SAVILE ROW DISCOVERS THE APPEAL OF SMALL THINGS

A starry party marked the opening of Anderson & Sheppard’s new accessories and casual wear shop in Clifford Street, just around the corner from Savile Row, this autumn.

Bryan Ferry, Jules Holland and Nicky Haslam were just some of London’s celebrities in attendance, among many distinguished A & S customers.

And what a stylish shop. Classically appointed but with a modern awareness of providing separate areas that will lead customers on to discover other displays, it has a lighter, more contemporary look than the traditional style of the firm’s Old Burlington Street premises. On sale are luxury accessories, sweaters and jackets, exclusive to A & S.

This major development is indicative of a greater concentration upon accessories by the tailors. Over the years, a fairly boring selection of ties, braces, the odd scarf and some unoriginal cufflinks have gathered dust in many of the Row’s small showrooms. There has been little attempt to capitalise on the potential of individual names, in contrast to mainstream fashion brands who spread their logos across every imaginable sector.  

But now we have Anderson & Sheppard opening this shop, and Davies & Son opening their new venture in Princes Arcade off Piccadilly, Benson & Clegg in the nearby Piccadilly Arcade bringing out special Jubilee designs for ties and cufflinks, Chittleborough & Morgan offering shoes, Henry Poole with its online store, and fresh interest at others.

Accessories, as the womenswear market is all too well aware, can be extremely lucrative. The cache of a Savile Row name is there to be exploited and whilst there are few who could indulge in the sort of promotional hype that sells £1,000 handbags so that they fly off the shelves, in menswear terms Savile Row is tops.

They don't have to be the sort of classic accessories that tailors have traditionally favoured. Fun, bright lines can add new zest to window displays, and attract some of those young customers who are still wary of entering hallowed ground.

Pictured here are just a few of the sort of items that might be coming to a tailor near you.

At top, one of the latest stylish manbags, in top grain leather, designed with laptops in mind. This one would take a 13in MacBook Air/Pro or Ultrabook. From Toffee Cases.
Colourful fun watch with serious timekeeping by Triwa.
Colourful cufflinks from Benson & Clegg, who have long since offered a comprehensive selection in their Piccadilly Arcade tailoring shop, as well as badges, buttons and ties.
Knit hat from the latest Bailey of Hollywood range. Go well with a black Row suit.