Henry Poole & Co
TypePrivate
IndustryRetailer, bespoke tailoring
Founded1806 (1806)
FounderJames Poole
Headquarters15 Savile Row,
London
,
England
Key people
  • Angus Cundey (owner)
  • Simon Cundey (director)
ProductsClothing, fashion
Websitewww.henrypoole.com

Henry Poole & Co is a bespoke tailor located at Savile Row in London. The company made the first modern-style dinner jacket based on specifications provided by the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) in the 1880s.

History

Customers examine the wares of Henry Poole and Co. in their 18th century showroom on Savile Row (1944)
A view of the workroom at Henry Poole and Co., showing tailors at work on various types of jacket, including a naval officer's jacket, second from right on the rear row. The men are all sitting on the workbenches. (1944)

The business first opened in Brunswick Square, in 1806, originally specializing in military tailoring, with particular merit at the time of the Battle of Waterloo. The business moved to Savile Row in 1846, following the death of founder James Poole. Henry Poole ran the business until his death in 1876, and he was succeeded by cousin Samuel Cundey, whose legacy continued for five generations to the present-day owners Angus Cundey and Angus's son Simon.

The company still holds many royal warrants of appointment and services the Lord Chamberlain's office with court dress. Their livery department even created uniforms for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Henry Poole & Co is also known for the creation of the dinner suit. In 2006, the company celebrated their bicentennial with a refurbishment of their premises. 2007 saw a re-issue of a suiting material made famous by Winston Churchill, a Henry Poole customer who ordered his first suit 100 years prior.

The Dinner Suit

In 1860, Henry Poole made a short evening or smoking jacket for the Prince of Wales to wear at informal dinner parties at Sandringham. In 1886, James Potter of Tuxedo Park, New York, visited London and subsequently was invited by the Prince to spend a weekend at Sandringham House. He was also advised that he could have a smoking jacket made by the Prince's tailors, Henry Poole & Co.

When the Potters returned to New York, Potter proudly wore his new smoking jacket at the Tuxedo Club and fellow members soon started having copies made for themselves which they adopted as their informal uniform for club "stag" dinners. As a result, the dinner jacket became known as a tuxedo or tux in America.[1]

Warrants

Henry Poole has had customers who belonged to royalty and the highest aristocracy. Amongst the many customers who issued official warrants or were regulars were:

See also

References

Further reading

  • Stephen Howarth: Henry Poole: Founders of Savile Row - The Making of a Legend. Godalming: Bene Factum, 2003. ISBN 978-1-903071-06-9
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henry Poole & Co.

51°30′40.09″N 0°8′25.9″W / 51.5111361°N 0.140528°W / 51.5111361; -0.140528

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.