Henry Poole & Co. The First Tailor of Savile Row

James Sherwood

With a foreword by Simon Cundey
And contributions from Keith Levett and Alex Cooke

A history of the world’s oldest and most prestigious tailor, told through its most famous clients – all icons of aristocracy, politics and the arts

Known as the founding tailor of Savile Row, Henry Poole & Co. has been dressing the world’s most important men and women for over two centuries. First founded in 1806, Henry Poole & Co. is celebrated as the inventors of the dinner jacket following a commission from the Prince of Wales in 1865. Today, the same family maintains the legacy of Poole’s reputation of excellent craftmanship and style on an international scale.

Henry Poole & Co . : The First Tailor of Savile Row celebrates this tradition through profiles of some of the tailor’ s most respected and well-known clients. Their craft of bespoke tailoring has been meticulously documented through the generations in a complete set of ledgers. This remarkable book is the product of over a decade of archival research into the company’s records and ledgers by leading sartorial expert James Sherwood.

Telling the story of Henry Poole & Co.’s most colorful characters in six chapters, this fascinating account distills Sherwood’s research into sixty iconic customers, men and women, including:

· Edward VII · Winston Churchill · Benjamin Disraeli · Charles Dickens · · Napoleon III · General de Gaulle · J. P. Morgan · Bram Stoker ·

· H. H. Asquith · Sir Henry Irving · Kaiser Wilhelm II ·

Each client is profiled with details of their signature garment and connections with the tailors. Illustrated with historic portraits and atmospheric photography of the premises as they are today, this intimate glimpse into the private lives of some of history’s most influential figures is essential reading for anyone interested in Savile Row, the relationship between power and satorial elegance, and the evolution of style.

James Sherwood is a London-based style journalist who writes regularly for the Financial Times and the International Herald Tribune, and has been described as ‘the guardian of Savile Row’ . He is the author of Savile Row, Fashion at Royal Ascot, James Sherwood’s Discriminating Guide to London and Jewelry for Gentlemen, all published by Thames & Hudson

Detail of a Henry Poole & Co Privy Council tailcoat made for the 6th Earl of Clarendon, Chamberlain to King George VI, c. 1931. The intricate gold bullion embroidery was so lavish that it could take up to four months to complete.