Jermyn Street Shirtmakers: A Guide to London's Shirt Street

Jermyn Street shirts have a reputation that runs well beyond London. The street, in St James's just south of Piccadilly, has been the city's center of shirtmaking for well over a century, and several of its makers still cut bespoke shirts on the premises or in their own workrooms. If you want a better shirt than the high street sells, or your first piece of bespoke clothing, this is where London sends you.

What is Jermyn Street known for?

Jermyn Street is known for men's shirts. Its makers are synonymous with the classic English dress shirt: crisp collars, fine two-fold cottons and neat, close stitching, sold ready-made in collar and sleeve sizes or cut bespoke. The street is also home to some of London's oldest specialist shops, including the perfumer Floris, founded in 1730, and the cheesemonger Paxton & Whitfield, on the street since 1896.

The street dates from the 1660s, when Henry Jermyn, Earl of St Albans, developed the area near St James's Palace. Much of it is owned by the Crown Estate. A statue of Beau Brummell, the Regency dandy who did much to shape the plain, well-cut English style, has stood by the Jermyn Street entrance to Piccadilly Arcade since 2002.

Well-known Jermyn Street shirtmakers

Several shirtmakers have traded on or around the street for generations. The table lists a few well-known names with facts each firm or a reliable source has published. It is not a ranking, and many other good makers trade nearby.

What makes a Jermyn Street shirt different?

A good Jermyn Street shirt differs from a high-street shirt in its fabric, its pattern and its finishing. The best ready-made shirts on the street use fine two-fold cotton, where each yarn is two strands twisted together, which makes the fabric stronger and smoother. They are cut with more care, and the details that wear out first on a cheap shirt are made to last.

• Two-fold cotton. Stronger and smoother than single-ply fabric of the same fineness, and it keeps its shape through more washes.
• A split yoke. The panel across the shoulders is cut in two pieces on a slight angle, so it follows the slope of your shoulders.
• Pattern matching. Stripes and checks line up across the yoke, sleeves and front placket.
• Fine, close stitching. Small, even stitches give neat, flat seams that pucker less in the wash.
• Mother-of-pearl buttons. Thicker and cooler to the touch than plastic, with a natural luster.
• A firm collar. English shirtmakers favor a collar that stays crisp under a tie and sits close to the neck.

Are Jermyn Street shirts good quality?

The best Jermyn Street shirts are very good quality, and the street's traditional makers set a high standard for ready-made shirts. Quality depends on the maker and the line, so check the shirt itself. A shirt costing $200 to $400 from an established maker should have two-fold cotton, matched patterns, a well-shaped collar and real mother-of-pearl buttons. Our guide to how a dress shirt should fit shows what to look for once it is on.

Ready-made, made-to-measure or bespoke?

Ready-made shirts suit you if a standard collar and sleeve size fits your neck and arms and the body is not too full or too tight. Made-to-measure adjusts a house pattern to your measurements. Bespoke gives you a pattern drafted for you alone, with a trial shirt to perfect it, and is worth it if you are hard to fit or wear a shirt every day.

How much is a bespoke shirt in London?

A bespoke shirt in London typically starts at about $460 to $550, with a minimum first order of several shirts. Emma Willis, for example, sets a minimum of four shirts for an initial order, with the price depending on the fabric. Rare fabrics, special collars and hand finishing raise the price. Once your pattern exists, later shirts can usually be ordered singly.

How to order a bespoke shirt on Jermyn Street

Ordering a bespoke shirt takes two or three visits over about six to eight weeks. The trial shirt is the step that makes bespoke worth paying for: it shows how the pattern behaves on you after washing, when cotton shrinks slightly.

Which collar and cuff should you choose?

Choose the collar for your face and your ties, and the cuff for how formal you dress. A spread or cutaway collar suits a fuller tie knot and a longer, narrower face; a point collar lengthens a round face; a button-down is the casual choice. Barrel cuffs suit daily wear and French cuffs, which need cufflinks, suit formal dress. Our guide to shirt collars covers every type.

How Jermyn Street shirt sizes work

Ready-made Jermyn Street shirts are sized by collar and sleeve, in inches. A 15½ collar is about 39 cm; collars usually run from 14½ to 18 inches (37 to 46 cm). Sleeves are measured from the center of the back of the neck to the wrist and usually run from about 32 to 37 inches (81 to 94 cm). Most makers also offer two or three body fits, from classic to slim. Our guide to measuring your shirt size shows how to find yours.

How to look after a fine cotton shirt

A well-made shirt lasts years if you treat the collar and cuffs gently, because that is where shirts wear out first. Most of the damage comes from hot washes, tumble dryers and pressing a dry collar flat.

• Remove collar stiffeners before washing, and undo every button, including the cuffs.
• Wash at about 104°F (40°C) unless the label says otherwise; hotter washes shrink and yellow cotton faster.
• Skip the tumble dryer. Hang the shirt on a shaped hanger to dry, then iron while slightly damp.
• Iron the collar from the points inward so you do not push creases into the tips.
• Rotate shirts so each one rests between wears, and have frayed collars or cuffs replaced by the maker rather than throwing the shirt away.

Bespoke shirtmakers often offer to replace a worn collar or cuffs on shirts they made, since they keep your pattern and can match the fabric while it is still available. Ask whether yours does, and what it costs, when you order.

What a good shirtmaker checks

A good shirtmaker looks at the shirt with your jacket on, not only on its own. They want about ¼ to ½ inch (6 to 13 mm) of cuff showing below the jacket sleeve, a collar that sits against the back of the neck without gaping, and a body that is clean but lets you sit and reach. Expect them to ask what watch you wear, since the cuff on that wrist is often cut slightly larger.

Plan your visit with our first-timer's guide to Savile Row, which includes the short walk from the Row to Jermyn Street, and see the 10 best tailors in London if a suit is next.

TailorGuide is independent. Our guides are written and checked by our team and carry no paid endorsements. How we work.