Post by "Just Ask Eric Musgrave"

I know a good menswear concept when I see one. Therefore I must give a round of applause to Geoff Souster and his son Wes Souster who together run the Souster and Hicks bespoke tailoring business on the high street in Woburn, Bedfordshire. It's a superb example of how to provide true personal service to a well-defined consumer group (which includes women as well as men). In recent years the pair have given up selling any ready-to-wear garments alongside the traditional bespoke tailoring Geoff has been providing for around 60 years. These days customers are supplied only with the full bespoke treatment or with some very refined, sophisticated and contemporary made-to-measure options, including unexpected items such as casual polo shirts and denim jeans. I was surprised to learn that as part of the Sousters' repositioning of the business, they now operate by appointment only. The front door of their handsome historic building is locked to stop time-wasting browsers from slowing the work flow. They were nervous of taking what might have turned out to be a counter-productive shop, but it has paid handsome dividends. I met genial Geoff more than 40 years ago when I was starting to write about menswear and he was usually described in the press as "a young tailor from Luton". I have kept in occasional contact with him since the 1980s because he is such good company with a fund of remarkable stories. It's been good to see Wes follow his dad's trade too. Wes is worth following on here for his regular posts about life in the shop. Of course, all the handwork on the bespoke side and the high level of quality on the MTM programmes does not come cheap, but there are enough consumers around who have the spending power and the taste level to keep Geoff, Wes and their small team very busy. Related to the Sousters' story, I laugh to myself when I see some of the prices so-called "luxury" brands slap on their ready-to-wear collections. Luxury has to mean more than just a high price. Another bespoke tailoring pal of mine told me about a young Chinese student who brought in a jacket to be alterated to fit him. It was by Kenzo and he'd paid £1,200 for it in Harvey Nichols. Amazing, £1,200 and it doesn't even fit? I wish good luck and continuing business to all the craftsmen and women like Geoff and Wes who are keeping high-quality work alive and are proving that a well-thought independent approach brings its own rewards. More power to you all!