Ascots & Chapels is best understood as a retail tailoring brand. It arrived in the Gulf in 2007 and is run by Zaki Design Group, the Dubai company that holds the regional license. In 2014 it had stores at The Walk at JBR, Dubai Marina Mall, Souk Al Bahar and DIFC. It now lists Dubai appointments at Dubai Marina Mall and Marble Walk in DIFC, alongside The Galleria in Abu Dhabi and a location in Riyadh.
The process it describes is sound. The cutter who measures drafts an individual pattern, the suit is basted for a first fitting, there are up to three fittings, and jackets are canvassed rather than fused. The range is large: about 6,000 suitings, 1,000 linings and 4,000 shirtings. But the brand sells semi-bespoke and made-to-measure alongside bespoke and does not say which service a given suit receives. Its website says about 70 percent of each suit is made locally; in 2015 Mahir Ali, then its artistic director, told Esquire Middle East that its tailors were mostly recruited from India and trained for about six months, with a quality inspector visiting from England every eight to 12 weeks.
The heritage claim needs care. Esquire Middle East reported in 2015 that the brand dated to London in 1847 and was a franchise from Hanover Square in Mayfair; a 2014 trade article called it 130 years old; Entrepreneur Middle East printed 'since 1871' in 2019. TailorGuide found no independent record of a London tailor of that name, and the website gives a London telephone number but no address.
Choose it for a quick, polished, mall-based service with a visiting tailor and color advice, at prices published guides put at about $700 to $800. For a suit judged on cut and finish, M2M and Collars & Cuffs give clearer accounts of where and how their suits are made, and Dubai's independent bespoke ateliers go further.
TailorGuide score
Each test is scored out of 10 and weighted. Scores set the order within Dubai; they are not compared across cities.
- CutCut and construction35%
- 7/10
- FitFit and fittings30%
- 7/10
- ReputationReputation over time20%
- 6/10
- ServiceService15%
- 7/10
- Founded
- 2007 (in the Gulf)
- House style
- Modern British look, semi-bespoke
- Best for
- A polished, mall-based custom suit with a visiting tailor service
- What they make
- Bespoke suits, semi-bespoke suits, made-to-measure suits, custom shirts, accessories, color consultancy
- Suit
- From $800 · The brand does not publish prices
- Suit
- From $700 · Average price, Gulf News, September 2018
Prices are approximate and change with the fabric and customizations you choose. Confirm the price and the number of fittings before you order.
History
- 2007The brand is brought to the Gulf, according to Esquire Middle East
- 2014Licensee Zaki Design Group reports stores at The Walk at JBR, Dubai Marina Mall, Souk Al Bahar, DIFC, Sowwah Square and The Pearl-Qatar
- 2017Esquire Middle East lists it among Dubai's five best tailors, with seven UAE locations and three fittings for made-to-measure suits (May)
- 2021Partners with ME Dubai on a suite package built around a three-piece suit woven with 24-carat gold thread (March)
- 2022Launches suit linings designed by UAE artists, starting with Khalid Al Banna (April)
- 2026Lists appointments at DIFC Marble Walk and Dubai Marina Mall, The Galleria in Abu Dhabi and KAFD in Riyadh, with private visits on request
Questions
Is Ascots & Chapels a Savile Row tailor?
Not in any verifiable sense. The brand describes itself as British and press reports have dated it to London in 1847 or 1871, but TailorGuide found no independent record of a London shop, and the website gives no London address. In the Gulf it has been operated since 2007 by Zaki Design Group, a Dubai company that holds the regional license.
Where are Ascots & Chapels' stores in Dubai?
The brand lists two Dubai appointment locations, Marble Walk in DIFC and Dubai Marina Mall, and also offers private visits at a client's home, office or hotel. It has a further location at The Galleria on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi and one at KAFD in Riyadh. Appointments are booked through its website or by WhatsApp on +971 50 254 7042.
Where are Ascots & Chapels suits made?
Mostly in the UAE. The website says about 70 percent of each suit is made locally, in UAE workshops held to the same standards as England. In 2015 the brand said its tailors were mostly recruited from India and trained for about six months.
How many fittings does an Ascots & Chapels suit need?
Up to three. After the measuring appointment the suit is basted for a first fitting, and the process can finish earlier if the fit is right. In 2014 the licensee said a suit took about three weeks.
How much does an Ascots & Chapels suit cost?
The brand does not publish prices. An undated Arabian Business guide gave a starting price of $800, and Gulf News put the average at $700 in 2018. A 50 percent deposit is taken when the suit is ordered.
By TailorGuide · Updated April 2026
Spotted something out of date? Email contact@tailorguide.net.
