Ed Smith, author and cricket selector, in a bespoke navy jacket by Jonathan Quearney

Ed Smith author & cricket selector

 
 

Bespoke tailor in London, Sussex & Kent

Soft, light tailoring, established in London in 2003. Suits, coats, dinner jackets, trousers and shirts, bespoke or made to measure, at the King’s Road studio or wherever suits you. Tailoring appointments are also available on Savile Row.

About

Jonathan’s father was a cutter in Dublin, and brought him to work as a boy. “It wasn’t training, it was just early exposure.”

He later trained with Thomas Mahon, former cutter to King Charles III, who “made me aware of the importance of precision, procedure and detail”, and on Mahon’s reference joined Airey & Wheeler of Savile Row. The house’s focus on lightweight clothing suited his soft tailoring: deconstructed featherweight blazers, safari jackets, patch-pocket shirts and one-piece collars. “It opened up the world of cloth’s colour, composition and construction.”

House Style

To develop a house style, you must make in-house. After his training, Jonathan opened his first shop in the West End, with in-house tailors and, later, apprentices.

Two houses shaped the look. Soft tailoring, learned under Thomas Mahon and reminiscent of Anderson & Sheppard, gave it a soft shoulder and a lightly padded chest. Airey & Wheeler, lightweight and tropical specialists established in 1883, brought a deeper understanding of cloth and how lightly a garment can be structured. Plain weaves breathe in humidity, and rain beads and rolls off them.

Together they became something of his own: soft and light, with a natural, modern line. Relaxed and elegant, and very comfortable to wear.

The Studio

The King’s Road studio carries bespoke and made-to-measure samples to try on, to help you picture the finished garment, with a full selection of cloths, linings and buttons. Jonathan chooses the trims himself.

Craft & Cloth

Suits made in London’s West End carry a provenance associated with the very best of British craftsmanship. The W1 label in every bespoke garment records it.

“As a tailor examining cloth daily I have become well trained in tuning out cloths that don’t impress me. This helps me be independent in my taste.”

“I have had pointed out to me that I’m not easily impressed. Perhaps this is part of what can make a good craftsman.” As featured in The Fitzrovia Journal

Understated Elegance

“When you meet someone, you look them up and down, and everyone does it. But when we do it, that’s the natural line of the body we’re looking at, and what you put on top of it influences how people see you.”

“It’s the combination of the person’s personality, the function the suit’s going to have and the carefully selected cloth. When we combine these three elements, we can build something that has great value, a great design sensibility and integrity.”

 

Testimonials

  • “It’s only when you put on a suit that really fits that you realise what that actually means. When I stepped into my new skin, I genuinely felt like I’d been reborn.”

    Robin Kennedy

  • “Jonathan has a solid Savile Row tailoring background, which he combines with a modern eye to create some cracking tailoring.”

    Sam Tootal

  • “At no point did he treat me like anything other than his most important client.”

    Stephen Pulvirent

  • “The process he takes you through is engaged and interesting, and helps you to understand the complexities of tailoring clothes.”

    Max Landry

  • “Best value suit I ever bought. Jonathan made it five years ago and the shape has held better than I expected.”

    Karl H Richter

  • “The suit and shirt were produced on time, and are still in excellent condition, like new.”

    Matthew Wood

  • “The maker of heavenly trousers.”

    Peter Castle

  • “The business when it comes to English-style custom tailoring with a modern sensibility. Getting this right is difficult and subtle, but he does it, and at a reasonable price.”

    Ian Louden

  • “Wonderful skill, a great eye for what would work and real attention to detail.”

    Mark Sherwood

  • “The unparalleled service of both a craftsman and gentleman.”

    Tom Grand

  • “Jonathan combines the highest quality bespoke tailoring with extraordinary attention to detail and a truly personal service. How he achieves these impeccable standards at his very reasonable prices is anyone’s guess, but I wouldn’t contemplate going anywhere else.”

    Neil Scaife

  • “Jonathan understood my requirements better than I could express them. The execution was flawless, for a price in line with mass-produced designer garments. I will not hesitate to go back.”

    Frederic Gits

  • “Jonathan suggested colour and material that was bang on. He fitted the suit in such detail that I even learned a thing or two about my physiology. I love the suit! A great guy, very charming and capable, highly recommended.”

    Keir Menzies, Google review

  • “I came to Jonathan with the critical task of getting a suit for my wedding, with a very close deadline. His approach and dedication were impeccable. Impeccable quality and massive success on my wedding day, everyone complimented my suit.”

    Jaime J. Cervera, Google review

  • “I was married in a brown velvet suit, and it’s the best suit I’ve ever owned. My other half wears his all the time. They’re hard-wearing, well put together, and unmistakably good.”

    Gregory Block, Google review

  • “It was the first made-to-measure suit I have had made and was for my wedding day, so had to be on the money. He guided me in the early stages, selecting colours and materials to suit me and my personality.”

    Matt Howard