Bow Lane is my favourite rat run in the City. Tucked away between Poultry and Queen Victoria Street, there’s just about everything a man needs within a 100-yard radius.
There’s Joseph Cheaney & Sons for brogues; Jack the Clipper for a short back and sides; Porterford Butchers for rib-eyes; and Ye Olde Watling for a pint. There’s even a church – St Mary Le-Bow – should you be in need of sanctuary.
If, like me, you’d rather worship at the shrine of Bacchus, then next door is the unapologetically old-school Bow Wine Vaults. And while you’re down the lane, you can now also have a made-to-measure suit made. Last year, Edit Suits Co moved in, having relocated from its original Liverpool Street location.
Ex-UBS banker Patrick Jungo co-founded the company four years ago just across from his former employer’s London offices. It now has stores in both the City and Mayfair, as well as downtown Singapore. The initial idea was simple: provide high-end made-to-measure shirts and suits with a competition-leading turnaround time.
Working with mills in England and Italy, and manufacturers in both Eastern Europe and the Far East, Edit Suits Co now offers the quickest turnaround of any made-to-measure tailors in London. From your first appointment at the salon to picking up the finished article can happen in just three weeks.
The initial idea was simple: provide high-end made-to-measure shirts and suits with a competition-leading turnaround time.
A lot of this comes down to the tech. The in-house tailor puts your measurements and selections into an iPad app, then they ping them off to the manufacturers. Work begins on your suit before you’ve even left the premises.
When it comes to your suit, the options are pretty much endless. It’s as near to bespoke as it gets without being the full shebang. They even measure the angle of your shoulders to counteract any asymmetrical slouching you’ve picked up over the years. (Thanks, iPhone.)
The decision-making process begins with the material. From Italy, there’s Vitale Barberis, Loro Piana, Zegna; from England, Cloth Dormeuil and Holland & Sherry. Then the cut – handy examples are displayed on the iPad app to help if you can’t articulate what kind of look you’re after. Then there are the linings, including a natty eco-friendly range made from sustainable tree fabric. And finally the buttons – to finish off the working cuffs perfectly. For these, there are a range of natural horn options as well as mother of pearl.
Underpinning it all is value. A price tag of £859 for a made-to-measure Loro Piana two-piece suit turned around in less than a month is exceptional value. Opt for a less lofty label and that price comes down as low as £389. (One of the ways they keep that price so low is eschewing glitzy store fronts, and instead opting for first-floor premises but still in triple-A locations.)
Only one decision remains: whether or not to opt for a monogram inside. As Jungo succinctly puts it: “Surely, it’s better to wear your own name than someone else’s?”. Decision made.
Edit Suits, 54 Bow Lane, First Floor, EC4M 9DJ | 10 South Molton Street, First Floor, W1K 5QJ | 020 379 9003. See more at editsuits.com
