The fashion info that has ruined me forever
It's this: That getting something tailor-made is as nice as you imagine.
It’s rare at this stage in my life to have a new fashion experience, but it happened. For the first time in my life, I had a bespoke suit made for me by a very fancy tailor on London’s Savile Row. Even the word ‘bespoke’ feels like something that I, a solidly working class girl from the colonies - and the ‘wrong’ part of Sydney - has no business even saying. I used to work right around the corner from Savile Row and even just walking down it made me feel very ‘other’. The whole area just exudes old world, old money refinement. I have long regarded bespoke tailoring as relevant and available to me as a residency at Buckingham Palace.
Enter Alexandra Wood, whom I met through a mutual friend, the fine jewellery designer Lottie Leigh. From the minute you meet this mini-skirted glamazon, you know she’s not the usual Mayfair stuffed suit.
She has made her name in traditional menswear tailoring - and has been passionate about the simplicity of it since she was a little girl following her dad on his much loved shopping trips. But a loyal female following - built from her days as a tailoring assistant for the big 90s brand, Shanghai Tang, not to mention quite a few of her current clients’ wives, have slowly but surely convinced her to branch out into women’s tailoring. Her profile had a nice boost when her client, the politician Chuka Umunna, was named one of GQ’s Best Dressed Men of 2016.
It’s quite weird how little bespoke offerings there are for women, especially when you consider that, on the whole, we’re far more obsessive about our clothes than men.
‘Most tailors are terrified to take on the challenge,’ says Alexandra. ‘The female body is very, very different from one woman to the next, so the complexities can be a challenge. Dior did tailoring beautifully but it was more couture. I’m delighted that tailoring has come back in more recent years. A cool blazer with jeans and heels (or trainers) or a trouser suit in an edgy fabric looks really cool. That’s a blend of women not having to feel like they need to wear heels and a pencil skirt to work or play anymore. ‘
So I wanted to tell you what it’s like to have the experience and well, you won’t be surprised to know that it’s really quite nice. I met Alex in her beautiful atelier. My god it felt weird/good to be ushered through a set of doors on Savile Row, rather than scurrying past them all like a Victorian street urchin.
We chatted about what I might want from a tailored suit and I suppose I’m probably an easy client in that I know my likes and dislikes. I knew I wanted vibrant colour. This was probably a one time thing for me, so I wanted to make it something really standout special. I was in no mood for ‘timeless black’. Who says ‘Mayor McCheese purple’ can’t stand the test of time? Fight me. (‘Women are wearing more edgy, colourful shades, ‘ says Alex. ‘ Men notoriously shy away from colour, fearing that they’ll stand out too much.)
I wanted something I could wear with trainers, which is how I prefer to wear a suit 99% of the time. And I wanted a relaxed fit. I might be weird, but I hate a waistband that fits so perfectly that it’s snug. I know my bloating bitch of a belly too well for that. If Alex’s tastes for precision tailoring were pained by this, she didn’t show it. I also hate double breasted jackets and no one will ever sway me on that.
We spent a great deal of time going through colour and fabric swatches because the possibilities were slightly overwhelming. I really did go in there fully gunning for purple. But then fell in love with this cornflower blue.
Although, this orange nearly had me for a second. But Ross would probably divorce me:
We agreed on that and the beautiful fabric, a mesh. It’s pure wool with a loose weave, so it’s lovely and light and breathable. I love the sort of rawness to it. Alex suggested a silk lining produced an exquisite blue paisley printed swatch. Here it is on the inside of the finished jacket:
Measuring and agreeing on the cut of the jacket and trousers took no time at all. Like I said, I know what fit I like.
I’ve never known the feeling of wearing something made especially for you. That you know is just going to work. I don’t have Savile Row money to keep going back but Alexandra does make a compelling case for bespoke. An average £2000 for a suit is chunky, yes. But I guess we all know the old saying, ‘you get what you pay for.’
‘Vast sums are wasted on a wardrobe full of clothes that don’t work, don’t fit or suit someone,’ says Alex. ‘We create entirely tailored wardrobes for our clients, so that everything works together for all areas of their lifestyle. Pre-planning, trusting someone and having it exclusively designed and tailored for you makes a huge difference; to your sanity, style, bank account and the planet.’
At 6ft 1, Alex has always struggled to buy ‘off the peg’ anyway - ‘T shirts, dresses, skirts and shoes - that’s it. But it feels completely different wearing something that only you own and that fits you to perfection. It’s empowering.’
She’s not wrong. Every time I’ve worn my suit - and so far I’ve worn it for a day running to meetings, to present on Lorraine and out for dinner dressed up with a sparkly cami and heels - I’ve been stopped and asked where it’s from. I think it’s because the colour is so striking. It feels very decadent to say it’s from Savile Row.
The thing I love most about it is the quality of the fabric. It doesn’t do that thing that clothes sometimes do where they sort of ‘baggy up’ on you after a couple of wears. I can put it on and it holds its shape as well on the fourth wear as the first. No creased up sleeves or slackening at the knees that need a dry clean to smooth out. (But I’ll dry clean it soon I promise).
Question: How will I ever enjoy an off the peg suit again?
More suits
Answer: Because I’ll have to. But thankfully, ‘off the peg’ is holding its own out there. Tailoring is big for autumn. It’s colourful too. Here’s some of my current favourites…
I fell in love with this pink dream that Lorraine was wearing this week. From Zara, shop it here.
Steep price, yes. But, true to form for Me+Em, this is a sound piece of investment dressing. So sharp.
I can’t go past a fit and flare trouser shape. This teal from Reiss works so beautifully with neutral blacks or taupes but could also stand a pop of colour if you want with something like an orange or lilac tank top peeking from underneath the jacket.
Not in store yet but I got a sneak peak at Jigsaw’s autumn offerings earlier this week. Channeling the very best of Tom Ford for Gucci with this cherry velvet.
From Mango, a great, hardworking classic at a great price. Shop it here.
I think my current record for keeping a piece of white clothing stain-free is 11 minutes. It won’t stop me loving head to toe white though. I’m definitely trying this on next time I wander past an M&S.
When I think of what I spent on my wedding dress, this sounds like a much more sound investment! I love the colour - its gorgeous!
This is my dream! I looked into it with tailors in New York. Most did not do women's and some offered to make what they called made to measure. This involves taking your measurements and then the suit is made in their factory in China. There were no fittings and alterations were limited. Even still that was between 2000 and 2500 dollars. I opted out. Looks like you got the real deal!!! Enjoy!