Henry Poole & Co: The Birthplace of the Tuxedo and the Timeless Craft of British Tailoring

How One Savile Row Tailor Stitched Its Legacy Into Fashion History

There’s something undeniably compelling about the way a perfectly tailored suit makes a person feel—sharp, polished, even a little invincible. But in the world of bespoke fashion, not all tailors are created equal. Some simply hem and stitch. Others, like Henry Poole & Co, craft living history. Nestled at the heart of London’s Savile Row, Henry Poole & Co isn’t just another bespoke tailor. It is the original Savile Row tailor. The gold standard. The house that not only defined modern menswear but also invented one of its most iconic garments: the tuxedo.

To explore Henry Poole & Co is to dive into over two centuries of British fashion, aristocracy, craftsmanship, and cultural influence. This isn't a story about clothes; it's a story about legacy. And that legacy begins in the final days of the 18th century.

Where It All Began: St. Martin's Lane, 1806

In 1806, a young James Poole began his tailoring business in St. Martin’s Lane, catering primarily to officers returning from the Napoleonic Wars. The business quickly built a reputation for military attire of the highest quality. When James passed away in 1846, his son Henry took over and made the defining decision to relocate the firm to a quieter but promising street that would soon become legendary: Savile Row.

It was this move that would permanently anchor Henry Poole & Co at the epicenter of elite British tailoring. Under Henry’s leadership, the company expanded its client base beyond military men to include royalty, nobility, and high society. The name Poole became synonymous with sartorial precision and discretion. When Henry died in 1876, he had already laid the foundation for a tailoring house that would outlive empires.

A Royal Affair: Courting Monarchs and Aristocrats

If your wardrobe boasts a Royal Warrant, you’re not just making clothes—you’re making history. Henry Poole & Co earned its first Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria in 1869, followed by commissions from Emperor Napoleon III, Czar Alexander II of Russia, and King Edward VII, among others. The Poole clientele reads like a who’s who of 19th-century European power.

And let’s be honest: when the Prince of Wales is wearing your evening coat, you're doing something right.

The Tuxedo is Born

Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the dining room: the tuxedo. Or, as the British still prefer to call it, the dinner jacket. In the 1860s, the future King Edward VII (then the Prince of Wales) requested a more relaxed alternative to the traditional tailcoat for private dinners. Henry Poole & Co delivered a short, silk-lapelled jacket that retained formality without the excessive flair.

The garment crossed the Atlantic thanks to one James Brown Potter, an American millionaire who visited the Prince and had one made. Upon his return to New York, he wore the jacket to a gathering at the exclusive Tuxedo Park Club—and the rest, quite literally, is fashion history.

Savile Row Before It Was Cool

Today, Savile Row is practically shorthand for world-class tailoring, but back when Henry Poole & Co moved there, the street had none of its current cachet. It was a quiet residential road, ideal for high-end businesses looking for privacy and prestige.

Poole’s early presence sparked the beginning of a tailoring revolution. The firm’s workshops introduced a level of meticulous handcrafting that would define the "Savile Row method": full-canvas construction, hand-stitched buttonholes, and multiple fittings for a garment that wears like a second skin.

They didn’t just follow the trends. They set them, decades ahead of the curve.

The Great Houses and the Golden Rolodex

Over the years, Henry Poole & Co has dressed an astonishing variety of public figures. Think Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens, and William Gladstone. These weren’t just men of status; they were men who shaped history—and they did it in garments crafted on Savile Row.

Even today, walk into Henry Poole and you'll find customer ledgers dating back to the 19th century, meticulously preserved. Each name is a portal to another era, each measurement a frozen moment in fashion.

Craftsmanship That Time Forgot (But Henry Poole Didn't)

Let’s pause for a moment and appreciate what goes into a Henry Poole suit.

• 5000+ individual stitches per jacket

• Over 50 hours of handwork

• Basted, forward, and final fittings

• Pattern drafted entirely from scratch for each client

This is slow fashion before slow fashion was a buzzword. No mass production. No offshore factories. Just the hum of shears, chalk marks on wool, and the quiet concentration of a cutter who knows his client’s posture better than most doctors.

The house trains its apprentices rigorously, some for over a decade, ensuring that institutional knowledge isn't just passed down but refined with each generation.

Survival Through Shifting Times

Few fashion institutions have weathered as many storms as Henry Poole & Co. Two World Wars, the Great Depression, and the rise of fast fashion all threatened to sink traditional tailoring. But Poole didn’t just survive—it evolved.

By the late 20th century, there was a renewed appreciation for craftsmanship. The firm leaned into its heritage while modernizing its cuts and fabrics. Today, it serves a new breed of clients: entrepreneurs, creatives, and international leaders who respect tradition but demand originality.

And yes, they still make dinner jackets.

The Soul of Savile Row

Walk into Henry Poole & Co today, and you’ll notice something different. It’s not just the walnut paneling or the framed portraits of dignitaries past. It’s the atmosphere. There’s a certain reverence in the way tailors whisper measurements, the way chalk lines are drawn with precision that borders on art.

This is no ordinary shopping experience. It's more like stepping into a cathedral of cloth.

Customers don’t come for just a suit. They come for a statement. A piece of wearable history. A slice of personal legacy that, if cared for, could outlive them.

Conclusion: Threads of Immortality

Henry Poole & Co is not just the birthplace of the tuxedo or the original Savile Row tailor. It is a living monument to the art of bespoke clothing. In an age of disposable everything, the firm stands defiant—needle in hand, eyes on the long game.

In a Poole suit, you’re not just well-dressed. You’re historically aligned, sartorially empowered, and quietly magnificent.

Long may it tailor.