Chester Barrie
Encyclopedia
Chester Barrie are a semi-bespoke
gentleman
's tailor
located at №32 Savile Row
, London
.
Founded in 1935 by expatriate English
tailor Simon Ackerman, and presently owned by Prominent Europe. The company provides ready-to-wear clothes, as well as bespoke tailoring.
for New York city
. Having built up a high-priced, quality tailoring business in and around New York, in 1935 he decided that he wanted to import quality British-made suits for the US market.
Returning to London in 1935, he started producing suits from a shop on Savile Row in London in 1937. Ackerman, as well as offering bespoke tailoring, introduced ready-to-wear
suits, popular in the United States as they greatly reduced purchase cost and delivery time scales. While the rest of Savile Row was still wholly bespoke, Chester Barrie were quickly equalling the volume of suits sold by every other tailor on Savile Row.
Suits for export had the button holes un-finished, where by sending them back to the United States
unfinished thus avoided the import duty. In 1938 Ackerman returned to the United States, placing his son Myron in charge of the British business.
As the business expanded, Ackerman knew he needed to develop a factory, and resultantly concluded that he needed a distinctly British brand to carry the larger volume. At that time the Port of Liverpool
was the main point of shipment for goods to the United States, and so Ackerman decided that the manufacturing side of his business should be based in the North West England
. Choosing Crewe
in Cheshire
, close to the mills he used in Huddersfield
, the factory opened in Chestnut Grove under the brand Chester Barrie, based on combining:
By now, World War II
was in its early stages, and the factories production turned to the war effort, picking up a contract to produce uniforms for the US Army in Europe, after the United States entered the war post the attack on Pearl Harbour.
Post-war, business picked up, and in 1949 the factory moved into no longer needed sections of the Rolls-Royce
Crewe factory
, which itself had been constructed pre-war as a shadow factory to mass-produce the Rolls-Royce Merlin
engine. The new capacity allowed the firm to expand, including supplying its product to Harrods
after Myron sent his own sales people in initially to promote the product.
Ackerman was very wise in his promotional activity, engaging popular movie stars inclduing Cary Grant
and popular figures including Sir Winston Churchill
, backing this up with practical and relatively affordable style. Having sold across Europe and the former Commonwealth Empire since 1955, in 1961 the company moved to a new factory in Crewe, to allow the Bentley Motors business to expand.
In 1978, the Ackerman family sold the business to the Austin Reed Group, by which time the business was employing 470 people, selling to Harrods, Selfridges
, Turnbull & Asser
and Saks Fifth Avenue
, New York
. Austin Reed started using the factory to produce a number of other brands beside Chester Barrie, and from 1981 started to produce the ready-to-wear stock for fellow Savile Row tailor H. Huntsman. In 1989 the company won the Queen's Award for Export Achievement, and in 1998 started making the purple label suits for Polo
Ralph Lauren
.
in 2002, the Crewe factory sold to former management, trading as the Cheshire Clothing Company, who later move to a brand new factory. SRG Group plc acquired the Chester Barrie Brand and worldwide licensing rights, and engage CCC to manufacture top-end bespoke suits.
In 2006, CCC itself went into receivership and closed. A new independent manufacturing company was formed in Crewe, Cheshire Bespoke, who again widened their manufacturing offering to supply ranges for brands including Ozwald Boateng
.
In 2007, the ownership of the Chester Barrie brand and worldwide licensing rights were sold to Prominent Europe, who continue the relationship with Cheshire Bespoke.
All Chester Barrie cutting is still done by hand, although to average measurements rather than a pattern designed for the individual customer. This enables Chester Barrie to still supply bespoke and semi-bespoke suits under the brand in Savile Row and some other selected outlets supplied from Chester Bespoke, while most of the ready-to-wear clothing is today manuafactured in the Far East
.
Bespoke
Bespoke is a term employed in a variety of applications to mean an item custom-made to the buyer's specification...
gentleman
Gentleman
The term gentleman , in its original and strict signification, denoted a well-educated man of good family and distinction, analogous to the Latin generosus...
's tailor
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
located at №32 Savile Row
Savile Row
Savile Row is a shopping street in Mayfair, central London, famous for its traditional men's bespoke tailoring. The term "bespoke" is understood to have originated in Savile Row when cloth for a suit was said to "be spoken for" by individual customers...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Founded in 1935 by expatriate English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
tailor Simon Ackerman, and presently owned by Prominent Europe. The company provides ready-to-wear clothes, as well as bespoke tailoring.
History
At the turn of the 20th century, Englishman Simon Ackerman left EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for New York city
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Having built up a high-priced, quality tailoring business in and around New York, in 1935 he decided that he wanted to import quality British-made suits for the US market.
Returning to London in 1935, he started producing suits from a shop on Savile Row in London in 1937. Ackerman, as well as offering bespoke tailoring, introduced ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear or prêt-à-porter is the term for factory-made clothing, sold in finished condition, in standardized sizes, as distinct from made to measure or bespoke clothing tailored to a particular person's frame. Off-the-peg is sometimes used for items which are not clothing.Ready-to-wear has...
suits, popular in the United States as they greatly reduced purchase cost and delivery time scales. While the rest of Savile Row was still wholly bespoke, Chester Barrie were quickly equalling the volume of suits sold by every other tailor on Savile Row.
Suits for export had the button holes un-finished, where by sending them back to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
unfinished thus avoided the import duty. In 1938 Ackerman returned to the United States, placing his son Myron in charge of the British business.
As the business expanded, Ackerman knew he needed to develop a factory, and resultantly concluded that he needed a distinctly British brand to carry the larger volume. At that time the Port of Liverpool
Port of Liverpool
The Port of Liverpool is the name for the enclosed 7.5 mile dock system that runs from Brunswick Dock in Liverpool to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, on the east side of the River Mersey and the Birkenhead Docks between Birkenhead and Wallasey on the west side of the river...
was the main point of shipment for goods to the United States, and so Ackerman decided that the manufacturing side of his business should be based in the North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
. Choosing Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, close to the mills he used in Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, the factory opened in Chestnut Grove under the brand Chester Barrie, based on combining:
- ChesterChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, the city and county town of the location he choose for his factory - Barrie, the surname of children's fiction writer J. M. BarrieJ. M. BarrieSir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan. The child of a family of small-town weavers, he was educated in Scotland. He moved to London, where he developed a career as a novelist and playwright...
, who wrote Peter PanPeter PanPeter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
By now, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was in its early stages, and the factories production turned to the war effort, picking up a contract to produce uniforms for the US Army in Europe, after the United States entered the war post the attack on Pearl Harbour.
Post-war, business picked up, and in 1949 the factory moved into no longer needed sections of the Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
Crewe factory
Bentley Crewe
Bentley Crewe serves as the headquarters, design and manufacturing centre of Bentley Motors Limited, located on the outskirts of Crewe, Cheshire, England.-History:...
, which itself had been constructed pre-war as a shadow factory to mass-produce the Rolls-Royce Merlin
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
engine. The new capacity allowed the firm to expand, including supplying its product to Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
after Myron sent his own sales people in initially to promote the product.
Ackerman was very wise in his promotional activity, engaging popular movie stars inclduing Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
and popular figures including Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, backing this up with practical and relatively affordable style. Having sold across Europe and the former Commonwealth Empire since 1955, in 1961 the company moved to a new factory in Crewe, to allow the Bentley Motors business to expand.
In 1978, the Ackerman family sold the business to the Austin Reed Group, by which time the business was employing 470 people, selling to Harrods, Selfridges
Selfridges
Selfridges, AKA Selfridges & Co, is a chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge. The flagship store in London's Oxford Street is the second largest shop in the UK and was opened on 15 March 1909.More recently, three other stores have been...
, Turnbull & Asser
Turnbull & Asser
Turnbull & Asser is a British clothier established in 1885. In addition to its flagship store on Jermyn Street in London, England it also has two United States locations, one in New York City and one in Beverly Hills, California....
and Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Austin Reed started using the factory to produce a number of other brands beside Chester Barrie, and from 1981 started to produce the ready-to-wear stock for fellow Savile Row tailor H. Huntsman. In 1989 the company won the Queen's Award for Export Achievement, and in 1998 started making the purple label suits for Polo
Polo Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren Corporation is a luxury clothing and goods company of the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren specializes in high-end casual/semi-formal wear for men and women, as well as accessories, fragrances, home and housewares...
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
.
Present
As the dot.com boom decline hit world markets, the demand for bespoke suits declined. In financial troubles, Austin Reed sold the loss-making Chester Barrie business to Thomson Holdings in 2000. After the business went in receivershipReceivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
in 2002, the Crewe factory sold to former management, trading as the Cheshire Clothing Company, who later move to a brand new factory. SRG Group plc acquired the Chester Barrie Brand and worldwide licensing rights, and engage CCC to manufacture top-end bespoke suits.
In 2006, CCC itself went into receivership and closed. A new independent manufacturing company was formed in Crewe, Cheshire Bespoke, who again widened their manufacturing offering to supply ranges for brands including Ozwald Boateng
Ozwald Boateng
Ozwald Boateng OBE is a British-born fashion designer of Ghanaian descent, known for his trade mark twist style on classic British tailoring. Inspired by his father's suits, Boateng opened his first shop on Savile Row at the age of 23.-Biography:...
.
In 2007, the ownership of the Chester Barrie brand and worldwide licensing rights were sold to Prominent Europe, who continue the relationship with Cheshire Bespoke.
All Chester Barrie cutting is still done by hand, although to average measurements rather than a pattern designed for the individual customer. This enables Chester Barrie to still supply bespoke and semi-bespoke suits under the brand in Savile Row and some other selected outlets supplied from Chester Bespoke, while most of the ready-to-wear clothing is today manuafactured in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
.
Notable clients
- Joe AdesJoe AdesJoseph "Joe" Ades , also known as the "Gentleman Peeler," was a well-known street potato peeler seller in New York City, USA.-Early life:...
- Simon CallowSimon CallowSimon Phillip Hugh Callow, CBE is an English actor, writer and theatre director. He is also currently a judge on Popstar to Operastar.-Early years:...
- Charles, Prince of WalesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
- Sir Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
- Jamie CullumJamie CullumJamie Cullum is an English pop and jazz-pop singer-songwriter. Though he is primarily a vocalist/pianist he also accompanies himself on other instruments including guitar and drums. Since April 2010, he has been presenting a weekly jazz show on BBC Radio 2, broadcast on Tuesdays from 19:00.- Early...
- Cary GrantCary GrantArchibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
- Prince Harry
- Ricky HattonRicky HattonRichard John Hatton MBE, more commonly known as Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton, , is a former British professional boxer, and currently a promoter....
- Gordon RamsayGordon RamsayGordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
- Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
Films
- Steve McQueenSteve McQueenTerrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
in The Thomas Crown AffairThe Thomas Crown AffairThe Thomas Crown Affair is either of two films:* The Thomas Crown Affair , a 1968 film starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway* The Thomas Crown Affair , a 1999 remake of the 1968 film, starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo... - Sean ConnerySean ConnerySir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
as James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
in both Dr No and ThunderballThunderballThunderball may refer to:*Thunderball , a 1961 James Bond novel by Ian Fleming**Thunderball , a 1965 film adaptation of the novel starring Sean Connery**Thunderball , the soundtrack from the film, or the title song...
Timeline
- 1935 Simon Ackerman returns to set up business in London
- 1937 Opened first Chester Barrie store on Savile Row
- 1938 Myron Ackerman, Simon's son is despatched to run the business in the UK
- 1939 Chester Barrie opened its first wholly owned factory on Chestnut Grove, Crewe.
- 1941 World War II, Chester Barrie makes uniforms for American officers
- 1949 Chester Barrie opened a larger factory shared with the Rolls Royce Company
- 1950 Begin selling to Harrods and Austin Reed. Harrods originally rejected the brand for being too expensive but Myron Ackerman sent his own staff to work in store and the suits sold extremely well.
- 1955 Started selling across Commonwealth countries (Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, etc) and Europe (notably France, Sweden and Belgium)
- 1961 Chester Barrie moved to a new purpose built factory in Crewe to keep up with demand.
- 1978 Business sold to the Austin Reed Group. By then Chester Barrie was employing over 470 people. Selling to HarrodsHarrodsHarrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
, SelfridgesSelfridgesSelfridges, AKA Selfridges & Co, is a chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge. The flagship store in London's Oxford Street is the second largest shop in the UK and was opened on 15 March 1909.More recently, three other stores have been...
, Turnbull & AsserTurnbull & AsserTurnbull & Asser is a British clothier established in 1885. In addition to its flagship store on Jermyn Street in London, England it also has two United States locations, one in New York City and one in Beverly Hills, California....
and Saks Fifth AvenueSaks Fifth AvenueSaks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... - 1981 Chester Barrie gained recognition from founders of Savile Row, when H. Huntsman ordered their first ready-to-wear stock from Chester Barrie.
- 1989 Won the Queen's Award for Export Achievement
- 1998 Starts making purple label suits for PoloPolo Ralph LaurenRalph Lauren Corporation is a luxury clothing and goods company of the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren specializes in high-end casual/semi-formal wear for men and women, as well as accessories, fragrances, home and housewares...
Ralph LaurenRalph LaurenRalph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
. - 2000 bought by Thomson Holdings
- 2002 Goes into receivershipReceivershipIn law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
. Crewe factory sold to former management, trading as the Cheshire Clothing Company, who later move to brand new factory. SRG Group plc acquires the Chester Barrie Brand and worldwide licensing rights, and engage CCC to manufacture top-end bespoke suits, while others are outsourced to Far East - 2006 CCC goes into receivership and closes. New independent manufacturing company formed in Crewe, Cheshire Bespoke, who now widen offering to cover ranges for brands including Ozwald BoatengOzwald BoatengOzwald Boateng OBE is a British-born fashion designer of Ghanaian descent, known for his trade mark twist style on classic British tailoring. Inspired by his father's suits, Boateng opened his first shop on Savile Row at the age of 23.-Biography:...
, - 2007 Chester Barrie business and brands sold to Prominent Europe, who continue relationship with Cheshire Bespoke.