Words: Ally Sinyard
In association with:
If you know your tweeds from your tartans, you’ll already be familiar with New & Lingwood. The British tailors have been outfitting Eton College’s students and the quintessential English gentleman ever since Elisabeth New and Samuel Lingwood first opened their doors in 1865.
Garnering a reputation for the impeccable products and personal service they’re still famous for today, the brand blossomed in Berkshire as the official outfitters for Eton and, in 1921, moved to the celebrated Jermyn Street in London’s St James’s – welcome news to the old Etonians who were subsequently working in the city.
It was in their SW1 home that they flourished from uniform shop to gentleman’s outfitter – attracting a new wave of loyal clients with their outstanding semi-canvas tailoring, bespoke shirts and breadth of high quality shoes and accessories.
The New & Lingwood store on Jermyn Street, London
In their 154-year history, New & Lingwood have enjoyed unrivalled success, literally rising from the ashes (and moving next door) when the store was entirely destroyed during the Blitz. Today, they’re still one of the most sought-after menswear labels in the world, having served over five generations of Etonians, Hollywood royalty and, well, actual royalty.
And they show no signs of slowing down. In the last couple of years alone, they’ve entirely refurbished their Jermyn Street store, transformed their original Eton home into a men’s outfitters (whilst still servicing the students) and launched their first permanent stateside residence – on the Upper East Side, no less.
The New & Lingwood store on Lexington Avenue, New York
But don’t for a second think this brand’s expansion spells bad news for quality: “Being a very small company, we’re still able to source the very best products,” Creative Director Simon Maloney tells us. “My fabrics always come from England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy. We source the best in tailoring cloths, the best tweeds, the finest in silks.”
Oh, and if you thought they only outfitted the suits of the city and schoolboys, you’d be very much mistaken. “You can dress from the most formal businessman right through to the most flamboyant of peacocks,” Maloney assures us. You need only look at their range of luxurious evening gowns and slippers to see a celebration of colour.
Surely world domination beckons? As they prepare to make their first foray into the international wholesale market, we decided to visit their Jermyn Street store for a peek behind the silk curtain. In the special video, we sit down with Simon Maloney to experience a day in the life of New & Lingwood and uncover more secrets behind the brand.
For more behind-the-scenes looks at some of your favourite brands, find out how Blancpain create bespoke watches with surprising engravings…
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