| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Tailoring |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Website | www.cadandthedandy.co.uk |
Cad and the Dandy is an independent tailoring firm based in London, UK with premises in the City and on Savile Row.[1] It manufactures bespoke suits from English and Italian fabrics, using traditional tailoring methods and its suits are significantly more affordable than those from the more traditional tailors of Savile Row.[2] The company was founded in 2008 by James Sleater and Ian Meiers; two city bankers who, at the height of the 2008 financial crisis, were both made redundant from their jobs. Both having family connections to the tailoring industry, they combined their knowledge and launched across London. In the company's first two years of business it has grown substantially, achieving a turnover of 1.3m in 2010 and attracting increasing local, national and international press coverage, including being listed by The Guardian in the Couvoisier Future 500.[2][3] In July 2010 the founders won the Bento Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Macworld Awards.[4]
Contents |
In 2008, after being made redundant during the financial crisis, James Sleater and Ian Meiers independently began to conduct research into starting a tailoring firm trading off their family ties in the industry. They were introduced after they both had meetings with the same fabric supplier, and they decided to go into business together.[1] Since 2008, the firm has grown quickly, building up its reputation and client base and engaging in apprenticeship schemes for new tailors. Employing ten tailors in the UK and employing 40 more in China, where the company makes some of its entry levels suits. The company has now begun conducting fittings all over the world, most often in the United States where there is a lust for traditional English tailoring.[1]
Cad and the Dandy began by conducting fittings in rented office space. Later, an arrangement with Chittleborough and Morgan allowed them to take appointments in a shared shop on Savile Row and, in October 2009, they opened their first permanent store in the City of London.[5]
In 2010, Cad and the Dandy began an association with Chris Eubank, a former world middleweight and super middleweight boxing champion. Eubank was previously a regular customer and now designs a range of clothes exclusively for Cad and the Dandy. With him Eubank has brought many customers from the world of sports, music and fashion.[6] Other famous tie-ups have followed most noticeably a collaboration with Vivian Westwoods son and designer Ben Westwood which gathered significant international interest and featured in Vogue and other publications
In September 2010 and annually, Cad and the Dandy run a competition to look for the 'best dressed banker' in London. Entrants are nominated by friends and voted for online by the public. The 2010 winner, Greg Rellis of OTC Europe, received two bespoke suits and two bespoke shirts as a prize.[7] The competition attracted widespread press coverage in mainstream national and international news sources such as CNBC[8] the Daily Express[9] and The Guardian.[10] The latter noted that the competition suggested that bankers were 'bucking the persecutory trend' that followed the financial crisis.
In 2011 they were asked to make the suits for the wedding of Mike Tindall and Zara Phillips and fitted out the entire wedding party, consisting of England rugby players and members of the Royal family.
Cad and the Dandy suits cost between around £550 and £2000 and take roughly six weeks to make. A variety of suit styles and customisation options are made available on the website, but almost any request can be accommodated through an appointment in person. Suit prices vary based on the cloth that is used as well as the amount hand-stitching that is done on the suit. The better quality suits require around 50 hours of stitching. All of the Cad and the Dandy suits are made from British or Italian cloth, and are available either in "machine grade" or "hand stitched".[4] Cad & The Dandy own three workshops, two in London and one in China where labour cost is significantly cheaper than in the United Kingdom and where there are more skilled tailors.[1][2]
Cad and the Dandy suits have received positive reviews from style commentators and bloggers, who note the high quality of cloth and tailoring, the strong customer service and the flexibility in customisation options.[11] User reviews on sites such as Qype have been positive, with reviews praising the fit, the service, and the willingness to cater to unusual requests.[12]
Mainstream news sources such as the Daily Telegraph have focused on the company's growth and strong financial performance, and on the entrepreneurship of its founders, especially following the loss of their jobs.[1]