“The type of person who doesn’t wear a suit to work” is how Charlie Casely-Hayford, the younger half of the father-and-son-run menswear label Casely-Hayford, describes his average customer. And that makes a lot of sense as it embodies a truly British sense of style – classic and refined, but still possessing a daring, anarchic flare – which has led to the brand being hailed as one of the most exciting menswear companies to come out of London in the past few years.

Aside from the seasonal collections, Casely-Hayford also offers another option for the stylishly discerning: a premium, tailored suit service which has quite rightly earned the attention of some of the country’s most exciting talent. “A lot of our inspiration comes from music, so we try to dress as many English musicians that we respect as possible,” Charlie says.  As a result, Casely-Hayford’s roster of clients includes some of the foremost young British names including musicians James Blake and Disclosure, and actor Tom Hiddleston.


Everything at the core of our brand is based around British culture and subculture, past and present, so I think it makes sense to work with other British creatives on whatever level we can.

A tailor-made suit has almost become a badge of honour among emerging, home-grown creatives. “I guess there’s a synergy on that level as such people reflect our ideals. Everything at the core of our brand is based around British culture and subculture, past and present, so I think it makes sense to work with other British creatives on whatever level we can.”

However, there’s a distinct difference between Casely-Hayford suits and the typical tailoring of Savile Row where Charlie’s father Joe worked as the creative director of the eminent fashion house Gieves & Hawkes. “I think people come to us because they don’t want to go there – so we’re not going to try and fill the same void,” Charlie explains. “In a sense we’re almost the opposite, people come to us because they want something modern and streamlined.”

For many of these customers, owning a tailored suit is a milestone, a testament to their status in life. They want to look smart and sophisticated, but without the dusty, archaic associations that come with a traditional fitted suit. With Casely-Hayford they get the best of both worlds.

Charlie and Joe have the expertise of a heritage brand and years of tailoring experience combined with an eye for cutting-edge, contemporarily relevant designs. “It’s very much a family business,” says Charlie. In this day and age, such a cross-generational arrangement is perhaps more unusual than it used to be. Many craft brands are desperate to gain a sense of legacy and to ply a trade that can be traced back through the family tree for decades, but how many of us can say we’ve proudly followed in our parents’ footsteps? Casely-Hayford is one of the few companies that can legitimately claim that distinction. “I think a lot of people relate to that even if they don’t work in family businesses as there’s an element of integrity.”

The bespoke tailoring portion of the business operates from a fitting studio beneath Hostem in east London, a space shared with a number of other brands with an eye for quality such as bespoke shoe designer Sebastian Tarek and leather accessory brand Fleet Ilya. Here Charlie will measure each customer, show them the diverse selection of fabrics, buttons and linings available, and begin the process of building their perfect suit.

There’s a feeling of comfortable modesty here. The studio sits quietly in its neighbourhood, reserved and stylish rather than desperately trying to grab your attention or to shock you into noticing it. Being in a respectable part of the area seems important to Charlie. “We wanted to create a modern reflection of a gentlemen’s outfitters. Everything down here, whether it’s bespoke shoes, bespoke umbrellas or bespoke jewellery is London based, and customers can probably walk to the store when they have an appointment. I think there’s something really lovely about that, and quite old school, but it’s being done in a very modern way.”

http://casely-hayford.com