Why Bespoke Savile Row Suits Are So Expensive | So Expensive | Insider Business
For over 200 years, tailors have been crafting high-end bespoke suits on London's famous Savile Row. A custom-made two-piece suit can cost £6,000. And while a tailor's tools are simple, the skills needed to turn a paper pattern into a pressed suit takes years to master. We followed Kathryn Sargent, the first female Master Tailor on Savile Row, to find out how she crafts a bespoke suit - and to learn what makes Savile Row suits so expensive.
Kathryn Sargent Bespoke Tailoring: www.kathrynsargent.com/
0:00 Intro
1:03 What is a bespoke suit
2:46 Suit consultation
4:02 Paper pattern
5:13 Suit fabric
7:51 Sewing the suit
8:44 Suit Fitting
10:10 Finishing and pressing the suit
11:37 The final suit
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How A Savile Row Master Tailor Makes A £6,000 Suit
A Dutch guy went to Savile row in 1939 to order a suit. Right after that the war broke out and he was unable to return until 1945. When he walked in, the tailor said, "Excellent timing, Sir. Your suit will be ready on Monday."
My grandfather was a tailor and my grandmother a seamstress, my mother (aunts and uncles) always looked polished and like movie stars. It's such a beautiful career, from humble clothe to expensive garment
especially when you think about how relatively cheap fabric is compared to actual clothing. If you know how to make clothing you can make things that exceed anything a designer brand can wish to create. Only limit is custom made fabrics
Very similar in my family! Grandmother a seamstress, great uncle a tailor, great grandfather a tailor, great-great grandfather a tailor. When I turned 35, I decided to start teaching myself dressmaking, and I'm working on my own suit jacket now (all-be-it a much more modest one that what was shown here lol).
@@tayk-47usa41exactly why its a steal when you know a good tailor that can do bespoke. I know this one couple and i will order the same armani cloth from a chinese factory itself that makes it for armani. Then they would do the suit for me. The quality of the suit looks and feels like a couple of grand when in reality i just paid like 20 bucks or so for the material and 300 for the labor.
Well my mother was a tailor. She sawed my new blue jeans
@@wenceslaobunge6557... Didn't she live near The House of the Rising Sun... ❤
My dad was a Saville Row tailor, I learned so much from him, it just mesmerised me how he put a suit together, not a single pattern, no diagrams, all out of his head. One thing he would never do is put a zipper in the trousers, always button fly, even if the client requested a zip, but they were always happy with the end results. What an amazing tailor he was.
Why won't he put a zipper in the trousers?
@@leowzhilin not sure about OP's dad, but button flies tend to lie flatter and are much more durable than zippers. it is also more traditional and looks more sophisticated which may have a bigger influence since he was a saville row tailor.
Funny how people who live on social media overthinks that many people live the lives they only thinks happen on a computer screen or a phone. Not everybody lives in the gutter😏
I have a button fly levis its a pain when ur drinking and go to the bathroom a lot. So this is where the idea that button is classy comes from. Snobs.
Good for you. I also have levis. Many trough mye life. Snobby jeans I call them
My mother was a seamstress trained in both male and female clothing, as a kid we never bought off the rack, mum made everything , she was wonderful ...God rest her soul❤
I bet all your classmates were jealous on picture day
no she wasn't. stop making up stories for attention
and I bet she made you clothes that didn't look like anything off the rack people probably asked "where did you get that" ?
@@user-rw8rc3yp9d You need to go outside and touch some grass if you think it highly unlikely that someone watching a tailoring video would have a seamstress mother lol
@@afrenchguardsman6121 you say 'touch grass' unironically. you lose incel
Started my apprenticeship (jackets)in Savile Row when I was 15, 76 now and still at it, might get the hang of it one day.
That’s amazing!
@@tinykass, Even more amazing was seeing the Beatles play on the roof of Apple studios when as apprentices we were having lunch on the roof of our building,
Perhaps you can share some tips for a young tailor like myself.
@@TheMichbo, decide whether you want to earn lots of money or make a garment everybody stands back and says Wow.
This video brought bsck a Iot of memories. I remember my uncle used to have custom suits made almost every year. He treated it like christmas. He was excited all year for it. Not always London but a lot of time in Asia. Once i remember him telling us one of his asian tailors (i can't remember where, probably HK) was going out of business so he gifted him money to buy his residence and kept his business running for years. One year, he offered to fly me my brother and sister overseas to London to vacation because he was going for a fitting, but my parents wouldn't let us go. He also repeatedly tried to gift a custom tailoring for my dad but he never wanted one. For some reason he used to get upset about it. He loved family, suits and gardening. Sadly he died alone because of covid. 😢
He lived a good life and made an effort to give happiness too. I'm sure he's in a good place right now. ❤
The Chinese giveth and the Chinese taketh away
@KCJbomberFTW your mother made the wrong choice to keep you.
@@alimfuzzy I mean that’s wayy meaner😅
wtf is wrong with your parents ?
Designer clothes are generally overpriced and under made but these handmade suits are well worth the money if you have it to spare when you see how much time and effort goes into each one.
There's a lot of these high end things which really do make a difference, where it fits just a little bit better, it lasts a little bit longer, it feels a little bit better. All culminating in you standing a little bit taller. I don't spend 6000 dollars for a suit (I don't even own a suit), but there are definitely times when I splurge on a higher quality option because it just feels better to use.
@@AnonyMous-pi9zm There are* a lot of high-end things ...
@@einundsiebenziger5488There *am* a lot of high end things...
I can't imagine having that kind of money. It seems obscene, when the money could be used to help so many people.
@@guitarslim56helping people is always a good deed but no one should be obligated to help anyone with their own money especially when they worked hard for their money. Sometimes it’s good to spend a little more on luxuries to reward yourself for your hard work.
As a tailor myself, not working as one anymore, I have to say that shapening and creating the padding was always relaxing but also really annoying to do😂🙈. A big shoutout to all the tailors and seamstresses which are mostly really underpaid for their craftsmanship. Sewing and tailoring a jacket is a talent and needs years of practicing.
Lol, seems like things haven't changed much for tailors for over 200 years. I've read accounts of 18th century tailors, despite working with some well-to-do clients, barely scraping by with their wage. The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter springs to mind.
I trained as a dressmaker in Germany. Different to men’s tailoring we’re “allowed” to use fusible interlining. That cuts the time to make as classic two piece suit to roughly 30-40 hours. That’s just the sewing, consultation, fittings and cutting adds to that. I’m currently learning the techniques shown in the video and it’s very interesting but adds a lot of time to my normal process. Totally worth it! What I like especially is how these techniques give you way more control over the fall of lapels and such as it’s all done by hand. The way I was taught during my apprenticeship was a lot more industrial and therefore not as precise. I love the craft and hope more people would invest in a tailored pieces.
I hope that you have great success in life. Good for you for learning an art form 👏👏👏👏👏
My mum worked in the rag trade in the 1940s doing the hand embroidery on couture gowns and she was only 14 when she started. Mind you she had been taught by nuns how to sew and her work was stunning. She made so many of our clothes as we were growing up to help save money and she would have loved to have had the opportunity to learn tailoring. She made my wedding dress taking bits from three different patterns (bodice from one, neckline from another, skirt from a third), making her own paper pattern, then a muslin of the dress before even touching the silk I had bought for it, and also made costumes for a local theatre group and so on. I also knew the rule about never touching mum's cutting shears from a very young age! They were a silver colour and very heavy and were NEVER to be used to cut anything but cloth!
I can attest to how precious good shears are. One Christmas, my parents got me a nice pair. Said they tested them out on paper beforehand to make sure they were sharp 😂🤦♀️
@@craven5328 OMG! Paper is the worst thing to cut them with!!
@skwervin1 I know lol! Thankfully they still seemed OK!
We have a tailoring business started by my great grandfather in Burma during the British era in the Indian subcontinent. We used to cater mostly to the British clientel. During the 2nd world war my grandfather crossed over to Calcutta and started the business and presently my father is the master tailor. He started his work in 1971 when he was in his teens . We work with the same tools the lady uses in the videos.
Hello! Can you share the details of the shop where your father is working in Calcutta? I am looking to make a suit.
I would also love to know mate
My grandma was a seamstress here in Italy, she used to have all these amazing fabrics and every type of buttons and accessories all around the house, it was mesmerising. Thank you for bringing back the memories.
Their cost has to do with a number of things. The number of hours need to create the suit varies, but it can easily be 80 hours or more. The rents on the Row (and London generally) are also very high. If you want a cheaper bespoke suit you can go to Savile Row trained tailors in other UK cities. The fabric used can also lead to a high price. Some bolts of cloth cost thousands of pounds and you need several meters to make a suit.
I totally understand when she explained the shear scissors. My grandmum used to tailor her own garments, and when i need to use scissors to cut anything, i will immediately went to her sewing machine and use her scissors. Its damn heavy but the cutting is precise. And its so satisfying
My grandmother made wedding dresses and I was taught to never touch the scissors. My family knows the same rule, only cut cloth with sewing shears.
... I will immediately go* ...
Over 30 years ago my husband had a bespoke wool (so we were told) suit made for him OVERNIGHT whilst we were on honeymoon in Thailand. He wore it for about 15 years and was complimented on it!
Had a custom suite from Saville Row in 2017 for a wedding; the fitment and feel is just unparalleled.
@@Legend_6_9 Wasn't my marriage, was my Brothers. Yes he's still married lol
... fitment and feel are* unparalleled.
Watching her work with such passion is really inspiring.
3:40 “Every man that I make a suit for wants to look like James Bond” 😂😂😂 hilarious
I just had my very first bespoke suit for my new job. Such a wonderful experience.
Love people who take pride in their craft!
So worth it! Men with beautifully tailored suits just instantly look so much more handsome 😍
If i buy a $6000 suit i promise u im not gaining or losing weight ever...😮.. im just the size i am forever and im wearing that same outfit everyday like a cartoon character
the proper way to wear a suit is slighlty loose. As it is tailored made to your body structure, it will have compliance for a few extra kilos. And generally there are a couple cm of extra fabric to modify is later. They are supposed to stand +10 years, refitting is a service tailors propose.
Good point. Kathryn actually made a suit in 2007 and I can still fit in it though I have to fast for about a day and half 5:06 to get into it. Ideal weight for me to wear it is 180-185: and I am presently at 194-boo. Still, I have got my money's worth out of it as I have worn it about a 100 times and it is still in good shape 17;years later.
@@chuckbuckbobuck thats quality
@@MrJreed1000Agreed. Wore my Chestnut Herringbone suit today for a special event and it looks great on me. Made by Davide Taub of Gieves &:Hawkes. Best tailor in the world bar none.
Dream on.
Had a black cashmere suit made in Thailand,took 3 days including a fitting £150 & felt very good.
He looks so happy in his suit. Like I love seeing how confident and happy he is when he sees himself in his new suit. His body language is just so happy and healthy
6,000 pounds spent on a garment seems outrageous but it makes more sense to spend that on a suit you will wear over and over than on a wedding gown you only wear for a few hours on one day.
It's pocket change to these rich people. Kind of like you having $15.00 in your pocket and spending $2.00 on a candy bar.
Agreed. When I first heard how much these suits cost I was shocked, but if they are worn for many years due to the quality I guess it's worthwhile!
Yep, my late grandmother was also a well known tailor in our town and made all her grandchildren clothes. She made me a 3 piece suit when I was only 6 years old, but sadly passed away the next year due to cancer.
The craftsmanship is spectacular!
This has to be one of the best videos in this series
Putting a suit together takes a lot of strength. There are many curves in a suit pattern where the fabric has to be pressed and stretched before being sewn. And stretching takes A LOT OF STRENGTH, which is why most suit tailors are men. Or at least that's what my sewing instructor told me.
This used to be the case as well with corsetry. I've made a few corsets for myself in my day, but I can't imagine the wear and tear it would have on my body if that was my full-time job!
You’re definitely paying for the experience too. It adds to your confidence level no doubt
9:18 I can see why this takes so long to master. The special tailoring code itself is incredibly complicated. A short line means shorter A cross means longer
This is the same logic as "a plus sign means add and a minus sign means subtract, all of math is so easy y'all" jfc 🤦🏼♂️
The closest I've got to this was having Mess Kit and Blues tailored in the Army. I imagine the fully bespoke service to be a fantastic experience.
I am a seamstress myself, but, allways felt like missing something... recently realize that, my true pasion is with male clothing; so I decided to go for tailoring. ❤
The energy in this video is contagious. I'm hyped!" 😍I can't stop watching this video! It's addicting.💯👋👋👋
As a former customer of Brooks Bros, I've long held a profound admiration for their made-to-measure suits, which, in my view, radiate sheer elegance. Astonishingly, my understanding of Savile Row suits remained rather limited until I stumbled upon this enlightening feature. This newfound insight into Savile Row's craftsmanship was nothing short of captivating. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Insider Business for this brilliantly executed story.
Very cool, can I have some money?
Bespoke suits and MTM suits are two totally different animals.
Nothing like it. I have 6 SR suits and though I have no need for them in super casual and sloppily dressed CA I find a reason to wear them. In fact I am wearing one tomorrow to see my Savile Row tailor ( G & H) who is in Los Angeles to take my second fitting of my 7th SR suit. Mid-Greyy worsted with a black pin- stripe accent. Going a little out on this one and need to buy a black silk shirt to go with it though I rarely wear black or silk shirts.
I wanted to hate this and berate the insane amounts of money spent on these suits, but uhm, dude at the end looked really good in his suit. Like really good 😂🤣👌🏽
Richard looks great. I'm just happy to see businesses like these still going strong.
there are a lot of these in that area of London. They are doing fine
Very inspiring. I remember my tailoring class at fashion college in NYC many years ago LOL!
When you think about the decades required to hone her craft and this is her full time job, on top of the fact that she's tailored for the King, I'm amazed she is even willing to entertain the idea of charging only 4000 quid for what could be several month's work.
I also struggle to believe she'd charge such a small price, though I doubt she is in reality - this video was just fantastic publicity.
@@activeone I doubt she's working on only one suit at a time.
Excellent video. Thanks so much!!
You could do a whole ASMR video with the sound of those shears cutting!!! LOVELY!!
I am a apprentice same as Emma, and work closely with the head of the department to ensure proper fit. It’s a fun job, and fun to be around people who are also passionate about the work they conduct.
Like a fine restaurant where the food is important but the service even more so, getting a bespoke suit from Saville Row means fine clothes and even finer service from experts and artisans.
This was great. Congrats Kathryn.
I like the noise the scissors make too. It's a comfortable sound.
I am totally envious of the shears!😊
Tailoring is such a beautiful profession. Takes a life time to master but is incredibly impressive to watch people do
The real Kingsmen tailors.
Kingsman is based on a specific tailor called huntsman
My friends uncle turned up at her wedding in a kingsman suit it was beautiful, me in my ready to wear Italian guabello light gray 3 piece suit he just out shone me haha
what an art. beautiful.
Sehr informativ. Vielen Dank. 😊
Hey you who orated this video u r amazing in what you do ❤❤I love hearing from you it helps me calm down and really learn about. Buisnesses worldwide...🎉🎉
I love this so much, it makes me happy!
A Bespoke suit can last up to 30 years if well maintained, which is easy for the clients who can afford them. It is a good investment.
My great Aunt used to be a bespoke tailor back in the day in NY though she did it mostly for Women like Quince dresses, etc.... Though she could make almost anything from Dresses to shirts to Suits. I never knew any of this until she passed, and went to her home. We found shears, and a couple of unifinished jackets she was making for her husband, and bits of cloth still around. A lot of Puerto Ricans in NY did a lot of the tailoring and work back in the day. Those "Italian" suits much like the French Restaurants are more for Marketing then actuality.
This video made me happy.
Wonder if there is a back room where the agents meet up. "Manners maketh man"
😂😂😂
I’m sure Kathryn worked for Gieves and Hawkes where I was introduced to her over twenty years ago when I was having a bespoke three piece suit made.
11:55 yeah if i spent upwards of £6,000 i would be emotional too. 😂
Especially as it was only £2000 just a few years ago.
I did have a dinner suit made to measure for me when I was 19 as I was going to be working in the hotel industry. It's certainly 'done some miles' but still looks okay and I'm now seventy and it still fits - ! 😊
Says more about your likely amazing physique
@@ebubeawachie Thanks for the praise, but it's more likely down to my having had a very physically active work life all those years and being reasonably sensible about what I eat - ! 😄
I like a nice suit (3 piece), I have always had them from stores. If, I happen to win the Lottery, a bespoke suit or 3 (Black, Dark Grey and Dark Blue) would be near the top of my list, along with a couple of pairs of quality handmade Oxford type shoes. Things I have never had. I don't drive, so no need for fast cars, etc. but quality handmade business like clothes would be fantastic as a lifetime investment.
Edward Green arre the most comfortable high-end shoes you can buy. Set you back about 11200£ though I got these black wing-tip oxfords for 800£ on sale. They have them twice a year. There shoe boxes are beautiful, too
1200£ not 12100- stupid small keyboards on cellphones!
What the heck is with all the spam comments!
i just came watching this video. i love suits and i have 9 suits myself, of which 2 are bespoke, 2 are old off the rack suits, and the rest are MTM. every single time i wear them i feel amazing, especially combining them with my shirts, ties, pocket squares and shoes.
Having a bespoke suit from Savile Row on my bucket list.
Very interesting. Thank you.
Why was there such a huge gap in the production process that was just covered by the line “and then they are sent away to artisans to do the rest” basically?
Yes. And what about the trousers?
Exquisite 👏🏽❤️
there is a point where, if the suit last decades, it could become cost effective
My problem would be weight fluctuation.... what fit's today might not fit next year...
@@JBBBBBBBB250that’s why they always leave a little material stitched inside the suit. Dressmakers do it too.
Yeah, part of the cost is the seam allowance. Most clothes today just don’t have one. It’s all about scraping as many garments out of a bolt of cloth as possible. No thought given to grainline half the time, let alone saving extra for your hem. They aren’t cheaping out here. You’re going to be able to have this suit let out or taken in. The funny stitching on the collar when it was all still in piecing him? It’s called pad stitching and it’s designed to coax the fabric in a specific direction. All so the collar will always lay perfectly. They’re thinking of EVERY detail. So such an important one as planning for weight fluctuations isn’t forgotten.
Its not gonna fit and alternations would be too expensive
@@JBBBBBBBB250 a bespoke tailor will unquestionably adjust your garments free of charge. Its part of the perks of having a relationship with a tailor
In college, I took several costuming classes and learned out to sew, along with creating garments for actors. I was fascinated by the level of detail, however, I was already studying to be a lighting designer, so I never finished the courses in costuming. To this day, I wish I could afford to have a bespoke suit.
So satisfying.
@6:50 We are expecting to get another so expensive video on the tailoring scissors! 😊
Man the bots in these comments are nuts.
Overwhelming part of the price is the fact that you're in London.
Business suits are known as "Saville Rows" in Japan.
Inspirational
BRAVO KATHRYN
Do people stop and ask them about their suits because the suits are impressive? Or because they feel an artificial swell of confidence that shows up in their posture and attitude?
Incredible!
Would LOVE to learn pattern making from a Master Tailor!
Oh I wish I had such skills!
No matter how much it costs, a suit can only do so much... If all those rich men want to look like 007, the gym would usually serve them better for much less. Throwing more money at something does not always yield better results.
Very informative. Really curious as to the particular brand and size of shears used?
Love your channel really great each video is unique.
I've had off the rack suits. I've also had 2 bespoke suits. The suits that felt better were when I felt the fittest.
I would really like you guys to document the making of palm candy in the Dulal Chandra Bhars' in West Bengal
Very interesting ❤
He is looking dapper in his new suit
Quite the insight.
I don’t doubt they’re beautifully made but men’s tailors fundamentally just make the same garment over and over again. Apart from measurements, their patterns are all basically exactly the same for every suit and they almost exclusively work with wool cloths. Meanwhile, Haute Couture seamstresses in Paris have to technically respond to entirely different shapes and volumes and fabrics every single season. Whatever the designer comes up with in their head, the patternmakers and seamstresses have to have the knowledge and experience and intelligence to figure out how to technically execute it and make it work to the highest possible level of quality. THAT is truly impressive. Men’s tailors have mastered one kind of garment since the late 19th century and rarely skew from it…
the savile row tailors do very much take into account of fabric weights and fabric characteristics when making a bespoke suit...
@InsiderBusiness You have a while army of scambots spamming up the top comments; you may need to have a go around with the banhammer.
Craftsmanship and quality!
I just had a $3500 custom suit made. It was well worth it. Super comfortable and perfect.
I have my suits made at Saville Row, in my opinion it is the best.
Jesus, this comment section is just infested with bots.
So she just makes the pattern? Someone else puts the pieces together, another adds the lining and sews it, and another irons it. I assumed a tailor made the whole suit. Edit: Oh yeah I forgot, someone else puts the padding in too.
Of course, that's why she's a Master Tailor. Her trainees do the hard work, as she did when was a trainee herself.
She makes the pattern, but since her apprenticeship you can be sure she's trained at the other jobs, too. That's what gives her the expertise to be a Master Tailor.
I appreciate Richard agreeing to be interviewed as he gets his first bespoke suit.
@@Legend_6_9o think he called it ‘standing’ hehe
I can see the beauty of the bespoke suit.
Love emma's voice
the price could be anywhere between €8,200 - €102,000 depending on the level of custom bespoke tailoring . . .
Richard looks great.
I can’t believe I’m saying this but - watching that man iron / press was so satisfying 😂