I had a fitting last week on a jacket at Timothy Everest. A summer jacket, in entirely the wrong season, but I get these timings so wrong that I’ve ceased worrying about it. I didn’t have enough lightweight jackets this past summer, so I ordered one for next. If I left it until Spring I’d only forget.

Afterwards I wandered around the various floors of Tim’s Spitalfields atelier, and it occurred to me that I’ve spoken most in the past about the design aesthetic that makes Tim unique. But lots of people design; they are called designers. The important thing to remember about Tim is that he is a tailor that approaches design, rather than the other way around. It makes a fundamental difference to the quality of the output and the types of designs.



This is best reflected in the various people busying themselves around the place. Pictured, upstairs, is Cassie, who has just finished her apprenticeship as a coatmaker. She’s been at Timothy Everest for about a year, having previously started her apprenticeship at a Savile Row house. One of the reasons she loves working here, she says, is the atmosphere. And you can see why, as casual chatter floats in from next door and you glance out of the window at the sunny garden below. Here Cassie is stitching on and then pressing the collar of a jacket, trying to get the tension right.


That chatter is coming from Lloyd, head cutter (above), who is working on a series of pinstripe suits for a movie star (who will remain nameless). Undercutter Rhiannon is on the board opposite (and pictured top), marking out a similarly striped suit for the same character. And then behind them we have Laura (pictured below), who is affixing some rather affecting braiding to a black trouser. Apparently the Mayfair branch has some rather extrovert clients.


Missing from the picture montage is Annika, the senior coatmaker, who generally does the complicated work on things like Tim’s travel blazers. They require saddle stitching in two rows round all the edges, which takes time. About three days to make the whole jacket, in fact. Then there are two trouser makers in the basement and one more coatmaker across the road.

It’s a lovely little clubhouse, and I do wish every tailor on Savile Row had this kind of space to create their own, unique atmosphere.

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Anonymous

Tom ‘Runt’ Cruise?
Harold.

Art

This is an interesting report, thank you very much. I like this approach.
I have read of similar, more design oriented tailors in Soho (Mr. Powell and Mr. Kerr) but have never had the chance of visiting any of them.
How do the suits of Mr. Everest “wear”, e.g. what makes them different to you personally compared to those of Mr. G. Browne?

pmarks@travelers.com

Hi Simon,
First of all let me say how much I enjoy your site. Over the years I have had a fairly mixed experience with bespoke tailoring but am looking to commission a bespoke hopsack jacket for the summer. I am lucky enough to live close to Tim Everests work shop and have had several discussions with staff in the new shop they have opened on Redchurch St, but couldn’t see any discernible house style in any of the RTW clothes. Interestingly as a result of all the information that abounds about bespoke tailoring I have got somewhat fixated about high armholes light padding etc. I wondered what your thoughts were about your experiences with Tim. Thanks
Paul

Frank

I have had a couple of jackets made by TE. The team is good at finding out what suits you, i.e. the “bespeaking” part. They are not orthodox either, they love colours and checks. But then I had smaller issues with the make of each jacket. Those were dealt with in a good and pleasant way, but costed extra time and it made me decide not to continue with them. My impression is that the team of artisans is good, but the management seems to be focussing on other things than bespoke, perhaps at becoming a brand? I found that the dedication to the craft, the precision and service is at another level in the house I use now.

pmarks@travelers.com

Thank you both for your comments which are extremely interesting. One final point – there appears to be quite a difference in price between TE and other tailors. TE’s price for a fully bespoke hopsack jacket is around £2,000 whereas during a recent visit to Norton & Sons the price based upon apparently similar cloth was circa £3,200.

Anonymous

That must be the price without VAT? If I remember right I paid between 2,300 and 2,800 incI. VAT., the more expensive having a better and stronger finishing around the inner pockets with more hand stitching, something you can chose to have or not. They are lovely jackets, British definitely but not stiff and as mentioned before the people are pleasant to deal with.

pmarks@travelers.com

Hi I checked with them and that price does include VAT. Whilst previously there I looked at another cloth by Scabal which was certainly in the £2,300 range so I am guessing its just the clothe I choose.

Frank

That is a good price. As said, my last sports jacket had more detailed hand work around the inner pocket (hand stitching by Annika) and also the pockets were set in the fabric, which wasn’t the case with the first jacket. They’ll present you with those options when talking through all details after you have chosen the cloth. TEs jackets are softer compared to the more structured sports jackets from certain SR houses, but still have a British look (e.g. the shoulders), which I prefer. And they are comfortable. One detail is that TEs jackets have open front quarters, I like the look but think they go best with higher rise trousers as otherwise the shirt, tie or buckle belt will look through when buttoned up. I did not have higher waist trousers at that time… It is a detail, I know but it embarrassed me subsequently until I got the right trousers. Good luck and enjoy the process!

pmarks@travelers.com

Hi Frank,
Thank you for your post which is again very helpful. A quick question for you. Would you consider Simon’s suit from Whitcomb to have open quarters ? I think that I would and its not a look that I prefer. For years I had my suits made at Connie and Lockie in Lamb’s Conduit Street and never gave much thought to the shape of the jacket – the owner Simon ( now sadly passed away ) had very fixed views as to how a jacket should look and in those days I was too busy to give too much thought to clothes. Then a recent and not successful trip for a blazer to a ‘lower end’ city tailor made me think about shape and particularly high arm holes etc. My body shape is not unlike Simon’s. Is it possible to have a close fitting jacket with closed quarters ? This is something I need to raise with Fred at TE when I go in.
Thanks again. Paul

pmarks@travelers.com

Thank you Simon, and may I say that the Whitcomb suit looks excellent on you – really great fit. Once I have my TE jacket made I shall head over there and give them a try.
Paul

Nick

Hi Simon, I was wondering if you could share some thoughts on Timothy Everest now that you have a wider range of experiences of bespoke. I quite like some of their stuff eg Aleks Cvetkovic’s new jacket has really nice lapels to my mind but it appears that some reviews mention issues. I suppose what I am really asking is who would you reccomed for a tweed jacket in London if I am looking for something a bit softer, perhaps with the option of pairing it with jeans.