An interesting article from the Permanent Style website on 21 bespoke shirt makers noting the different approaches each takes. In London, for example, he notes that Turnbull & Asser and Emma Willis tend toward traditional styles whereas Budd can be more contemporary and innovative. Note that his preferred style is Italian so he is less enamoured of British and French tailors.
Of Italian tailors he notes D’Avino of Somma Vesuviana (near Naples) and Luca Avitabileas of Naples with Simone Abbarchi of Florence as a good place to start. Many of these bespoke tailors also do made-to-measure and ready made shirts.
What I have found so far is that the premium bespoke shirt makers in London are Budd, Turnbull & Asser, and Harvey & Hudson. Of French tailors Charvet in Paris in most noted.
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| Budd shirt selection |
Turnbull & Asser are an old establishment shirtmaker holding a royal warrant.
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| Pale blue cotton | Blue and white | Pink and white |
Harvey & Hudson have also been around for many years.
Kent & Haste, noted gentlemen's tailors, share accommodations with Stephen Lachter, maker of bespoke shirts.
Emma Willis is one of the leading bespoke shirt makers in London. According to her, “A man just needs three beautiful white shirts and three beautiful blue shirts. A mixture of button cuff and double cuff, so you have some formal shirts too.”
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| Emma Willis MBE |
Read the full article in the Ettinger Journal.
Emma Willis, 66 Jermyn St, St. James's, London SW1A 1HD
Made-To-Measure
A cheaper alternative to the truly bespoke shirt is the made-to-measure which can come close to a custom fit. Typically this is achieved by taking multiple measurements: collar size, sleeve length, shoulder width, chest size, stomach size, and hip size. The shirt makers typically have a large selection of fabrics that can be high quality, and the shirts are well constructed.
- Charles Tyrwhitt, London
- Turnbull & Asser, London
- iTailor
