From Wednesday, March 6th to Tuesday, March 12th, the "British Fair" will be held on every floor Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building . To convey the appeal of the items featured in this fair, Kagami, a buyer at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building who is well-versed in British craftsmanship, has highlighted two key topics of interest at this event. In the first part of this article, " Three Keywords to Explore: Notable Shoes and Their Highlights at the 'British Fair', " we picked out notable British shoe brands. In this second part, we delve into the philosophy and appeal of craftsmanship of HENRY POOLE , one of the leading tailors on Savile Row.

Who is HENRY POOLE , the oldest existing tailor on Savile Row?

Savile Row, the mecca of British bespoke tailoring, is home to many renowned shops. Among them, HENRY POOLE is said to be the oldest tailor still in operation. Kagami explains how the shop came to be recognized as a leading bespoke tailor on Savile Row as follows:

"Savile Row is home to many long-established bespoke tailors, but HENRY POOLE 's approach to craftsmanship is somewhat different from the others. For example, many of the other long-established tailors on Savile Row originally specialized in making formal wear for ceremonies and military uniforms. Therefore, in order to achieve the dignified appearance of formal wear, comfort and ease of movement were not as important as they are today. In contrast, HENRY POOLE had many important figures in the political and business world as clients, and their business was to make their daily wear. They are said to have been among the first to focus on comfort and performance in everyday wear, and have honed their tailoring techniques accordingly. This unique tailoring method has been highly regarded, and they have become a tailor loved by many executives."

HENRY POOLE 's innovation: quantifying the ideal tailoring.

Furthermore, Kagami cites "the standardization of the ideal tailoring process" as the biggest difference between HENRY POOLE and other stores.

"Because Savile Row is home to so many renowned tailors, it's actually quite common for cutters to move on to work at other shops. However, when that happens, the style of the tailor's clothes inevitably changes. What's amazing about HENRY POOLE is that they've created a cutting manual so that the style doesn't change even if their cutters move on to other shops. Since each customer has a different body type, the pattern drafting is done to accommodate that body type. However, they've also created a manual for balancing details to maintain the house style, such as how wide the lapels should be if the shoulder width is widened to suit a particular body type. In this way, it's possible to tailor clothes without losing HENRY POOLE style, no matter who does the cutting."

The "overwhelmingly ordinary" that HENRY POOLE envisioned.

"However, what HENRY POOLE , while upholding its house style, actually aims for is an 'overwhelming standard.' This is because what their customers seek is not tailoring that is instantly recognizable, but clothing that enhances the wearer's appearance. It's extremely understated. HENRY POOLE idealized the cutting that would achieve this and established the golden value of tailoring. While many bespoke shops pursued the creation of unique garments, this approach to tailoring was quite unusual. However, as suits gradually spread throughout the world, that golden value came to be imitated as the standard for tailored suits. As a result, HENRY POOLE ended up having a tremendous influence on tailor brands around the world."

In this article, we introduced the rarely discussed manufacturing philosophy of HENRY POOLE , a renowned shop representing Savile Row. The "British Fair" features a wide range of British brands that, like HENRY POOLE , boast a long history and unique craftsmanship. We encourage you to take this opportunity to experience the charm of British craftsmanship.