About Bailey Bespoke
The Business
Bailey Bespoke Tailoring: Birminghams finest tailoring. Based in Moseley, one of Birmingham’s most bohemian and coolest suburbs. Created by Douglas Bailey with one aim: to create beautiful Made to Measure tailored clothing from the worlds most luxurious fabrics. Tailored clothing for individuals allied to a highly personalised service.
What we do best. Contemporary tailoring, designed and measured for the optimum fit. Tailored to suit your personality and offer you the luxury of choice. Clothing created in highly skilled workrooms with cloth from the worlds best mills.
Choosing bespoke tailoring is a wonderful experience and very personal adventure. Bailey would like to be part of your clothing experience and make it as easy as possible to choose and wear individual pieces of tailored clothing.
Bailey. A Personal journey
Tailoring By Default
Birmingham October 1978. I started a business making custom jewellery whilst studying for my A Levels. Disaster struck one cold Sunday morning when my car would not start. I couldn’t get to Bristol to open my stall. That was the end of the jewellery business.
Skint and with no money to repair my car I started work as a “Saturday Boy” at Hepwoth’s the Tailors on New Street in Birmingham City Centre and I loved it! A bustling City store at a time when the retail trade in Birmingham celebrated life, to the full and often, after work! From the moment I greeted a customer I realised just how special ordering made to measure clothing is.
After a nervous start in the Made to Measure suit department a couple of wonderful and experienced tailors helped me to find my feet and soon had me measuring and fitting customers for suits, lots of suits! And boy did I make some mistakes! With each mistake came understanding. The main lesson was “focus on the detail and make sure your customer is thrilled with his clothing.”
For a trip down memory lane take a look at at the Hepworth’s cinema ad from the 1970’s:
The Middle Years
Menswear for the Multiples
After a great education at Hepworth’s I moved into the world of mass produced tailoring. I have been lucky to work for both Brook Taverner https://www.brooktaverner.com and Stuncroft https://clubclasscorporatewear.co.uk: two fabulous clothing businesses. Allowing me to travel the world visiting fabric mills and tailoring factories in Europe, India and the Far East. Witnessing the tailoring trade from all angles and building a fabulous network. It has been a fabulous journey and the fun and friendships made have been truly wonderful.
Today
I have decided to go back to where it all started; creating tailored clothing for individuals. Simply because it is enjoyable. Birminghams finest tailoring: Based in in my home in Moseley, one of Birmingham’s most bohemian and coolest suburbs.
I love the stature and majesty of suits made by Tom Ford and Oswald Boateng. The fun of Gresham Blakes design. The traditional hand skills and precision of a world class workroom inspires me and I still get a buzz looking at beautiful fabrics.
My Life Outside Tailoring
I love sport! Played football and cricket before taking up golf when I could no longer put my own boots on! Sport creates wonderful friendships and great characters. Many are often found putting the world to rights and pontificating about topics, many of which, we have a thin grasp of – at best!
What happens in the Tailors room, stays in the Tailors room. Safe to say none of my current customers include Royalty. However, my roll call does include members of the aristocracy, captains of industry, life’s explorers and some fine sportsmen. Oh and a couple of artists!
Price Promise
Bailey’s: luxury personal tailoring backed by 35 years experience and a high level of service. Low overheads ensure Bailey’s supply world class products at the most competitive price available. https://baileybespoketailoring.co.uk/bespoke-pricing/
Every Suit Tells a Story
Some Notable Clients
Politicians, “DJ’s” and Gangsters and some Great Blokes. Of the 1000’s of men I have produced clothing for some customers stand out.
Proud Mom
Recent wedding party. A Groom and his two Best Men. All three guys visited me and each bought along their favourite fitting jacket and trousers as a guide. The “best’ was also not the fit I would recommend for a wedding day with photography that will last a lifetime. I measured all 3 and fitting day quickly arrived. All three tried the suits on and I was both relieved and thrilled that they fit. All three men looked taller and had some shape. Their mother was with them and simply started to cry. She hugged me and said “I have never seen my sons dressed like this and they look incredible.” I have some photo’s from the day and it really shows how good tailoring can make a man look his very best.
The Understanding Business Man
I was asked to visit a customers office; he wanted 2 business suits. I went in and for whatever reason I was a little short. Very unprofessional and he stopped me after 10 minutes and said, “Doug I am not sure you have come here with the right attitude. I have called you in on the recommendation of people I trust so I imagine you are having a bad morning. I suggest you go out of my office and come back in and we start again. Does that suit you?”. I did as he suggested; he became my best customer for over 15 years. What a valuable lesson in patience he taught me too. I have tried to match him over my life but have never come close to his level of human understanding.
Great Blokes
Too many to mention. The vast majority of people I have worked with and made garments for have been wonderful. Many ridiculously understanding when I have made mistakes and many grateful when I have pulled out all the stops for a special occasion and made a beautiful suit that fit perfectly.
The Politician
I was once “privileged” to make a suit for a Politician. I dare say no name. Once ready he asked if I would mind delivering it because he was extremely busy and needed it for a function. No problem, by this time driving a reliable Vauxhall Cavalier SRI. I turned up at a flat in a beautifully converted Georgian house and knocked on the door. After some fuss a young lady answered the door in a skimpy nightdress. Slightly distracted I mumbled that I was delivering a suit. At which point the said politician opened the door and asked me in. I did the fitting in a room with a politician, a gorgeous half dressed woman and a whiff of scandal in the air. I am sorry to say he never went on to high office! What happens between a client and his tailor is confidential and bound by the Haberdasher Oath of Tailors 🙂
The "DJ"
Handsworth, Birmingham. The year 1978. I am a fan of lovers rock and music generally. I often went to a late night club on Soho Road. The air was thick with “exotic” smoke. I met a guy called Roy, part DJ and part “businessman”. A few years later Roy walked into Hepworth’s and asked me to make him a mohair suit from the Dormeuil Tonik. See: https://www.dormeuil.com/en/fabrics/range/mohair/
5 weeks after being measured Roy came in for his fitting. The Mohair suit looked a million dollars. Bright blue with a sheen and pink lining. I loved it; he loved it. He promptly invited me to a blues party. I accepted and excitedly turned up to the industrial warehouse where Roy greeted me and handed me a can of Red Stripe and a smoke. I took the beer and refused the smoke. He then casually offered me the company of one of his “ladies” as a favour for being “his” tailor. Roy wasn’t a good role model but, honestly, as a 21 year old it wasn’t half fun!
The Gangster
Walworth Rd, London. The year 1986. Working in London to further my knowledge of the tailoring when one morning a stocky, well dressed man, came into the store: he smiled and said “I want two silk suits.” He needed them quickly so my only option was to alter ready to wear. He selected a silver and a pale blue silk suit. I pinned the suits for alteration. Two days later he collected the suits and paid in cash. A couple of weeks later he walked into the store and said he didn’t want the suits any longer and could I refund his money. I started to tell him why I couldn’t refund when a senior member of staff beckoned me over and whispered, “He is a local gangster and it’s best you refund his money.” I would love to say I stood my ground, I didn’t! I refunded his money. I enjoyed a few nights in one of his clubs and he put everything on the house.