted by Terry – hence the difference in styles noted above.
Manning & Manning
Bryan Manning is an old tailor who used to work at Kilgour and has operated on his own for several years, meeting clients at Holland & Sherry on Savile Row or in workrooms on Tottenham Court Road. He is good value for money, but the high-twist summer suit he made me had some issues, particularly around the finishing.
Michael Browne
Michael is a young, stylish cutter who deserves credit for many of the good things that happened at Chittleborough & Morgan, before he set up on his own. Michael’s style is similar, but his mode of working – absolutely without compromise, including remaking every fitting himself – is not. His aim has been to produce the best possible garment, no matter what the cost. This means that the beautiful coat he made for me was very expensive, but it makes Michael unique.
PA Crowe
A city tailor, PA Crowe has a small shop near to St Paul’s cathedral. I worked close-by for several years and eventually had a pair of brown flannel trousers made. The results were not perfect, with the persistent issue I have of hollow fronts and bulging rear causing the trousers to lose their sharpness too easily.
Richard Anderson
Richard used to be the head cutter at Huntsman and his cut is similar, though with less padding in the shoulder. One difference is perhaps a more adventurous style; he makes jackets in denim, for example, and wool jersey, and has his own collection of jeans. Richard made me a tuxedo, single breasted with a shawl-collared waistcoat. It was slim and perfectly fitting, though my favourite part was the superb trousers.
Richard James
Ben Clarke at Richard James has been growing the bespoke side of the business, which has its own dedicated premises on Clifford Street. Ben made a brown cashmere jacket for me, waistcoat and trousers, deviating from the normal Richard James style somewhat to make something slightly softer and more casual. The result was very good, both in terms of fit and finish.
Steven Hitchcock
Son of A&S head cutter John Hitchcock, Steven was trained there and his style is very similar. He now lives outside of London but has a workshop and appartment in Fitzrovia where he sees customers. Steven has made me a tweed jacket and moleskin trousers, a beautiful pale-grey jacket from the Lamlana bunch, a fantastic charcoal donegal jacket and a navy cashmere. I would highly recommend him for this style of tailoring.
Taillour
Set up by Fred Nieddu, previously the head cutter at Timothy Everest, Taillour benefits from a high level of Savile Row product and a sense of style that a lot of tailors can often lack. Fred tends towards a wide shoulder and lapel, with little roping in the shoulders, but the whole is subtle and balanced. He travels extensively but is based in East London, near Shoreditch. He has made me a suede belted jacket and brown chalkstripe suit.
Thom Sweeney
A more contemporary cut than most on this list, Thom Sweeney started out offering a particularly short jacket, narrow sleeve and fitted waist. They have moderated their style over the years, but it is still the house that will feel most like a modern designer brand to most in London. They made me a navy checked jacket and cord trousers several years ago, which fit very well (though I somewhat regretted the boldness of the windowpane check).
Timothy Everest
Tim is no longer offering bespoke tailoring, having exited his own business and now involved with Grey Flannel on Chiltern Street. The lovely bespoke operation on Elder Street did spawn Taillour though, covered elsewhere, and when it was open Tim made me a suit and velvet jacket that were both solid, but some minor issues and poor style choices on my part.
Whitcomb & Shaftesbury
Whitcomb & Shaftesbury has an extremely good value service called Classic Bespoke that is cut in London but has much of the making done in a workshop they own and have trained themselves in India. The result is perhaps the best place to start for any full bespoke suit. The full review of the navy worsted suit they made me can be seen here. They have also become my go-to location for bespoke trousers, given that value.
JAPAN
Kenjiro Suzuki
Kenjiro recently moved back to Japan, having been based in France for a long time under his own name, and previous to that the head cutter at Smalto (the other big name in Paris after Cifonelli and Camps de Luca). His style is similar to the other French makers, with little personal touches like the amount of ironing to shape the leg of the trouser. Kenjiro made me a beautiful navy cotton suit. We have covered other Japanese tailors (here) but not had anything made by them.
SOUTH KOREA
Assisi
I was very impressed when I visited Korea in 2023 to see the craftsmen there, and Assisi were probably the one that impressed me most. Relatively young, they have a beautiful sense of style that tends towards the fuller, late 80s or 90s style, but can cut anything. And the execution of the tailoring was fantastic. The only thing they can sometimes lack is trimmings such as buttons, as these have to be imported. They travel to New York for trunk shows, and have made me a tweed jacket and a light-grey suit.
B&Tailor
B&Tailor were the first well-known Korean tailor, and several of the houses today have people who started there. They are also thebiggest. Chad Park leads the house, with his father overseeing the making. He has a great sense of colour and style, though the casual clothing is a little less classic and not to my taste. Chad made me a superb double-breasted overcoat.
B&Tailor/Robin Petterson
This is included more just for the record, as the service no longer exists. But for a while B&Tailor worked in Europe through a Swedish agent, helping serve all those who admired the Korean work from afar. Unfortunately that didn’t work out; my experience was covered here.
Luca Museo
Luca Museo’s style is not that dissimilar to the other Koreans covered here, but it does lead towards the more tonal and perhaps larger in cut. See my review of the navy three-piece suit they made me here for some illustration of that. They’re also as innovative as the other tailors, and have their own very nice knitwear line.
FRANCE
Cifonelli
The biggest of the Parisian tailors, the Cifonelli cut is characterised by a light construction but a strength of shape achieved by a roped shoulder and slim waist. Stunning finishing on the buttonholes, trousers and linings. The Cifonelli designs aren’t always my taste, but the workmanship is among the best in the world. I’ve made several things with them over the years, starting with a tweed jacket. The best have been two overcoats, however, one navy and one brown.
Camps de Luca
Camps de Luca is a small but no less fine Parisian tailor, and made me a beautiful grey two-piece suit with their characteristic closed notch on the lapel and small Milanese buttonhole. Slightly square of shoulder, with a fantastically made trouser and exquisite detailing, they rival Cifonelli in most departments. Although they can seem more classic than Cifonelli, they do also make suede and leather pieces, and some unusual jackets for hot weather.
ITALY
Caliendo
A small, second-generation tailor in Naples. Elia Caliendo is the cutter and his father still does some of the tailoring work. Neapolitan style is fairly consistent, with self-lined jackets in the foreparts, very light construction, shirt shoulders and those curving pockets. The biggest difference between them is quality of finishing and fit, and Elia is good on both. He visits London every month or so, which makes him more expensive than some. I have had a summer jacket a Permanent Style tweed jacket and several other things made by Elia.
Cerrato
A Neapolitan trouser maker with a good reputation – and making trousers for some of the other Neapolitan tailoring houses – Marco Cerrato has started to expand more abroad with his brother in London handling a lot of commissions. Marco has made me a few pairs of trousers, including green cottons and pale-grey cavalry twills. Of the three Neapolitan trouser makers listed here, I’ve had the most consistent positive experience with them.
Ciardi
Renato Ciardi was one of the best-known cutters in Naples, and his sons have admirably carried on his work. Enzo now travels to London, and has become one of my favourite tailors ever, for his character, cut, and consistency. The cut is more traditional Neapolitan, which means slightly longer and more generous in the body and shoulder, while still being soft. My tweed jacket in particular was superb.
Cornacchia
Most areas of Italy have a bespoke tailor or two left, unlike most other parts of the world, including England. In the Puglia area in the south-east, I visited a few and tried out Nicola Cornacchia, who was recommended to me by Vitale Barberis Canonico. The light-grey high-twist suit they made me was not world class, but it was very good, and I’d recommend them to anyone that find themselves in the area.
Dalcuore
Sartoria Dalcuore are a slightly larger tailor in Naples, with a workshop supplying ready to wear garments to places like China and Japan, alongside traditional bespoke. They made me a brown Crispaire suit for the summer among other things, which was beautifully fitted and in a classic Neapolitan style – only lacking a couple of details like fit around the trousers that perhaps could have been corrected at a second fitting.
Ettore de Cesare
Ettore is a lesser-known Neapolitan tailor, but actually with a large workshop and international client base. He tends to cut a shorter, closer-fitting jacket, like many modern tailors, and I have had to fight back against that tendency. But he is a very talented cutter, and achieved great fit on the hopsack jacket and coat he made for me. Also works regularly in suede and leather.
Ferdinando Caraceni
Ferdinando Caraceni, one of four outfits doing bespoke in Milan and Rome under the Caraceni name, made me a cashmere herringbone jacket. A beautifully made piece, it was noticeably more formal than other Italians I had tried – more an unstructured alternative to a Row suit than a rival to Neapolitan casualness. Nicoletta Caraceni is the charismatic head of the house, Ferdinando’s daughter. The next piece, a double-breasted cotton jacket, was even better. Unfortunately, the house closed this year.
Formosa
My experience with Formosa in Naples was not a very good one – but as with other negative experiences, it is hard to tell how much this should be a conclusion about the tailoring house as a whole. Gennaro wanted to try using two younger cutters for my jacket, whom he was training to take over from the senior cutter. What they made was not a good fit, and the subsequent attempt to correct it by the senior team was not sufficient. I eventually gave up on the jacket.
Gaetano Aloisio
One of the biggest names in Romain tailoring, Gaetano has a strong international following. I haven’t had any suits made by him, but US writer Bruce Boyer penned a lovely piece for Permanent Style on his experiences, which can be seen here. His style is more similar to the northern tailors in Italy, but with a slightly softer shoulder expression than either.
Granata
Biagio Granata is a young cutter who set up his own operation a few years ago. Unfortunately, while clearly a good cutter, he suffered from a lack of consistency in visits to London, in execution of styles, and a lack of English. The suit he made for me had a decent jacket, but I never saw the trousers. The tweed jacket he made to improve the situation in the meantime, was a good fit in the top half, but had gaping vents. Hard to recommend on that basis.
Liverano & Liverano
The best-known tailor in Florence, Antonio Liverano cuts a short jacket and slim trousers. The house is quite contemporary in that respect, and has been popularised by the support of The Armoury in New York and Hong Kong. Antonio made me a purple jacket, which was beautifully executed – and a good example of a tailor guiding effectively on cloth. Liverano is very expensive though; cutters such as Vittorio Salino that have left the house offer better value for money.
Musella Dembech
Gianfrancesco Musella was one of the young tailors I brought to our Symposium event in Florence, and no one better deserved the invitation. He is both highly skilled and genuinely innovative, bringing different flavours to the Milanese style. Gianfrancesco made me a navy cotton suit, in the same lightweight cotton as my brown Caliendo. It has striking lapels that I love, and great finishing. I like the style of the single-breasted jackets less.
Panico
Panico is one of the greats of Neapolitan tailoring, and particularly known for his big double-breasted lapels and comfortable cut. I went for a grey-flannel suit, and really liked the style, though single-breasted. That comfort was also striking, with some shape through the waist at the front, but pretty much no suppression in the back. Antonio Panico has since retired however, and I have no experience of the house since.
Pasinato
Massimo Pasinato is a small tailor in the Italian town of Vicenza. He is a good cutter, and embraces technology when it can help him in the fitting process, for example. He made me a nice cavalry-twill suit, and also offers some made-to-measure on his travels. He has been travelling regularly to London, and if you are after a soft Italian suit that is very good value, similar to Vergallo, he is worth considering.
Pirozzi
Nunzio Pirozzi runs a highly regarded tailoring house in Naples, and travels to London, New York and Asia. He made me a tan corduroy suit – very similar to an Anderson & Sheppard DB that I love, but single breasted and in the casual Neapolitan style. The result was very good in terms of fit and execution, but the style was a bit too short and close. A subsequent jacket and suit have been more my style, and I highly recommend the family.
Pommella
Lino Pommella used to be the head trouser cutter at Rubinacci until, as often seems to happen with Rubinacci cutters, he left to set up on his own. In this case, it was with the help of filmmaker Gianluca Migliarotti, and the two have established something of a brand for high-end trousers – doing trunk shows with The Armoury among other places.
Rubinacci
The biggest name in Naples. An interesting take on Neapolitan style, with slightly more closed fronts and sometimes padding through the ends of the shoulders. Rubinacci’s strength is its styling, rather than execution or value. The cashmere Donegal jacket I had made from an old 70s cloth was good, with a great make and ok fit. But it was Luca’s recommendation of the bronze-green lining that made it for me.
Salvatore Ambrosi
Salvatore Ambrosi is easily the best known trouser maker, travelling to lots of cities and working with shops like Brycelands. Salva makes to a very high level, better than most Neapolitans, with lovely hand detailing. He also has style, which helps rather with commissions. My experience was quite inconsistent though, with a few mistakes along the way.
Shibumi
Shibumi is mostly a tie company, founded by Benedikt Fries and based in Florence. I’d highly recommend their ties – they always seemed to tie the perfect knot – but he also used to run a well-priced bespoke offering, which Benedikt fitted but was made by a local tailor. Since Benedikt moved to Japan the service is no longer offered, but he made me a slightly boldly checked suit here.
Solito
One of the biggest names in Neapolitan tailoring. Gennaro Solito is a great cutter; he speaks no English but his son, Luigi, does. Their style is typical Neapolitan although they do a large number of regular (not shirt) shoulders too. Luigi has made me a few jackets since he started visiting London with Neapolitan shirtmaker Luca Avitabile, including the first – a lightweight green sports jacket. The make hasn’t always been great, with a few things needing repairs, but he is also a little cheaper than others.
Vergallo
A local tailor from the town of Varese, north of Milan, Vergallo has become a bigger name in tailoring since cutter Gianni Cleopazzo began travelling to London. A north Italian style, so softer than English but sharper than the Neapolitans, Vergallo made me a navy cashmere suit and houndstooth jacket. There is an openness on style and cut; not the highest level of make among Italians, but good value.
Vestrucci / Stefano Bemer
Loris Vestrucci was a retired tailor, brought out of hiding by Tomasso Melani and Tomasso Capozzoli of Stefano Bemer shoes, in order to create a new bespoke tailoring house. Vestrucci has a claim to make the original Florentine suit, and his tailoring is soft but elegant, with rounded hips and relatively closed quarters. He made me a charcoal-flannel suit but the operation has shrunk since, focusing more on MTM and going under the Bemer name.
Vittorio Salino
Vittorio Salino is a Florence-based tailor who used to be the head cutter at Liverano & Liverano. He makes a largely Florentine-style garment with a high level of execution and some great personal style (he is a fan of vintage clothing among other things). For that style of tailoring I would highly recommend him. He made my a herringbone tweed jacket here, which was perfect except for a little big in the waist. That has subsequently been slimmed down.
Zizolfi
Ciro Zizolfi was introduced to me by Gianluca Migliarotti, the filmmaker and long-time client. Ciro cuts a fairly traditional Neapolitan jacket, which means a comfortable fit, a little padding in shoulders, and overall a little longer and squarer than others. The great fit of my dark-green tweed jacket can be see in the images on that post.
SPAIN
Calvo de Mora
The best of the three Spanish tailors I tried, Calvo de Mora made a closely fitted grey jacket, a self-backed grey donegal waistcoat, and green cotton trousers. The jacket was quite close through the skirt and soft in the shoulder, although not as casual as a Neapolitan make. Unfortunately Calvo don’t travel to London or anywhere else regularly. They are the most expensive of the Spanish tailors here, perhaps inevitably given the quality.
Langa
Sastreria Langa are best known for their shirtmaker, Mariano, who has a long and storied list of customers. The shirt he made was well-fitted, if quite formal and stiff in the collar, with a good deal of handwork. The linen suit cut by Joaquin was a lovely piece, largely because of the colour of the Scabal linen. The jacket itself could have been made better and there was an issue with the shoulders – partly due to trying to create a Neapolitan look.
Reillo
Reillo is a small tailor – one cutter, Jose Maria, with some help with making at the back of the shop. Like Langa he is good value for money, although the green cotton suit that we made together suffered rather in the shoulders. Partly, as with Langa, this was due to trying to create a very soft, Neapolitan-style jacket, which is not the natural style the Spanish tailors were trained on.
HONG KONG
The Anthology
A team based in Hong Kong, Taipei and London, but using a tailoring workshop in China. There have been many tailors over the years that have relaunched and rebranded in Hong Kong, making use of young tailoring enthusiasts, but The Anthology is one of the best. Modern, with a generous cut and great style (thanks to founder Buzz Tang). Some small hangovers from cheaper production, but good value and a cut that I particularly like and find flattering. The Anthology team made me a grey-herringbone tweed suit.
E.Italian
Back in the days when I travelled to Hong Kong a lot, and had less money, I tried three or four different cheap HK tailors. Edward Tam at E.Italian was the best, at around £300 for a suit. That will have gone up now, and the cut was rather boxy but if you’re insistent, it can be a good choice for the price. Cut by hand and made by hand, with a fitting or two required. Not to anywhere near the same standard as bespoke elsewhere (try WW Chan or similar for that) but not a rip-off 24-hour tailor either.
Prologue
Prologue is a Hong Kong shop making in China – now in its own workshop – with a good, modern sense of style. Similar to The Anthology in that respect, but deliberately making at a slightly lower level in order to be as accessible as possible. Jerry and the Prologue team have made me a green summer jacket and a heavy glen-check winter one.
WW Chan
One of the best-known tailors in Hong Kong, and the only old name that has really adapted to the modern growth of interest in bespoke – thanks in no small part to The Armoury. They also make for Bryceland’s, however, and it was trying the Bryceland’s cut that made me commission a jacket from WW Chan. The result was very good, and I’d highly recommend them. They also do MTM through Bryceland’s which I have covered separately.
AMERICAS
Paolo Martorano
Paolo is a young tailor in New York – a place with a historic lack of resident tailors – but with lots of experience in tailoring factories and shops, having helped run the custom programme at Paul Stuart for several years. His natural style is for an English-derived, drapey cut, but he is also very flexible and enjoys making things that fit customer ideas. He is not a cutter, but unlike many in New York, he does employ a cutter and tailor, who work off-site. The two blazers he has made me have been superb.
Sr Francesco
Sr Francesco was an Italian tailor resident in Toronto, Canada. After working on his own there for many years, he was brought into the new Leatherfoot store when it opened, and given his own workshop. The store promoted his tailoring, and took him on trunk shows to New York. Unfortunately the store has subsequently closed. Sr Francesco made me a double-breasted donegal-tweed jacket, which I haven’t covered on the site as he is no longer available to customers outside Toronto.
