Sir Hardy Amies is most known to Americans as the dressmaker for Queen Elizabeth II from 1952 until 1989 but he has also been one of England’s most respected tailors since 1945 when he opened shop at 14 Savile Row. He was also shockingly modern by hosting the first men’s catwalk show at the Savoy Hotel in London in 1961. If that isn’t cool enough he designed costumes for 2001: A Space Odyssey and published the book ABC of Men’s Fashion in 1964, a must have for any well dressed man to this day.
In 2010 the house relaunched their ready to wear line ‘Mainline Hardy Amies’ with their Creative Director Claire Malcolm (formerly of Kim Jones and E.Tautz) who channeled Mr. Amies through captivating old pictures from his personal albums. The line is refreshingly affordable (suits from $900, shirts from $175) and is sold in various Bloomingdales around the nation.
Although there are serious British tailored pieces, we can find loose knits, rolled chinos and soft Oxfords inspired from Amies summer sojourns and time in the British Army. And no English collection would be complete without a trench coat for those chilly British summers. Theirs is weather proofed cotton and comes either double or single breasted.
Regardless what you choose, always remember Amies wise words of wisdom, “A man should look as if he had bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care, and then forgotten all about them.”
