A bespoke suit has long been regarded as a good investment, yet tailoring has typically been a male dominated domain. Caroline Underhill, our Global Marketing Director, takes a look at how The Deck, a contemporary tailoring house exclusively for women, is changing the game.
The Deck was established by Daisy Knatchbull, a fashion professional who had worked for Sunday Times Style and Huntsman. Her decision to wear a morning suit with top hat and tails to Royal Ascot in 2016, and the overwhelming reaction from women and the press, prompted her to create a tailoring house which catered just for women.
Today The Deck is first women’s tailor to have a shopfront on Savile Row. Pitching itself at the heart of the bespoke tailoring world, The Deck uses a team of artisan designers and craftspeople, from Britain and Portugal, helping to preserve the tradition of suit making and its techniques.
The basis for every handmade garment, and the inspiration for the company’s name, comes from four suits – just like a deck of cards. Each of the jacket options – The Single-Breasted, Double-Breasted, The Boyfriend and The Safari – can be worn with a choice of trousers, allowing each client to create their own look which best fits their style and body shape.
Suits can be then be created from more than 7000 high quality, ethically sourced cloths, mainly from British mills, with a bespoke choice of lining, buttons, styling details, thread and monogramming. The onus is on natural fibres and responsibly sourced materials, and sustainability is key, as is the process of slow, conscious and mindful purchasing; an antidote to the trend of disposable fashion and overproduction which has boomed in recent years.
Through a series of three fittings – either at home or in the Savile Row Atelier, each suit is carefully created over a period of 10 weeks. At least eight different tailors work on each suit and over 20,000 stitches are made on each garment.
In focusing on women in the tailoring process, The Deck offers real attention to detail; for example, each suit includes a small Ace of Spades monogram stitched into the inner cuff of the right sleeve – a reminder that every woman has an ace up their sleeve!
In championing women’s tailoring The Deck aims to honour every element of a good suit – the craftsmanship, the process, the fit, the quality and the choice. And in the same way the team aim to create pieces that will stand the test of time, with the aim that, like any good investment, they can be passed down for generations to come.
