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What’s This About
Gieves & Hawkes suits cost more because bespoke means a personal pattern, hand work and fittings at No. 1 Savile Row, plus the address and name; whether that is worth it depends on fit, use and budget.
This guide explains the price and how to judge it, such as
Who owns and runs Gieves & Hawkes today
A dated example of a bespoke price
How bespoke, made-to-measure and ready-to-wear differ
What the price pays for, from fittings to the address
Criteria for deciding whether a suit is worth it
and many more!
Buy the suit that fits you and that you will wear often, from whichever tailor makes it.
Key Points
01Gieves & Hawkes was formed in 1974 from Hawkes (1771) and Gieves (1785), according to the company.
02Frasers Group bought the business in November 2022.
03Bespoke prices change, so ask the shop for a current quote.
04A high price does not prove higher quality; compare fit, fittings and cloth.
Gieves & Hawkes is a tailor at No. 1 Savile Row in London, and its bespoke suits cost several thousand pounds.
This guide explains what that price pays for, how bespoke, made-to-measure and ready-to-wear differ, and how to decide whether a Gieves & Hawkes suit is worth it for you.
Who Gieves & Hawkes Are Today
According to the company, Hawkes was founded in 1771 and Gieves in 1785, and Gieves acquired Hawkes in 1974, when the business took its present name.
Both founding firms made uniforms for army and naval officers, and the company names the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson among their customers.
Hawkes bought No. 1 Savile Row in the early 1910s; the company gives 1913, while a reference history dates the purchase to 23 December 1912 and records that Hawkes paid the Royal Geographical Society £38,000 for the building.
The business has changed hands in recent years. Its owner since 2012, Trinity, was placed into liquidation in January 2022, and Frasers Group bought Gieves & Hawkes and its UK shops in November 2022, as The Industry reported.
In September 2026, The Industry reported that the No. 1 Savile Row shop had reopened after a refurbishment, offering bespoke tailoring, made-to-measure, ready-to-wear and military tailoring.
The Industry reported in November 2022 that the business held a Royal Warrant from the King, which Wikipedia records was granted when he was Prince of Wales; a warrant shows that a firm supplies the royal household, not that every suit is better made.
For the clients the company and dated records name, see our guide to Gieves & Hawkes clients.
What a Gieves & Hawkes Suit Costs
Prices change, so treat every figure here as a dated example and ask the shop for a current price.
In July 2019, Permanent Style reported that Gieves & Hawkes bespoke suits started at £4,420 plus VAT.
Made-to-measure and ready-to-wear suits cost less than bespoke, because they start from existing patterns rather than one cut for you alone.
Bespoke, Made-to-Measure and Ready-to-Wear
Bespoke means a cutter takes your measurements and drafts a paper pattern for you alone, and the suit is made by hand with several fittings, so it takes weeks or months.
Made-to-measure means an existing pattern is adjusted to your measurements and a choice of cloth and details, with fewer fittings and a shorter wait.
Ready-to-wear suits are made in standard sizes and altered where needed, so they are the quickest and least expensive way to buy the house cut.
Ask which option you are being offered, how many fittings are included and where the suit is made, because those answers explain most of the difference in price.
What the Price Pays For
Hand work and fittings
A bespoke suit involves cutting a personal pattern, hand stitching through the jacket and several fittings at which the cutter adjusts the garment on you.
Skilled hand labour and the cutter’s time in central London account for most of the gap between bespoke and ready-made prices.
Cloth
Savile Row tailors offer cloth from many British and European mills, and the cloth you choose can change the price considerably.
A plain worsted wool in navy or grey is the most useful and least expensive choice; rare fibres such as vicuña add a great deal to the cost and are not needed for a good suit.
The address and the name
Some of the price pays for a shop on Savile Row, the staff, the archive and the name, rather than the suit itself.
That is true of every tailor on a famous street, and it is one reason similar suits can cost less from a smaller workshop.
Does a Gieves & Hawkes Suit Hold Its Value?
A well-made suit in a classic cut can be worn for many years with care, and a bespoke suit can often be altered as your build changes.
Suits rarely rise in value, so treat one as something to wear, not as a financial investment.
Cost per wear helps only when you state your assumptions, because a suit worn once a week for years costs far less per wear than one kept for occasional events.
Is a Gieves & Hawkes Suit Worth It?
Judge a suit against these criteria rather than on the price or the name.
Fit. The suit should sit cleanly at the collar, shoulders and back; bespoke helps most if ready-made suits never fit you.
Use. A navy or grey suit worn every working week earns its price far faster than a suit kept for rare occasions.
House cut. Gieves & Hawkes is known for a clean, structured English cut with a defined shoulder, which suits some builds and tastes more than others.
Value. Compare prices, fittings and waiting times with other Savile Row and independent tailors, and with made-to-measure options.
Budget. A well-fitting suit from a less famous maker is a better buy than a famous one you cannot comfortably afford.
A high price does not prove higher quality, and a famous label does not change how other people judge you.
On balance, a Gieves & Hawkes bespoke suit can be worth it if you want a structured English cut, will wear the suit often and value the fittings; otherwise, made-to-measure or another tailor may give you a similar result for less.
How to Wear a Structured English Suit
Wear a navy worsted suit with a structured shoulder, a white shirt, a burgundy silk tie and black cap-toe Oxford shoes.
Try a charcoal double-breasted suit, a pale blue shirt, a navy knitted tie and black Derby shoes, with a dark wool overcoat in winter.
The look overlaps with the old money style, a contemporary label for understated classic dressing rather than a guide to anyone’s background.
Styling Beyond Gieves & Hawkes
Knowing how a tailor cuts is a useful start, but your own wardrobe works best when it suits your build, your colouring and the occasions you dress for.
Our guide to styling by occasion, location, season and time of day explains how to adapt outfits to each setting.
For further reading, see dressing for your body shape, seasonal colour palettes, garments, accessories and our list of high-priced heritage brands.
Take our three quizzes, then book a consultation if you would like personal help.
1. Check Your Body Shape
Start with our body shape quiz for men.
2. Find Your Seasonal Colours
Then take our seasonal colour quiz for men to find the colours that suit you.
3. Find Your Fashion Style
Then take our fashion style quiz for men, and read more about personal fashion style.
Personal Help From The VOU
Our styling services for men are paid consultations; the shop page lists what each one includes.
You can read about The VOU and our image consultants and fashion stylists before you book.
To ask a question first, contact us.
Sources
The Industry, Frasers Group purchases Savile Row tailor Gieves & Hawkes (25 November 2022).
The Industry, Gieves & Hawkes reopens historic Savile Row flagship following major refurb (2 September 2026).
Permanent Style, Gieves & Hawkes bespoke linen suit: review (17 July 2019).
Gieves & Hawkes, Wikipedia (purchase of No. 1 Savile Row in 1912, ownership since 2012, warrants).