The power of 'going bespoke'

Offering an unmatched fit and flawless function in the field, there is no limit to the benefits that perfectly tailored sporting kit can bring to the wearer

- Written by Sarah Fitzpatrick

THE INTIMACY and fruitfulness of the relationship with one’s tailor can make it one of the most rewarding — ask any Regency buck. A good tailor has the ability to enable almost anyone to cut a dash, knowing how to compensate and conceal in just the right way to leave their client looking and feeling their very best: if clothes don’t entirely maketh the man they certainly help. Any of the servicemen who have benefited from shirtmaker Emma Willis's charity Style for Soldiers can attest to this. Willis founded her organisation in 2008 in response to the horrific injuries sustained by soldiers in Afghanistan, asking herself: “What can I do?” The answer was clear. “I can make them a shirt; I can make a shirt to fit anyone,” she thought, as she understood the power a bespoke garment can bring to the wearer. It is how to truly take your own line sartorially and give a good lead in the fashion stakes.

From Soapy Sponge to Clarissa Dickson Wright, anyone can be suitably dressed, as long as it’s bespoke. Sir Johnny Scott recalls preparations for the