Thom Sweeney solidifies its position as one of the UK’s most US-focussed tailors with a new store opening on Madison Avenue.
Thom Sweeney may be a British tailor, but its center of gravity lies firmly in the US. While London was the first of its four stores worldwide, the rest — in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami — are all stateside. It’s a footprint that makes it one of the most US-focused tailoring houses to come out of the UK in recent years.
“The US has always been a big market for British tailoring. We started going to New York for trunk shows in year one of the business,” explains co-founder Luke Sweeney. Now, the brand’s relationship with America is set to move up a notch with the opening of a new store at 761 Madison Avenue in June.
Thom Sweeney began in 2007, when Sweeney and co-founder Thom Whiddett left respected tailor Timothy Everest to go it alone. Sweeney was a made-to-measure specialist, and Whiddett a bespoke cutter. The duo set out to offer a more contemporary, style-led interpretation of the classic Savile Row suit — cut to be a little trimmer, lighter-weight, and less stuffy than old-school tailors — and it resonated with sports and TV stars, as well as American clients.
“When we first started, there were a lot of Italian brands,” says Sweeney. “Our house cut has always been British with a touch of Italian. So it wasn’t much of a shift for the American client to move over to what we were doing.”
Playing in such a big pool also gave Whiddett and Sweeney the chance to dress different kinds of clients across the country.
“The attitude from each city changes quite significantly,” says Sweeney. “New York and London are very aligned — a lot of that comes down to climate. We sell overcoats, beautiful suits, three-pieces, jackets, and trousers. Miami’s a little bit more casual, but lots of guys do wear tailoring: Think nice trousers and unstructured jackets for dinners out. LA is a completely different beast, it’s either very casual, or event-led — so you go from selling polo shirts to dinner suits. You’ve just got to be nimble.”
This depth of understanding is ultimately what’s underpinned the brand’s steady expansion. Hence the move uptown in New York from Thom Sweeney’s nine-year-old store in SoHo.
“[The area’s] changed a bit and so have we,” Sweeney continues. “If you walk around SoHo for 10 minutes, you might see one or two potential customers. But if you stay on Madison for 10 minutes, you see 30.”
What, then, can customers expect of the new store?
Set across 5,000 sq ft, with an additional basement level for private shopping, the boutique will showcase the ready-to-wear collection as well as keeping space for made-to-measure and bespoke fittings. You’ll also find Sol’s, a bar and lounge designed as a social space for clients. Named after Sweeney’s late father-in-law, hospitality magnate Sol Kerzner, it’s a concept that Whiddett and Sweeney first launched in London and have introduced in all their stores.
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“Clients want to come and hang out,” Sweeney says. “Guys come in, look at some fabrics or do a bit of shopping and want to sit down and relax for a bit.”
This is perhaps Thom Sweeney’s most powerful calling card — the founders have always worked hard to cultivate an informal, charming experience for customers, building networks of clients who treat their stores like mini members’ clubs. Be prepared to add 761 Madison to your list of NYC essential addresses.
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