Semi-Bespoke in Sackville Street
The oldest tailors of all looks to expand its offerings into the made to measure arena – Meyer & Mortimer semi-bespoke will be the result
Article by Rupert Watkins
History flows through the veins at Meyer & Mortimer’s premises on Sackville Street. From working with a certain Mr Brummell to transfer the buckle from military overalls to civilian pantaloons – and thus start the evolution of the modern trouser, to the extraordinary Orders Book detailing many customers who fell in battle at Waterloo, tradition and sartorial pedigree are integral to this august firm. However, with ever-changing demographics and an evolving tailoring environment, the house is looking to carefully expand into a fresh area – made to measure.
Chatting with Oliver Cross, one of the house’s cutters who is heading up this new project, Meyer & Mortimer is keen to have an entry level into bespoke for young professionals. With almost a third of their business aged 35 or under, there is a strong basis of custom on which to build renewed interest. The firm has thought long and hard about how to offer something unique in this segment of the market and has created what it calls semi-bespoke. At its core, it is made to measure created to a block pattern but with significant differences which Oliver hopes set it above competitors.
Approximately two-thirds of the garment will be made in the factory. Meyer & Mortimer are using Wensum Tailoring in Norwich. This semi-finished garment will be returned to Sackville Street where not merely the obvious final alterations – sleeve and leg lengths, narrowing across the shoulders – will be finished off, but all button holes, final collar positioning and edge stitching will be completed by hand in the house’s basement workrooms by the same team that create their full bespoke garments. Unlike some made-to-measure tailors, Meyer & Mortimer will offer a full range of trouser styles inclusive in the price, from a low-waisted, contempory cut to the very traditional English high-cut fishtailed back made for braces.
The Meyer & Mortimer house cut is slightly waisted, with shallow armholes and a gentle flair to the coat. Given the firm’s historic connection with military tailoring there is a strong service dress influence on this house style. The aim at all times is to find the natural waist of the client to allow the coat and silhouette to be in proportion with the build of the wearer.
Oliver stressed the search to find the right factory to take on this new area was extensive; they considered many companies in the UK and abroad. He and the rest of the cutters in Sackville Street were impressed at the quality of Wensum’s garments; very clean and Oliver was particularly struck by the finish of the collars and lapels. In this current environment where the provenance of what people buy is ever more important, and social media very fast to take those who are not transparent about this to task, he notes that Wensum do have a production factory abroad in Mauritius (as yet unvisited). The first block patterns will be Wensum ones created with Sackville Street input but the goal once the product is established and popular will be to replace these with specific Meyer & Mortimer blocks for the factory to work from.
All of the cutters at the firm will handle both full- and semi-bespoke work, though Oliver hopes that over time there will be enough specific work for semi-bespoke to exist as a separate division within Sackville Street. However, with starting prices at £1,600 (as opposed to the approximate £900 most comparable tailors elsewhere will charge for their made to measure option) will the extra £700 buy a superior suit? Given the made-to-measure arena is an increasingly crowded space, Meyer & Mortimer are looking at offering a unique approach to this service. The basic level of finish for the block-cut suit allows a lot of scope for true bespoke touches. The collars and button holes will be finalised and finished by hand in Sackville Street. A full, floating canvas will be standard as opposed to the half canvas many made-to-measure specialists offer (though some others will offer a full canvas option). The completed suit will be hand-pressed on site by the same person who does the house’s full bespoke work.
The semi-bespoke is still in its trial stages. Oliver expects similar trends in shape and cut to transfer to this new service from what they currently see in Sackville Street. He reckons the classic two-button block they have created with Wensum will be far and away the most popular with three button and double-breasted making up a small percentage of the overall output. ‘People are becoming ever more aware and educated about both style and the nature and traditions of tailoring’, he comments. As such, lapels, for example, are returning to a more classical proportion from their slimline 1960s-esque peak a few years ago. “Look at tweed; ten years ago it was barely worn – now it is everywhere from H&M to the backs of Mumford & Sons”. Far from men’s fashion becoming an insubstantial smorgasbord of transient whims, people desire quality and longevity and thus lasting style and elegance.
Meyer & Mortimer plan to offer a six- to eight-week turnaround including all alterations for this new service. Oliver hopes that over time, it will evolve into a substantial and distinct part of the business. The initial emphasis is on suits, although a block for a dinner jacket is being worked up. Should the new offering mature, there is a tentative plan to include an overcoat block into the range. The house does a small amount of women’s tailoring, there is as yet no plan to offer semi-bespoke here though.
Times change. From Beau Brummel’s buckles to grappling with the new arena – and fresh competition – of the made-to-measure world, Meyer & Mortimer continue their stately but ever-evolving progress. 
Enquiries: Meyer & Mortimer, 6 Sackville Street, London W1S 3DD / 0207 7343135 / [email protected] / www.meyerandmortimer.com/