Sir Tom Baker is a bespoke tailor on Wells Street. He is well-known for both traditional tailoring and avant-garde. He’s as comfortable making a suit for a Lloyds of London employee as he is for Robert Plant or Jonathan Ross, both of whom he includes amongst his many celebrity clients.

Tom cuts a distinctive figure around Soho. Grew in the Scottish Borders, one of eight, he remembers digging around his mother haberdashers’ box at the age of seven and repairing the crotch of his only pair of jeans. Famous for amongst other things the ‘FUCK YOU’ Jacket, Tom places great importance in footwear and is the self-confessed Imelda Marcos of the tailoring world.

‘The development of a bespoke suit takes time, skill, concentration and client contribution. By establishing good communication from the offset, not only are incredible suits created, but long-term trustful rapports forged.’

Knighted? Not yet. Tom is a man with not only with a strong idea how to create a brand but going into his distinctive shop is unique experience.

Andreas is an 82 year-old Greek Cypriot. He moved here from the Greek town of Famagusta in 1962. Ever since the Turkish invasion in 1974 his annual visits home have been to another country. One of 9 brothers, mostly farmers, Andreas was always more interested in the needle and thread than the hoe. Formerly in Old Bond Street Andreas has been tailoring made-to-measure suits at 39 Kilburn Lane for more than 30 years now.

I met Sherlock around 45 years ago. I remember watching in awe as he measured up my Dad for a suit. At the age of 85, Sherlock is still working hard. He’s passionate about what he does. He moved here with his parents in 1971 at the age of 18 from Kingston, Jamaica, having already embarked on his obsession for tailoring. A man of warmth, humanity and quiet dignity, with a suitably iconic first name.

He also happened to make the suit I got married in.

Always immaculately turned-out Mark Powell is originally from the East End. He cuts a well-known figure around Soho and is a cherished contributor to the ‘Great British Bespoke’. Mark’s celebrity started out at men’s outfitter ‘Washington Tremlett’ before introducing a bespoke service to retro fashion retailer ‘Robot’. Then embarking on his own ‘altiers’ in 1. He includes David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Vic Reeves, George Michael, George Clooney and Harrison Ford amongst his many celebrity clients. He has collaborated with M&S, Mulberry and Michko Koshino and made suits for ‘Gangster No1’ and ‘Absolute Beginners’. He even created the suit that Scary Spice met Prince Charles in at the premiere of the Spice Girls Movie. Often associated with ‘Gangster Chic’, Mark famously went to measure Ronnie Kray for a suit whilst he was in prison.

Paul Kitsaros was born in 1945 in Cyprus. Having been living with his grandparents, he came to the UK at fifteen to join his parents.

He went straight into an apprenticeship with a trouser maker in Camden. After a year he moved his apprenticeship to Saville Row and fell in love with the art of tailoring. Paul was both ambitious and fearless, he started his own tailoring business in Brewer Street, Soho at just 28.

He's now been in Fitzrovia twenty-five years, but the business has changed, he fondly remembers a time ‘before jeans’ when everybody used to dress up.
Paul made director Steve McQueen’s dinner jacket for the premier of ’12 years a Slave’ and used to count Huw Edwards as one of his clients.

Like many tailors Paul is passionate about his craft and works seven days a week with few breaks. Bar, that is, a year and a half out, when he was in treatment for stomach cancer. A disease that sadly claimed one of his four children at the age of fifty-one. Pauls craftmanship and resilience is admired by many of the newer generation tailors including Sir Tom Baker who kindly made the introduction. ‘All these years later he’s still at it, strong as an ox!’.

Grazia and Franco Santoro are both from Locorotondo in Puglia. A particularly impoverished part of Italy,Franco was forced to leave school at 10 and Grazia at 15 to.

In 1965, after completing National Service, Franco came to UK to work at Chester Barrie tailors in Crewe. Chester Barrie used to recruit many talented tailors from Puglia. In 1967 Franco felt it was time to marry. A sister of a colleague at Chester Barrie 'matchmade' Grazia and Franco.

Grazia and Franco have been together for 55 years. “We live together, work together….argue together” says Grazia with a cheeky smile.

They work in a building in Kingley Street filled with traditional tailors all of an age. Franco is the third tailor I’ve met still working in his 80’s. ‘If I stop working, I will die’.

Hanael is from Brasilia. She moved here for love in 2001. The love didn’t last but life in London did. She helps people with their alterations and makes her own unique fashion items.

Hanael was in ICU in covid. She believes in miracles, Judaism and Bolsonaro.

James Poole founded his tailoring business in 1806, but it was his charismatic son Henry that became a
‘celebrity tailor’ serving Emperor Napoloeon, Queen Victoria and King Edward VII amongst others.Henry Poole
and Co. moved to Saville row in 1846, giving it the status of the first tailor on Saville Row. It is also famous for creating of the fist Dinner Suit in 1865 for Prince of Wales.

After Henry Poole’s death in 1876, his cousin Samuel Cundey took over. By then, the firm had served
nearly every European crowned head. Simon Cundy (above) is the 7th Generation of the Family to run the
business. He joined the company in 1988 and was appointed Managing Director in 2012 .

Tristan Thorne was looking surprisingly fresh faced when we met. He had been up with his first child since 4 am. Tristan studied at London College of Fashion

Looking at Joe Holyoak you’d be forgiven for thinking he found his inspiration for tailoring from ‘Peaky Blinders’. It was in fact through wanting to recreate Di Caprio’s suit in ‘Catch Me If You Can’.

John is 86 and has tried to retire 3 times. He was still driving to work in his electric car daily. He’s been at Henry Poole and Co. 40 years. It was meant to be his last week when I visited. Let’s see.