Holland & Sherry fabric: what it is and what you pay for
The London cloth merchant of Savile Row, in two minutes
If you have seen the name Holland & Sherry on a cloth book or a selvedge, here is what it means in a few paragraphs: who makes the cloth, what you pay for and which one to choose for a made-to-measure suit in Lisbon.
What is Holland & Sherry?
Holland & Sherry is a London cloth merchant founded in 1836 by Stephen George Holland and Frederick Sherry. It began at 10 Old Bond Street, moved to Golden Square in 1886 and to Savile Row in 1982. By 1900 it already had a sales office in New York. Holland & Sherry does not sell suits: it selects, designs and supplies wool and silk cloths to tailors around the world. Since 2003 it has been owned by Individualized Apparel Group.
What you pay for in Holland & Sherry fabric
You pay for the eye of a merchant that has served Savile Row tailors for almost two centuries: British cloths chosen for how they make up into a suit, in classic designs such as chalk stripes, glen checks and plain worsteds, plus flannels and tweeds for colder months. A merchant's strength is range, so the books cover everything from light summer wool to heavy winter cloth.
Which cloth to choose
For an everyday suit, choose a plain navy or grey worsted of medium weight. For autumn and winter, a flannel gives a soft, warm suit that looks at home in Lisbon from November to March. If you want something more English in character, a chalk stripe or a quiet check is where Holland & Sherry is at its best.
A made-to-measure suit in Holland & Sherry cloth
At the atelier we keep the current Holland & Sherry books. You choose the cloth by hand, we take your measurements, and the suit is cut and sewn in our own workshop in Portugal with a full canvas. It takes four to six weeks with one fitting, and we deliver anywhere in the world free of charge. The price depends on the cloth and is given at the first meeting. Read more about our made-to-measure suits in Lisbon.
Before you order
Does Holland & Sherry weave its own cloth? Holland & Sherry is a cloth merchant: it selects, designs and supplies cloth to tailors, working with mills rather than presenting itself as a weaver.
Is Holland & Sherry a good fabric for a suit? Yes. Its cloths are chosen for tailoring and have been supplied to Savile Row tailors since the nineteenth century.
How long does a made-to-measure suit in Holland & Sherry cloth take? Four to six weeks from the first appointment, with one fitting.
Coffee, cloth books and the tailor
We will show you the Holland & Sherry cloth books, introduce you to the tailor and take your measurements if you wish. The meeting takes about an hour and commits you to nothing.