Henry Poole is credited as having invented the modern dinner jacket, in response to a request from Edward VII, when he was Prince of Wales in the 1860s, for a short evening coat to be worn for informal dinners at Sandringham.
Henry took over the family business in 1846 and by 1869 was honoured with the title of Court Tailor to Queen Victoria, and later Livery Tailor. That relationship has endured to this day. The company still makes bespoke formal wear on the premises using traditional handwork, as it always has, at Nos. 15 & 16 Saville Row.
Henry's father, James Poole, started work as a linen draper in 1806 but quickly progressed to making military tunics so successfully that by the time Napoleon and Wellington faced-off at Waterloo, Poole was the most fashionable military tailor in London.
He was, therefore a contemporary of William Westley Richards, whose shop at 170, New Bond Street, opened in 1815 and was just a brisk three-minute walk from Savile Row.
It is then, fitting that these two venerable old firms still find common ground two centuries later; both still in business and both outfitting many of the same customers. Today, Henry Poole creates beautiful bespoke shooting tweeds, as well as business and evening wear. Westley Richards gun slips, cartridge bags and soft luggage perfectly complement the incredible quality tailoring showcased in the display.
Among the items adorning the famous window, in which Henry Poole's bold-check tweed shooting suits and Norfolk jackets are prominent, passers by will see a Westley Richards Perfecta Cartridge Bag, Deeley Shotgun Slips in Sand and Hunter Green, Anson Cartridge Bags and a Bournbrook Bag in Dark Tan and the Sutherland Bag in Mid-Tan.
The association is as natural today as it would have been in the days of Henry Poole and the Bishop of Bond Street; two brands at the very top of their game, announcing to the world that the game season has begun and they they are ready to provide for the shooting man's every need.
As the early autumn nights draw-in and shop windows illuminate, thoughts drift towards the thrill of the outdoors, compensating for the loss of summer with the promise of sport to come. It is at once melancholy and anticipatory.
There is just time to make ready; pop into London's best tailor, get measured for the shooting suit of a lifetime and make sure you have leather goods fit to share the same peg with it.
The beauty of tradition and quality is the realisation that whatever you buy from this display will out-last you. That thought, in itself, is also both melancholy and comforting.
Westley Richards has been outfitting its clients for with fine leather goods as long as it has been building custom rifles and bespoke guns for them. Whether you are on safari in the African bush, in Paris for the weekend, or in New York on business, our heirloom quality leather luggage strikes the perfect balance between functionality, durability and timeless elegance. Made in our leather factory in Birmingham side by side with the gunmaking, the company offers a range of luxury travel bags made from leather and canvas, including holdalls, briefcases, backpacks, messenger bags and weekend bags. The perfect partner to our high quality safari wear and country clothing.
