SUITS FOR WALKING OUT

“Not everyone wants to have a bespoke suit made,” admits Patrick Grant of top Savile Row bespoke house, Norton & Sons. “Some want the immediacy of being able to walk into a shop, trying something on and walking out with it. Our new ready-to-wear collection caters for them.”

In the four years since he took over at the helm of Norton’s, Patrick has re-invigorated this old company. Established in 1821 and previously noted particularly for its tweedy, sporty classics and clothing suitable for the tropics, it has a peerless pedigree of making for explorers, as well as royalty and international style figures.

“I looked around at what was on offer in ready-to-wear suits and found that, really, there were no good quality styles being made in Britain to compare with Brioni, for example.

“And so that is what we set out to create with the new Tautz collection.”

Tautz is another famous old Savile Row name, now being re-invented. It started life as a breeches maker in 1867 and went on to provide full sporting wardrobes for the cream of British society, including Edward Vll and a young Winston Churchill, before being acquired by Norton & Sons in the 1970s.

The young Churchill was something of a dandy evidently, and Patrick's research shows some wonderful Tautz outfits.

Testament to the fact that the Tautz ready-to-wear suits are dedicated to quality is the fact that they are to retail at only slightly less than the starting price for Norton’s bespoke versions, at around £3,000.  Made for them by Britain’s one remaining high class suit manufacturer, (see right), they form the basis for a small, coordinating collection, much of it continuing the sporting tradition, covering shirts, ties, knitwear and leather goods, all hand crafted in Britain from top quality materials.

It is very much Patrick Grant’s baby, his take on style, but with input from all the Norton bespoke team.

“I took inspiration from the traditional British sporting look, with the Duke of Windsor as a style figure. He would put together really colourful and original outfits, and make them look great.”

He clearly loves his role as head of a bespoke tailoring house in Savile Row. Now, the Tautz collection provides scope for elegant originality and quality for those who want an immediate style fix. That it seems to have hit the right note is evident in an enthusiastic reception, being taken up by three key London retailers, including Harrods, and others are soon to be announced in the U.S. and Japan.

“We won’t be doing great volume – we can’t,” he said. “But I am pleased with what we have achieved so far."

At top, a Duke of Windsor-inspired chalk striped flannel suit and, above, a classic grey flannel single breasted.