Ede and Ravenscroft

[sloaney]

Yesterday, I received rather inspiring brochures from Ede and Ravenscoft. Velvet smoking jackets. "Shooting-style" tweed jackets paired with blue cords. Black velvet jackets with grey flannels. Very nice photographs as well.

You can request for brochures here:
http://www.edeandravenscroft.co.uk/brochure.htm

Apparently, they have been around forever, since 1689, although they are apparently known more as "robemakers" than tailors. Any thoughts on Ede abd Ravenscroft would be appreciated. They seem to offer an affordable MTM suit program compared to others on Savile Row.

 

[trogdor]

I have a couple of smashing graduation robes from E&R. They fit like tents, but I believe that's all the rage

 

[Anthony Jordan]

They are historically possibly the country's most significant legal, municipal, and academic robemakers. I believe most judges, university chancellors, mayors and the like will be fitted out by E&R with their official robes, whilst they are robemakers to a large number of universities and also a flourishing legal outfitter. I suspect that their tailoring work stems out of the latter, which means they offer an excellent range of detachable collars and tunic shirts in addition to the whole gamut of ready-to-wear formal wear for day and evening. Their tailoring services seem well-respected but I have never tried them to know myself.

Anthony.

 

[Nonk]

I have a couple of their shirts. Great value in the sale- £18!

Superb ties too.

 

[di Robilant]

What a coincidence ! I have just this moment returned from a trying-on at the Chancery Lane (London) branch of E & R .

Mr Philip, the excellent cutter employed by E & R, has been making my formal court suits for about nine years . He is, unlike many English tailors, happy to work with the 'feather-weight' offerings of northern Italian mills and, without placing his scissors at the disposal of customers' sartorial sophistry, he is keen to 'experiment' (within the bounds of propriety, of course). He is a disciple of Scholte and therefore a firm believer in the 'drape' or 'London cut'. He is also a stickler for a slim, highly fitted garment . He is, in my humble opinion, the equal of his Row peers - and, at a better price .

The staff, in particular, Mr Sarling, are highly knowledgeable (and often come from tailoring families) . Mr Sarling is the bespoke shirting expert and, given a free reign, quite an innovator .

Perhaps best of all, they will not allow you to leave their premises unless and until they are completely satisfied as to the suitability of your proposed purchase - even if it means losing a lucrative sale ; that just doesn't happen any longer .

 

[sloaney]

The photos on their brochure really whet my appetite. Maybe I'll buy myself a Christmas present:
- a navy single-breasted suit
- a charcoal single-breasted suit
- a dinner jacket and matching trousers
- a black velvet jacket and grey flannels
- a tweed jacket and a pair of cords
Well, that's five. I hope I'll be paid well when year end comes.

 

[gdl203]

Originally Posted by di Robilant

He is, in my humble opinion, the equal of his Row peers - and, at a better price.

May I ask what their price range is for bespoke suits?

 

[sloaney]

Originally Posted by di Robilant

What a coincidence ! I have just this moment returned from a trying-on at the Chancery Lane (London) branch of E & R .

Mr Philip, the excellent cutter employed by E & R, has been making my formal court suits for about nine years . He is, unlike many English tailors, happy to work with the 'feather-weight' offerings of northern Italian mills and, without placing his scissors at the disposal of customers' sartorial sophistry, he is keen to 'experiment' (within the bounds of propriety, of course). He is a disciple of Scholte and therefore a firm believer in the 'drape' or 'London cut'. He is also a stickler for a slim, highly fitted garment . He is, in my humble opinion, the equal of his Row peers - and, at a better price .

The staff, in particular, Mr Sarling, are highly knowledgeable (and often come from tailoring families) . Mr Sarling is the bespoke shirting expert and, given a free reign, quite an innovator .

Perhaps best of all, they will not allow you to leave their premises unless and until they are completely satisfied as to the suitability of your proposed purchase - even if it means losing a lucrative sale ; that just doesn't happen any longer .

Thank you very much. I am delighted that you are delighted!
Will Mr Phillip and Mr Sarling attend to MTM customers or do they deal with bespoke only?

 

[Holdfast]

I use the Oxford branch of Ede and am also very pleased with the results and even more by the excellent service I have received by all the staff there. True customer service (rather than salesmanship masquerading as service) is a rare thing these days but you will receive it at Ede. I do not know if it is a function of the company's ethos/training or simply good interviewing, but I am impressed nonetheless.

Somebody mentioned prices earlier:

MTM starts at £695 with Vitale Barberis (sp?) cloth but better Holland & Sherry, Lesser, and other fabrics are commonly £795. The MTM is made by Wensum, and are of good construction and options are very flexible.

Bespoke is slightly over £2k for a simple 2 piece suit in a nice fabric with all the necessary fittings. You may also wish to enquire about their loyalty card which gives you 10% off future MTM and bespoke purchases, but I don't know if they have criteria/minimum spends that need to be met before allowing you to join the scheme (I suspect you have to be an pre-existing customer).

I echo di Robilant - they will not let you leave until you - and they! - are happy with the result and John at the Oxford branch has a very good eye for correct fit. Since I'm mentioning staff by name now, I have to mention Karen who has a lovely eye for colour and pattern, helping one make choices that are both fun yet elegant.

Ede stocks some wonderful accessories too - beautiful stud sets for wearing with black tie (I purchased a lovely MOP set the other day), some glorious double-sided silk scarves, and a nice range of colourful bow ties if such things interest you!

The other nice thing about Ede (at least the Oxford branch) is their excellent alterations service for a reasonable price, willing to take on any brand's item and delivering superb results time after time. My most recent challenge to them is a pure silk mid-grey DB Domenico Spano suit bought online requiring rather more extensive work than I surmised. Rather than raised eyebrows or irritation, they were clearly delighted to have such an interesting garment to work with and you could see they were itching to get their hands on it.

I shall go in tomorrow to see progress but expect nothing less than their usual high standards.