Featuring Dugdale Chairman Robert Charnock alongside Savile Row tailor Kathryn Sargent, “The Story of the Suit” explores the magic of British cloth making and tailoring, from the weaving of cloth through to the cutting – and indeed wearing – of the final garments.

‘We are greatly excited to bring you the story of British bespoke tailoring, showcasing two custodians of the trade as they keep the magic of the British suit alive. It was a pleasure to walk with Kathryn Sargent and Dugdale Bros down the historic Savile Row, where they are ushering the custom craft of tailoring into the 21st century.’ – Simon Shelley, Global Director of Programme Partnerships, BBC StoryWorks.

Having established their bespoke tailoring house in 2020 with a mission to push the boundaries of London handcraft, Dobrik & Lawton are going from strength to strength. With a love for Art Deco and the avant-garde, their creations have a modern touch combined with echoes of historical elegance. It’s no surprise, then, that this forward thinking duo attract the kinds of exciting commissions Dugdale Bros & Co. loves to get involved in. 

We visited their Walthamstow workshop recently to witness the final stages in the construction of a suit for a customer with a penchant for alpine adventure, and to interview Josh about this very special commission.

DB: Tell us more about this suit and who it’s being made for.

JD: The suit is being made for a customer who, in stark contrast to his very wholesome life in London as a family man and successful businessman, took up alpinism as a hobby many years ago. He often escapes the city on a Saturday evening, landing in Geneva and arriving at his base in Zermatt late that night, sleeping for just a few hours before picking a neighbouring summit to ascend very early the following morning. Once back down from his climb, he boards the earliest flight home in time for work on Monday morning.

He developed a particular fascination for the Matterhorn, a notorious mountain steeped in Alpine history. The first successful ascent was made by a team led by Edward Whymper in 1865. Of the 7 men who attempted the successful ascent, only 3 made it back alive when the inexperienced Douglas Hadow slipped, bringing down 3 others attached to him by a rope.

The garment we are making is a recreation of what Whymper was known for wearing throughout his life, both in public and on ridges: a double breasted 2 show 3 tweed suit.

DB: Fascinating! Can you tell us more about the cloth you’re using for the suit and why you chose Dugdale in particular?

JD: When looking for a cloth that was fit for purpose and historically pertinent, our first port of call was Dugdale.

As tailors we are all aware that Dugdale weave specifically for the bespoke trade, making cloth capable of lasting the test of time and sustaining the harsh conditions we put it under over the course of successive baste fittings.

Dugdale is unique in today’s market, being the sole merchants to place us handcraft clothiers in front of more lucrative big factory lines. Given the need for resilience and historical accuracy for this project, we sought Dugdale’s extensive knowledge of dyes, weaves and yarn to pick something that Whymper could well have chosen himself back in the day, and landed on the Invincible Game Keepers Tweed, which has proven to be a testament to your ethos of relevant tradition and long wear.

DB: Thank you Josh! We hope your customer is as thrilled with the suit as we are!

A note on Invincible from our chairman, Rob Charnock:

We decided that the “Invincible” Game Keepers Tweed would be the perfect match for this expedition, being exceptionally durable and warm at a weight of 35 ozs. The cloth is constructed from a heavy worsted warp to give incredible tensile strength and a 10 skeins coarse British woollen weft for warmth. Woven in a full sett 5/3 twill with a waterproof treatment means the clothing will keep out all the challenging Matterhorn elements for our intrepid Alpinist.

Shop the Invincible collection.

To mark this incredible milestone, we have collaborated with Savile Row tailoring house Anderson & Sheppard to produce the first ever garment to be made out of their special edition anniversary tweed, ‘Dugdale Handwoven’.

Spun from heavy skeins of British wool and woven by hand on 19th century looms at the Colne Valley Museum in Huddersfield, ‘Dugdale Handwoven’ is a hardy yet luxurious cloth in striking black and gold houndstooth.

‘We’ve purchased cloth from Dugdale for more than 100 years and over that time our two companies have built a strong and successful relationship’ says Anderson & Sheppard MD Colin Heywood.

‘When we were approached to make the jacket for Dugdale’s 125 year celebration, showcasing their commemorative tweed, we were extremely thrilled and honoured to participate. This collaboration just cements the special bond our two companies share.’

To find out more about Dugdale Handwoven, email enquiries@dugdalebrosandco.com or speak to your Dugdale representative.