Hawes & Curtis

These two suits reveal subtle variations in even the most classic form, the morning suit. While at first glance they appear to be exactly the same, a difference in the weight and spacing of the stripes of the trousers is revealed upon closer examination. The nuance of the brushed versus flat-woven black jacket also becomes apparent. Such details serve as clues to the personality of the wearer and reflect the many discussions the client would have had with his tailor.

The Savile Row firms Norton & Sons and Hawes & Curtis have long been destinations for Americans in London. Of his days as a young apprentice at Hawes & Curtis, tailor John Pearse recollects, "We were upstairs in the workroom which was like Fagin's den. Those guys were all kind of Mod-y and young even though we were making for the Duke of Edinburgh or the King of Thailand. It gave me a good grounding for the flamboyance to come."