Meyer and Mortimer serve not only our UK based customers but also those who live around the globe. The bespoke process requires the customer to visit the shop for one or two fittings which allow the cutter to check progress and make any alterations before sending it back to the tailor.
For our customers who live and work in London this is not an issue; for our global visitors, who are not able to pop by, these fittings are worked around their busy schedules and their next visit to London. With smart phone diaries open this is usually executed quickly followed by adieus and Godspeeds until we see them next.
Greetings from the Big Apple
But what about those loyal customers who are not – for whatever reason – able to come to our shop for fittings? Well, if the mountain will not come to Meyer and Mortimer, then Meyer and Mortimer must go – over sea and ocean – to the mountain.
There is a long history of cutters and salesman going overseas – to Europe, and of course to North America. After The Depression and the World War II business, in America, was booming, particularly along the Eastern Seaboard. With commercial air travel, a good two or three decades away Savile Row’s cutters and sales people would take to the ships and then trains, with trips West taking anywhere between one to four months. Such were the opportunities (at one time accounting for 60% of Savile Row’s income) it proved to be well worth the while. It was not unusual for the US bound tailors and cutters – from various houses – to travel, drink and stay together which illustrates to this day the close-knit nature of the industry.
RMS Queen Mary: One of the most famous Atlantic liners
Meyer and Mortimer have their historical footnote in this particularly, westward geographical. Records show that one Mr Robinson took trips for the business in the early 1950’s. In fact, one early entry from the Minutes of the Board Meeting on the 7th February 1951 states that 'Mr W. Robinson was unable to be present, owing to his absence in the United States of America'. Another entry from the same meeting proudly reports that he has already received orders for 80 suits and he would be expected back at the end of March. Later entries in 1954 had this to say about on the ongoing trips to the U.S.A:
Mr Robinson reported that firm orders had been received as a result of his American trip amounting to £22,000 and further tentative orders amounting to £5,000.
In today’s money that equates to a staggering £660,000 resulting in the following entry:
This very satisfactory result had far exceeded expectations.
Overseas trips are still very much part of the Meyer and Mortimer diary, and this falls mainly to Director and Head Cutter, Paul Munday, with help occassionally from fellow director, Brian Lewis.
New York & Paris. Please click to enlarge
Paul has been with Meyer & Mortimer for over 20 years and has spent much of it visiting clients overseas in Europe, North America and the Far East. The number of visits averages out at around 12-15 year (more so if needed) and the aim is to space them out evenly throughout the year with roughly four visits to North America, six to Europe and two or more to the Far East.
In the name of consistency the same hotel and suite are booked and each client is allotted an hour for fittings. All customers can be at different stages of the bespoke process: For some, it will be first measurements and discussions of style and cloth; for others, it could be the first or second fitting or delivering the finished suit itself. It is not unusual to have ten fittings a day ensuring a very busy day where focus and attention to detail are paramount. It does mean, however, that a well-earned drink awaits the cutters at the end of the day either with colleagues or with long-standing customers themselves.
We hope this shows that Meyer & Mortimer will go to great lengths to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations. With Savile Row acknowledged as the home of bespoke tailoring and a byword for unequalled quality around the world, we want to ensure that remains so and will go to the end of the earth for our customers both here in the UK and abroad.
To sign up for information regarding our next overseas visit please click here.
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