Gieves & Hawkes

The company was formed from two famous military tailors: Gieves, founded in 1785 and Hawkes, founded in 1771. Gieves became a celebrated supplier of the British Royal Navy and Hawkes of the British Army.

In 1974 Gieves acquired Hawkes and moved from the flagship store to Savile Row in 1975, to become known as Gieves & Hawkes

Explore our rich history and delve into our archives in the accompanying video and segments below.

Hawkes, the most prestigious military and court tailors in London, purchased No. 1 in 1913, establishing Savile Row as an epicentre for fine tailoring. This address would go on to become synonymous with London style, dressing the wealthiest and most powerful from Royal Dukes to the political, aristocratic and military establishment.

As two independent companies, both Gieves and Hawkes could hardly have had better military credentials than having The Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson as customers.
By the late 19th.century, they were kitting out some 98% of naval cadets at Dartmouth and then 5 out of 6 when they later became naval officers.
Gieves' service to the Royal Navy included an efficient and practical telegraph system, a handy dress indicator and a life saving waistcoat which incorporated a life belt to be inflated when necessary.

Warrants holders since George III in 1789, Gieves & Hawkes has continuously enjoyed the patronage of British royalty, reinforcing its unparalleled pedigree and international status.
In 1953 the Company famously made the late Queen Elizabeth II's boat cloak photographed by Cecil Beaton. Other British royals have been dressed by ... show more

The company was formed from two famous military tailors: Gieves, founded in 1785 and Hawkes, founded in 1771. Gieves became a celebrated supplier of the British Royal Navy and Hawkes of the British Army.

In 1974 Gieves acquired Hawkes and moved from the flagship store to Savile Row in 1975, to become known as Gieves & Hawkes

Explore our rich history and delve into our archives in the accompanying video and segments below.

Hawkes, the most prestigious military and court tailors in London, purchased No. 1 in 1913, establishing Savile Row as an epicentre for fine tailoring. This address would go on to become synonymous with London style, dressing the wealthiest and most powerful from Royal Dukes to the political, aristocratic and military establishment.

As two independent companies, both Gieves and Hawkes could hardly have had better military credentials than having The Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson as customers.
By the late 19th.century, they were kitting out some 98% of naval cadets at Dartmouth and then 5 out of 6 when they later became naval officers.
Gieves' service to the Royal Navy included an efficient and practical telegraph system, a handy dress indicator and a life saving waistcoat which incorporated a life belt to be inflated when necessary.

Warrants holders since George III in 1789, Gieves & Hawkes has continuously enjoyed the patronage of British royalty, reinforcing its unparalleled pedigree and international status.
In 1953 the Company famously made the late Queen Elizabeth II's boat cloak photographed by Cecil Beaton. Other British royals have been dressed by

Gieves & Hawkes including The Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, his grandfather King George VI and great grandfather King George V, as well as Princes William and Harry.
Over the years Gieves & Hawkes have tailored clothes for the royal houses of Denmark, Norway, Yugoslavia, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, Greece, Romania, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Jordan, Iraq, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand and Tonga as well as the Aga Khan. 
Today the Company's Royal Warrants stand in recognition of unrivalled quality and service. Our global headquarters at No.1 Savile Row continues to serve as the epicentre of a British luxury brand dedicated to the pursuit of excellence.


The outbreak of war in 1914, and again in 1939, saw greatly increased demand for naval and military uniforms and accoutrements from both Gieves and Hawkes.
Conversely, during the intervening years of peace, the need for civilian clothing gave rise to a new concept called ready-to-wear, at least initially in more casual attire and followed later by more formal tailoring in the post war period.
Hawkes & Co were the first tailors on Savile Row to introduce ready-to-wear in the 1920s. By 1939 this was being advertised as 'Immediate Wear', certainly in the case of military uniforms.
This development had effectively been pioneered by an early comprehensive mail-order catalogue produced by Gieves in 1910.
Despite the devastations at several branches of Gieves in the Blitz, all were open again for business very shortly afterwards.
Gieves acquisition of Hawkes in 1974 and their subsequent relocation to No. 1 Savile Row firmly endorsed the combined company's commitment to the craft of traditional bespoke tailoring which has been carefully maintained into the present century.

taken from https://www.gievesandhawkes.com