Description

Anderson & Sheppard is a legend of English tailoring and the epitome of Savile Row’s style. Founded in 1906 by Peter Gustav Anderson at 13 Savile Row as Per Anderson​​,​​ it became over the years a renowned tailoring house. However​​,​​ it was with the addition of tailor and cutter Frederik Scholte​​,​​ another Savile Row tailor (working from 7 Savile Row at the time)​​,​​ that the house truly earned its iconic style: the drape cut. Created as a reaction to the Victorian and Edwardian style common with English tailoring (tight waist and chest​​,​​ narrow lapels​​,​​ high-rise and tapered trousers​​,​​ mostly inspired by military dress)​​,​​ the drape cut could be defined in one word: movement. The chest has a fuller cut​​,​​ while the small high armhole and natural shoulders maintain the collar on the wearer’s neck. This “soft tailoring”​​,​​ almost anathema to Savile Row military tradition​​,​​ obtained an important patronage early on: the Prince of Wales​​,​​ later Duke of Windsor. With another addition​​,​​ trouser cutter Sydney Horatio Sheppard​​,​​ the house became Anderson & Sheppard and in 1927 moved to a bigger shop on 30 Savile Row​​,​​ where it would stay for almost 80 years. The 1930s were a golden era for Anderson & Sheppard. Many artists flocked to its doors​​,​​ including many Hollywood actors. The most notable are Charlie Chaplin​​,​​ Rudolph Valentino​​,​​ Douglas Fairbanks Jr.​​,​​ Gary Cooper​​,​​ Laurence Olivier​​,​​ George Gershwin​​,​​ and of course Fred Astaire. After WW2​​,​​ Anderson & Sheppard maintained their reputation as one of the best tailors in the world. From a rebellious tailor​​,​​ it was seen by the 1960’s as an institution on par with older names such as Henry Poole​​,​​ Davies & Son​​,​​ and Huntsman. Only the arrival of Tommy Nutter and Edward Sexton rocked the overall quiet of the Row. Anderson & Sheppard continued on and gained the patronage of another Prince of Wales​​,​​ Charles​​,​​ today’s King Charles III​​,​​ who remained a devoted client. However​​,​​ that doesn’t mean Anderson & Sheppard didn’t move with the times. The famous cutter John Hitchcock​​,​​ trained by the legendary Charles Bryant​​,​​ modernised their cut to fit the taste of a younger clientele while keeping its style. In 1983​​,​​ Mr. Hitchcock became managing director and earned a Royal Warrant by 1989. New clients included director Martin Scorsese​​,​​ French industrialist and art patron Pierre Bergé​​,​​ and writer Fran Leibowitz. Fran Leibowitz was only the second woman to have the right to commission a bespoke jacket at Anderson & Sheppard in the 2000’s​​,​​ after Marlene Dietrich. By 2005​​,​​ almost a century after its founding​​,​​ Anderson & Sheppard moved to another address​​,​​ 32 Old Burlington Street​​,​​ only a few meters away from their former location. Its style and cut remain the same since. In 2012​​,​​ Anderson & Sheppard decided to open a haberdashery at 17 Clifford Street​​,​​ to offer new items such as shirts​​,​​ knitwear​​,​​ ties and trousers (ready-to-wear and made-to-order)​​,​​ for clients who wants more casual clothing to complement their best suits and jackets. I'm proposing a striking example of their work: a grey tweed blazer with a beautiful herringbone pattern. Made in 1979​​,​​ it is a classic 3 roll 2 jacket that can be paired with a variety of trousers (corduroy​​,​​ cotton​​,​​ denim​​,​​ wool) in almost every colour (white​​,​​ charcoal grey​​,​​ beige​​,​​ navy​​,​​ yellow​​,​​ green​​,​​ etc.). It features shoulder patch for a more casual look. As always with Anderson & Sheppard​​​​​​​​​ it is fully handmade​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ from the lining to the buttonholes​​​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​​​ from the shoulder to the collar. The conditions is overall good​,​ but has a frayed collar (not visible when worn)​,​ a small hole on the bottom of the lapel​,​ and a few pulled thr​eads (quite discreet​,​ see photos). Coat hanger is not included. The jacket is best fitted for someone with a 36UK​​​​​​​​​​/​​​​​​​​​​​36FR​​ size​​​​​​​​​,​​​​​​​​​ around 1m75. Here are the measurements: Shoulders: 43​,​5cm Sleeve length: 59cm (with 6cm of fabric to let out) Chest: 49​,​5cm Waist at button: 49cm Jacket length: 78cm (collar included​​​​​​,​​​​​​ with 5cm of fabric to let out) Lapels: 10cm Quality similar to the following bespoke houses: - In France: Camps de Luca​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Francesco Smalto​,​ Cifonelli​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Claude Rousseau​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Arnys​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Lanvin Mesure​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Urban​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Max Evzeline​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Opelka​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Kenjiro Suzuki - In Italy: Caraceni (Augusto or Domenico)​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Rubinacci​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Dalcuore​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Panico - In England: Henry Poole​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Huntsman & Sons​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Nutters of Savile Row​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Chittleborough & Morgan​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Richard Anderson​​​​​​,​​​​​​ Meyer & Mortimer Possible to try it in Paris 15th Arrondissement