Pete Alfie Bailey
I couldn’t wait to show Granddad my new blazer. It was correct in every detail; I had worked hard for this coat, and it had cost over
a month’s wages, but it was worth every penny. I really wanted Granddad to be impressed.

“I see the fashion has changed again; side vents and wider lapels this month I see.”

“No Granddad, this is John Davis; Savile Row, he doesn’t do fashion. Everything is worked out to flatter the wearer; both his mind
and body, it’s a tradition dating back to 1806. Each garment is made in the traditional way, and must be fit for the original purpose.
But must not look old-fashioned; it’s a real art cutting a garment in this way.

“While it’s certainly very smart, and I sincerely hope you haven’t been miss-sold; you obviously want to believe your blazer is
traditional.”

At this point Granddad changed the subject.


Later that evening we were watching Michael Parkinson.
Parkinson was interviewing Mantovani, a man Granddad held in the highest esteem.
Granddad's Last Suit
I was still wearing the blazer, and was aware of how similar in cut it was to Mantovani’s suit. The two-button fastening of Mantovani’s jacket mirrored the two-
button cuff of his sleeve; in the same way my three-button coat front was complimented by a three-button cuff. The pocket and lapel hole detailing were also the
same. This couldn’t be explained as fashion, as the program was a repeat, and had originally been screened 20 years previously.

I was aware that Granddad was making the same observations.

“So tell me about your fashion sense,” Parkinson asked his guest.

“I gave up on fashion in the sixties. Cary Grant introduced me to a relative of his. John Davis, Savile Row tailor. I’ve been going to John ever since, not only does
he make a classic Savile Row suit; he is also a great source of advice about the rest of the outfit. He’s advised me on shoes and shirts, you name it; the best
brands, the best shops; even how to put an outfit together, the man is a star.”



Granddad became a John Davis customer the following week. Nobody could have known, it was to be for his funeral suit.

I always considered Granddad to be my father figure. That’s why I wanted him to be impressed with the decisions I made.
© Peter Bailey 2006
John Davis
Tobias-Davis