Henry Poole & Co.

A history of Savile Row's founding father, told through its most famous clients: icons of aristocracy, politics and the arts

Known as the founding tailor of Savile Row, Henry Poole & Co. has been dressing the world’s most important men and women for over two centuries. Their craft of bespoke tailoring has been meticulously documented through the generations in a complete set of ledgers.

Telling the story of Poole’s most colourful characters in six chapters, this fascinating account distills Sherwood’s research into sixty iconic customers, men and women. Each client is profiled with details of their signature garment and connections with Poole’s. From artists and writers, such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Wilkie Collins, to financiers J. P. Morgan and Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, this book offers a unique window into an establishment at the very heart of 19th- and 20th-century public life.

Illustrated with historic portraits and atmospheric photography of the premises as they are today, this intimate glimpse into the private lives of some of history’s most influential figures is essential reading for anyone interested Savile Row, the relationship between power and being well-dressed, and the evolution of style.