No city holds a richer legacy in men’s tailoring than London, and no street symbolizes this legacy more than the iconic Savile Row. Located in the heart of upscale Mayfair, Savile Row has long stood as the pinnacle of precision, elegance, and exclusivity. For centuries, it has housed elite tailoring establishments that have suited up everyone from royals and business magnates to Hollywood legends. This enduring legacy has defined global standards in menswear. Today, while Savile Row remains a stronghold of traditional craftsmanship, a new generation of tailors is emerging—redefining British menswear for the modern man.
In recent years, casual attire has dominated men’s fashion, especially following the global embrace of comfort during the pandemic and the long-standing influence of streetwear. Even before that, “casual Fridays” in the 1990s began shifting office culture. Now, as companies encourage employees to return to physical workspaces, trends like “corpcore” and “office sirens” are bringing formalwear back into style, especially among younger professionals seeking fresh takes on the classics.
Stepping up to meet this shift is a new wave of independent menswear brands. These younger labels, often based in London’s trendier neighborhoods, are expanding the definition of British tailoring. They fuse traditional British craftsmanship with contemporary European ease—most notably Italian styling—while cultivating more dynamic, personal relationships between tailor and client.
Matt Hranek, founder of the men’s lifestyle magazine WM Brown and owner of multiple Savile Row suits, sees value in both the old and the new. “The grand Savile Row houses are beautiful and romantic, and they have the patterns of movie stars,” he says. “But I do think they can be on the strict and unyielding side of tailoring.” He points to iconic institutions like Huntsman—immortalized in the Kingsman films—and Gieves & Hawkes, long associated with the Royal Family. These houses uphold conservative styles that can be both awe-inspiring and somewhat rigid.
Hranek admits that the traditional experience, though rich in heritage, sometimes doesn’t align with his personal preferences. “The craft is incredible,” he notes, “but to be honest with you, I end up taking things to my tailor in New York for finishing.” He favors a softer, more relaxed silhouette—like a less-structured shoulder—that gives the garment a lived-in appeal, something harder to achieve within the framework of Savile Row’s classical norms.
What makes today’s emerging tailors so compelling, according to Hranek, is their adaptability and customer-first mindset. “I think they’re better at listening to what the customer wants,” he explains. He praises brands like Anglo-Italian for striking this balance. “You end up shopping at modern suiting brands like Anglo-Italian if you like their house style—which I really do. I like the tone, I like the philosophy, I like the use of material—but they’re going to listen to you. They’re more open to evolving a design to fit someone’s personal tastes. Just because brand X has a shoulder that has been constructed the same way for 100 years doesn’t mean it shouldn’t adapt.”
Among the standouts in this new movement is Drake’s. Originally established in the 1970s as a producer of scarves and handmade ties, the brand experienced a revival under the leadership of creative director Michael Hill starting in 2010. Drake’s now offers a complete line of menswear that it describes as “relaxed elegance,” including softly tailored jackets and expressive knitwear. Its aesthetic merges youthful vitality with the polish of British tradition, and it draws inspiration from American prep to create a hybrid style all its own. Collaborations with buzzed-about brands like Aimé Leon Dore have helped cement Drake’s relevance in today’s fashion landscape.
In a symbolic move, Drake’s relocated its flagship store in 2022 from Clifford Street to Savile Row itself, ushering in a younger, more casual clientele to the street traditionally dominated by conservative suiting. The brand’s offerings, notably more affordable than traditional bespoke options, are drawing in a new audience who may have previously found Savile Row intimidating or financially inaccessible.
Ultimately, this new breed of London tailors is not just preserving the city’s sartorial heritage—they’re reinvigorating it. With brands like Anglo-Italian offering thoughtful blends of global aesthetics, and Natalino delivering Italian-inspired tailoring at accessible prices, these innovators are making British menswear feel fresh, relevant, and unmistakably contemporary.
Their success lies in their ability to reinterpret legacy rather than reject it. They honor the craftsmanship and attention to detail that built London’s tailoring reputation, while updating the experience to reflect today’s lifestyles and preferences. In doing so, they ensure that British tailoring not only endures—but flourishes—in the era ahead.
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