Bespoke shirts can be very addictive - the English style guru John Morgan owned about 300 bespoke shirts with monograms. Bespoke shirts have it all: sleeves have the right length, collars have the right size, no baggy appearance around the waist and shoulders fit perfectly. With bespoke shirts or made-to-measure shirts customers can not only choose the fabric, but also collar style, cuffs and pearl buttons to make the design more personal. Most shirtmakers will change the collar and cuffs when they are worn out (this is where customers will save as opposed to buying a ready-to-wear shirt - should they need a justification). Monograms are an expression of individuality, they also avoid shirts being lost in the laundry - at home or in a hotel. 

Traditionally shirtmakers were in Jermyn Street - the Mecca for people who love classic English shirts - and tailors for suits in Savile Row. However, this distinction has become blurred in recent years, with tailors also offering bespoke or made-to-measure shirts. Bespoke or custom-made means that shirts are completely made by hand (“Massanfertigung” in German). Made-to-measure or stock special, however, means semi-automated fabrication which is adjusted to the person (“Masskonfektion” in German). For bespoke or custom-made shirts, usually only a sample is done at the first time to ensure that the cut has a perfect fit. British cloth has to be washed two to three times in order to allow for shrinking. Most Italian cloth, however, is pre-shrunk and fits perfectly from day one. Fused collars are available to avoid creasing when being ironed. 
Many old Savile Row institutions have a number of Royal Warrants from royalty all over the world. 

Elegant-Lifestyle's feature includes made-to-measure and bespoke shirts ranging from around  £100 to nearly £1,000. Some shirtmakers also offer bespoke and made-to-measure shirts for ladies. Many traditional shirtmakers and tailors will also come their clients' offices and quite a number of the big old names will do visits to the United States, Continental Europe and the Middle East to see customers. 

PS: In case you might be interested, bespoke or made-to-measure shirts are not yet offered by Chester Barrie, Hackett, TM Lewin, Richard James and Charles Tyrwhitt. You can find the links to English shirt companies under Shirts & Suits: UK, American shirt makers under Shirts & Suits: US and German shirt companies under Shirts & Suits: Germany.
PPS: Two good books are  'Gentleman - A Timeless Fashion' or 'A Well-Dressed Gentleman's Pocket Guide'. 

Order: Name:, Type:, Established:, Background information:, Price:, Opening hours:, Monogram:, Minimum order:, Time taken:, Tel:, Fax:, Street:, Town:, Tube station:, 2nd address:, e-mail:, website:

The famous ...

Davies & Son, Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1803, Davies & Son is the oldest tailor in Savile Row, past Royal Warrants from the King of Norway, the King of Spain and the King of Greece, 300 cloth types available, visits 4 times per year to US East Coast and the European Continent, appointment advisable, from £118 inc. VAT upwards, Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 9am-12.30pm, £6 per letter by hand, 4 shirts, three to four weeks for sample, three to four weeks for rest, +44-20-7434 3016, +44-20-7287 4348, 38 Savile Row, London Mayfair W1X 1AG, Green Park / Piccadilly Circus, davandsons@aol.com, www.daviesandsonsavilerow.com

Dege & Skinner, Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1865, Bespoke shirts are offered next to bespoke suits, Royal Warrants from H.M. The Queen and H.M. the Sultan of Oman, 4000 different designs, visits to the US, Arabia and Europe 3-4 times a year, appointment advisable, from £130 to £165 inc. VAT, Mon-Fri 9.15am-5.15pm, Sat 9.30-12.30, £6.50 per letter, 4 shirts, three weeks for sample, four to 5 weeks for completion, +44-20-7287 2941, +44-20-7734 8794, 10 Savile Row, London Mayfair W1X 1AF, Piccadilly Circus / Green Park, info@dege-skinner.co.uk, www.dege-skinner.co.uk

Ede and Ravenscroft Ltd., Robemaker, Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1689, Royal Warrants from H. M The Queen, H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, H.M. The Queen Mother and H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, oldest tailor in London is also maker of royal coronation robes and ceremonial robes for the law courts, etc., bespoke shirts are made for ladies and gentleman, £120 inc. VAT, Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, £10 per letter, 1 shirt, six weeks, +44-20-7734 5450, +44-20-7344 2041, main store: 8 Burlington Gardens, London Mayfair W1X 1LG, Piccadilly Circus / Green Park, 2nd store: 93 Chancery Lane, London City WC2A 1DU, michael.stevens@edeandravenscroft.co.uk, www.edeandravenscroft.co.uk

Ermenegildo Zegna, Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1910, more than 400 fabric available and 60 models, from £120, no minimum quantity, monogram included, four weeks delivery, Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, +44-20-75182700, 37/38 New Bond St., London Mayfair  W1Y 9HB, Green Park/Bond Street, ermenegildo@zegna.demon.co.uk, www.zegna.com
 

Gieves & Hawkes, Tailor & Shirtmaker, more than 200 years old, Savile Row's premier address with many Royal Warrants (H.M. The Queen's Livery and Military Tailors, H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh's Naval Tailors and Outfitters), with around 1000 different types of cloth designs, appointments advisable, from £140 inc. VAT upwards, Mon-Thu 9.30am-6.30pm, Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, £10 per letter, 1 shirt, three months, +44-20-7434 2001, +44-20-7437 1092, 1 Savile Row (main store), London Mayfair W1X 2JR, Piccadilly Circus, gieves@gievesandhawkes.com, www.gievesandhawkes.com

H. Huntsman & Sons, Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1849, Besides cotton also linen types on offer, Royal Warrants of past English Kings and Queens, nowadays royalty. politicians and actors, from £159 upwards, Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, £10 per letter, 1 shirt, six weeks, +44-20-7734 7441, +44-20-7287 2937, 11 Savile Row, London Mayfair W1X 2PS, Green Park / Piccadilly Circus, mail@h-huntsman.com, www.h-huntsman.com

Hardy Amies Ltd., Couture Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1946, The sky is the limit for your ideas with the help of designer John Moore, ladies: Hardy Amies makes H.M. The Queen's outfits for travels, gentlemen: clients including national and foreign Royalty, £950 inc. VAT for silk or cotton, Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, included, 1 shirt, four weeks, +44-20-7734 2436, +44-20-7439 7116, 14 Savile Row, London Mayfair W1S 3JN, Piccadilly Circus / Green Park, www.hardyamies.co.uk

Harvie & Hudson, Shirtmaker, established in 1946, Own cloth with exclusive pattern, large range of cloth including sea island cotton, made-to-measure from £99.50 and bespoke £135 inc. VAT, Mon-Sat 9am-5.30am, from £7 per letter, made-to-measure: 1 shirt, bespoke: 4 shirts, six weeks for sample, then further six weeks for completion of order, +44-20-7930 3949, +44-20-7839 7020, 77 & 97 Jermyn St., London St. James's SW1, Green Park / Piccadilly Circus, harviehudson@btinternet.com, www.harvieandhudson.com
 

Henry Poole & Co., Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1806, Henry Poole set the trend of tailors moving to Savile Row, crowned by a long history of royal patronage (current warrants: H.M. The Queen's Livery Tailors and by appointment to the Imperial Household of Japan, regular visits to the European continent and the US, outlets in Japan, from £106 upwards, Mon-Fri 9am-5.15pm, £6.50 per letter, 1 shirt, six to eight weeks, +44-20-7734 5985, +44-20-7287 2161, 15 Savile Row, London Mayfair W1X 1AE, Piccadilly Station / Green Park, office@henry-poole.co.uk, www.henry-poole.co.uk

Hilditch & Key, Shirtmaker, established in 1899, Finest custom-made shirts for people like Karl Lagerfeld, visits to the US twice a year, from £135 inc. VAT upwards, Mon-Fri 9.30am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, from £7 per letter, 6 shirts, six to eight weeks for sample, wash 3 times, a further six to eight weeks completion, +44-20-7930 5336, +44-20-7321 0817, 73 Jermyn Street (main store), London St. James's SW1, Green Park / Piccadilly Circus, info@hilditch.co.uk, www.hilditch.co.uk

Kilgour French Stanbury for Washington Tremlett, Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1870, Washington Tremlett offers a superb choice of cloth (cotton, woollen cotton, sea island cotton & silk), also for casual shirts, appointment advisable, 3-4 visits per year to New York, from £149 inc. VAT upwards, Mon-Fri 9.30am-6.30pm, Sat 10.30am-2.30pm, monogram included, 4 shirts, eight weeks, +44-20-7734 6905, +44-20-7287 8147, 8 Savile Row, London Mayfair W1X 1AF, Piccadilly Circus / Green Park, kilgour@8savilerow.com, www.8savilerow.com
 

New & Lingwood, Gentleman Outfitter & Shirtmaker, established in 1865, Well-known for its loud striped cloth, also outlet in Eton, make appointment with pattern maker, £130 for cotton, £170 for sea island cotton, £200 for silk, Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, £8 per hand-stitched letter, 4 shirts, eight to ten weeks, first trial shirt has to be washed three times, +44-20-7493 9621, +44-20-7499 3103, 53 Jermyn St., London St. James's SW1Y 6LX, Piccadilly Circus / Green Park, www.newandlingwood.com

Norton & Sons, Tailor, Breechesmaker & Shirtmaker, established in 1821, Not only city shirts but also shooting shirts, Royal Warrant from the House of Hesse, other customers include former US president George Bush, visits to the US and the European Continent, from £130 inc. VAT upwards, Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, £10 per letter, 3 shirts, six to eight weeks, one sample has to washed and worn, +44-20-7437 0829, +44-20-7287 4764, 16 Savile Row, London Mayfair W1X 1AE, Piccadilly Circus / Green Park, www.britishbespoke.com

Ozwald Boateng - Bespoke Couture Ltd., Couture Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1992, Gentleman, but also ladies from the West End fashion and media industry as well as pop stars are clients thanks to the unique cut and trendy colours, latter are new every season, £195 for cotton (micro-spun cotton for melange colours), £295 for silk (inc. VAT), Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, £5 per letter, 1 shirt, four weeks, +44-20-7734 6868, +44-20-7734 3737, 9 Vigo Street, London Mayfair W1X 1AL, Piccadilly Circus / Green Park, no website available yet
 

Turnbull & Asser, Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1885, Frequently quoted as the best shirtmaker in London, with clients such as Sir Winston Churchill or Prince Charles, ladies department, from £110 for cotton, £175 for sea island cotton to £200 for 2-fold 200 cotton (inc. VAT), Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9.30am-6pm, £5 per letter, 6 shirts, two to three weeks for sample, wash two or three times, another eight weeks for completion, +44-20-7808 3000, +44-20-7808 3001, 70 Jermyn Street, London St. James's W1Y 6PF, Green Park / Piccadilly Circus

... and the others

Anthony Hewitt, Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1968, About 500 different types of cloth including sea island cotton, from £94 for made-to-measure and from £140 upwards for bespoke (inc. VAT), Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 9am-12.30pm, £6.50 per letter, 4 shirts, two to three weeks, +44-20-7734 1505, +44-20-7734 5221, 9 Savile Row, London Mayfair W1X 1AF, Green Park / Piccadilly Circus, no website available yet

Budd Shirtmakers Ltd., Shirtmaker, established in 1910, Exclusive cloth design, arrange appointment with cutter, average price of £120 inc. VAT, Mon-Thu 9am-5.30pm, Fri -5pm, Sat 10am-5pm, from £6 per letter, 3 shirts, first shirt two to three weeks, has to be washed, rest another six to eight weeks, +44-20-7493 0139, +44-20-7491 7524, 3 Piccadilly Arcade, London St. James's SW1, Piccadilly Circus, no website available yet

Coles Shirtmakers, Shirtmaker, established in 1878, ladies and gentlemen's shirts with over 1,000 fabrics in
cotton, linen and silk, prices from £89.95 for made-to-measure and from £150.00 for bespoke shirts (inc. VAT), hand embroidered monograms, 2 shirts made-to-measure, 6 shirts bespoke, delivery in four to six weeks. Mon-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm. Private appointments or visits can be arranged. Tel. +44-20-7609 1125, +44-20-7609 1126, 57 Bayham Place, Camden, London, NW1 0ET, Mornington Crescent, agfinch@coles-shirtmakers.com, www.coles-shirtmakers.com*

Emma Willis, Tailor for Ladies & Shirtmaker, established in 1985, Ladies shirt and blouse specialist with a fashionable cut, also gentlemen shirts, Ladies: £190-250 for cotton, linen, silk, men: £110-130 cotton, £160 sea island, £220-240 silk, Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, £5 per letter, 3 shirts, six to eight weeks, first sample to be washed, +44-20-930 9980, +44-20-930 9072, 66 Jermyn Street, London St. James's SW1Y 6NY, Green Park / Piccadilly Circus, www.emmawillis.com

Favourbrook, Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1990, Originally a gentlemen's wedding outfitter, Favourbrook offers tradition with a modern approach, good choice of tartan patterns, from £100 inc. VAT upwards, Mon-Tue 9am-6pm, Wed-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 10am-6pm, monograms not available, 1 shirt, four weeks, +44-20-7493 5060, +44-20-7493 5066, 55 Jermyn Street (main store), London St. James's SW1Y 6LX, Green Park / Piccadilly Circus, info@favourbrook.com, www.favourbrook.com

40 Savile Row, Tailors and shirtmakers, established in 1938, Appeals also to a younger clientele, appointment advisable, from £110 inc.VAT upwards, Mon-Fri 10am-6.30pm, Sat 10am-6pm, monograms included in price, 1 shirt, 4 to 6 weeks, +44-20-7287 6740, 40 Savile Row, London Mayfair W1S 3QG, Picadilly Circus/Green Park, 40savilerow@savile-row.co.uk, www.40savilerow.co.uk

Grosvenor Shirt Company, Shirtmaker, established in 2000, Grosvenor is the latest newcomer to the shirtmakers guild with made-to-measure shirts made within two weeks, good cloth presentation, from £65 for cotton to £145 for sea island cotton, Mon-Wed 10am-7pm, Thu-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 9.30am-7pm, Sun noon-6pm, no monograms available yet, 1 shirt, two weeks, Tel: +44-20-7629 2782, Fax: +44-20-7491 4427, Grosvenor Shirts, 4 Grosvenor Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4PX, Bond Street / Marble Arch, no website available yet

Hawes & Curtis for Cordings, Gentleman Outfitter and Shirtmaker, Hawes & Curtis was established in 1913 (Cordings in 1839), Cordings, famous for its Mac and Covert Coat, draws on the expertise of shirtmaker and tailor Hawes & Curtis since 1913 for shirts, £140 inc. VAT, Mon-Fri 9.30am-6pm, Sat 9.30am-6pm, £15 for total monogram, 3 shirts, six to seven weeks, +44-20-7734 1020, +44-20-7434 4016, 23 Jermyn St. (main store), London St. James's SW1Y 6HP, Piccadilly Circus / Green Park, second address at Cordings: 19 Piccadilly, London Mayfair W1V 0PE, info@cordings.co.uk, www.cordings.co.uk

Maurice Sedwell, Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1938, Ladies and gentlemen can choose from several hundred cloth types, from £176 inc. VAT upwards, Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-1pm, monogram is possible, 4 shirts, two to four weeks, +44-20-7734 0824, +44-20-7437 0529, 19 Savile Row, London Mayfair W1X 1AE, Green Park / Piccadilly Station, maurice_sedwell_19savilerow@compuserve.com, www.savilerowtailor.com

Stephens & Co., Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1986 in its current form, bespoke shirts for Ladies and Gentlemen with 50 qualities and thousands of designs with a Royal Warrant of the Duke of Edinburgh, former clients include Lord Mountbatten, Frank Sinatra and Carry Grant, from £90 inc. VAT for 2-fold poplin, Mon-Fri 9.30am-6pm, £4 per letter by hand, 4 shirts, six to eight weeks in total, +44-20-7629 4969, +44-20-7629 4969, 8 Stafford Street, London W1S 4RU, Green Park / Piccadilly Circus, no website available yet

Tobias Tailors of Savile Row, Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1889, bespoke shirts with nearly different 400 cloth types, pure cotton or silk, ladies and gentlemen shirts, comes at least once a year to Germany, from £94 inc. VAT, Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat&Sun by appointment, £5-6 per hand-stitched letter, 1 shirt, six weeks, +44-20-734 2551, +44-20-734 2551, 32 Savile Row, London Mayfair W1X 1AG, Piccadilly Circus / Green Park, tobiastailors@netscapeonline.co.uk, www.tobiastailors.co.uk

Volpe, Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1999, bespoke shirts made in Italy to the highest standards, prices start from £110 inclusive of VAT, with no minimum quantity, delivery time is 4-5 weeks, opening hours are Mon, Tue and Fri 11am-7pm, Wed-Thu 11am-7.30pm, Sat 10am-6pm, +44-20-7821 0002, +44-20-7828 7800, 30 Denbigh Street, London Westminster SW1V 2ER, Victoria Station, volpe@talk21.com, www.volpe.ltd.uk

William Hunt, Tailor & Shirtmaker, established in 1988, Shirts for ladies and gentleman, clients include various celebs and pop stars, appointment advisable, £130 inc. VAT, Mon-Fri 9.30am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm, £5 per letter, 1 shirt, four weeks, +44-20-7439 1921, +44-20-7240 3427, 41 Savile Row, London Mayfair W1X 1AG, Piccadilly Circus / Green Park, no website available yet