Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A fully illustrated history of bespoke tailoring--the custom-made men's clothing that made a small London street a globally known brand to generations of sartorial connoisseurs. Savile Row is renowned for fine custom tailoring--"bespoke" in its own parlance. The term originated when cloth for a suit was said to "be spoken for" by customers who have included generations of stylish and tasteful men, from rakes to royals. Bespoke is the epitome of male sartorial style, exquisite quality, and craftsmanship, and has been worn by a veritable who's who of famous and important men: Winston Churchill, Cary Grant, Russell Crowe, David Beckham, and countless world leaders. Bespoke charts Savile Row's contribution to fashion and culture chronologically and features twenty-six profiles of today's master tailors from historic firms such as Gieves & Hawkes and Henry Poole to more recent ones like Nutters and Ozwald Boateng, who was the first Savile Row tailor to stage a catwalk show in Paris.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

This well-organized social history by journalist Sherwood is filled with anecdotes describing the storied rise, fall, and rebirth of Savile Row's custom tailor houses, which have elevated men's clothing fabrication to high art. "Bespoke" stems from the 18th century, when "cloth for a suit was said to be 'bespoken for' by customers," the book explains. Tom Ford's introduction sets the tone, lends fashion credibility, and raises the hipness quotient. The book is chronological, starting with the late 17th century but focusing on the 19th, when Savile Row tailors first made clothing for British monarchs, followed by Regency dandies, Victorian war heroes, and aristocrats and plutocrats from Europe, Hollywood, and beyond. Later chapters describe the Row's inevitable mid-20th-century decline and detail its 21st-century renaissance. Chapters describe the 26 most prominent tailoring firms, from Henry Poole & Co. (a British royal favorite) to Timothy Everest (the film Atonement, 2007). Of special note are the illustrated appendixes "Anatomy of a Suit" and "Making a Suit," and a Savile Row directory and glossary. A minor criticism pertains to the elegant but tiny font size. This elegant, lavish book features hundreds of historic, vintage, and modern photographs and illustrations, some by noted British photographer Guy Hills. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above; general readers. A. J. Dutka Broward College